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Does a Small House Need Central Air Conditioning?

Low cooling cost is one of the major, though perhaps unexpected, benefits of living in a small house. Rather than paying to cool rooms no one is occupying, you mostly pay for space you actually use. Though air conditioning is less expensive for a small house than for a large one, you can pay even less by living without it.

  1. Defining a Small Home

    • As of June 2011, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that the average single-family home is about 2,390 square feet in size. So if your house is smaller than this --- specifically, smaller than 2,090 square feet --- it is smaller than average.

    Benefits of Air Conditioning

    • Air conditioning makes summer months more bearable, but it also makes allergy season more bearable by decreasing indoor humidity. Humid air invites allergens such as dust mites and mold, but air conditioning dehumidifies the air. This benefit alone makes air conditioning worthwhile for a small home since valuable living space comprises more of your square footage than in a large home; allergen infestations have a larger impact.

    Drawbacks

    • Though you pay less for air conditioning than someone who lives in a large house, it can still take a sizable bite out of your paycheck. A 2.5-ton air conditioning system, which is sufficient for a 1,100-square foot house, costs $117 per month in electricity as of June 2011. If your house is bigger, expect to pay more.

    Alternatives

    • Use fans to cool your home instead of air conditioning. Ceiling fans cost as little as $6 per month to operate and, at most, a whole-house fan costs $65 per month. Dehumidifiers cost slightly more at $68 per month.

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Air Conditioners
  1. Central Air Conditioning Struck by Lightning
  2. Does Central Air Conditioning Have Good Filtering?
  3. Do-it-Yourself Central Air Conditioning
  4. Central Air Conditioning Sizes
  5. What Do I Need to Hook Up a Central Heat and Air Unit to My House?
  6. What Is a Fuel-Efficient Temperature to Set Central Air Conditioning?
  7. Does a New Central Air Conditioner Need a Separate Humidistat?
  8. Why Does a Central Air Conditioner Stop?
  9. Central Air Conditioning Cooling Capacity
  10. High Velocity Central Air Conditioning
  11. Does a Basement Need a Dehumidifier When There Is a Central Air Unit?
  12. Does Central AC Tubing Need to Be Insulated?

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