Your Air Conditioner Installation: And Now, A Word About Manual S

Regular readers of this blog are up to speed on air conditioner installation manuals J and D. Now we’d like to fill Coastal Bend residents in on another in the series: Manual S. When used together, these manuals make sure you get the best new air conditioning equipment for your unique home and family needs.

As a review, Manual J provides guidance for your HVAC technician in calculating your cooling load, which reveals the required capacity of your new A/C equipment. Manual D provides important details about your duct system to make sure it’s adequate for your new cooling system. This manual helps your HVAC expert determine when airflow adjustments or duct retrofitting are needed.

Now, on to Manual S (Residential Equipment Selection). It’s published by the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, just like J and D, using industry criteria recognized by the American National Standards Institute. When combined with calculations from the other manuals, Manual S guides the selection of specific equipment to cool your home. Manual S has been part of the process of air conditioner selection since the establishment of the 2009 International Residential Code.

Manual S offers specific guidelines to help HVAC professionals:

• Interpret manufacturer’s performance specs for each model to select the most suitable air conditioning equipment for your home.
• Factor in climate data so that the cooling load calculation is correct for latent, as well as sensible heat. Sensible heat is dry heat, the heat that is shown on a thermometer/thermostat. Latent heat is humid heat. It can make your skin feel clammy and uncomfortable. It’s measured with hygrometers/humidistats. Because of this difference in heat types, two homes showing the same thermometer reading can feel different, with the humid house feeling hotter.
• Ensure proper airflow through the home.
• Choose a cooling system configurations to achieve comfort and energy-efficiency goals–and provide options to clients.

Do you have questions about cooling systems or air conditioner installation? Contact the experts at CCAC. We’re happy to answer any questions. Also visit our website for valuable HVAC-system tips.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about A/C installation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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