When you’re on the lookout for a new air conditioner, it’s important that you purchase the right size, otherwise, it won’t have the cooling capacity to cool your home.
Even if you get a large air conditioner, it could end up being too big, which could cause its own issues.
For most 2000 square foot homes, a 3 ton air conditioner will be enough to cool down the entire home.
When sizing home air conditioners, follow the steps below, no matter what sq ft your house is. Properly sizing can keep you comfortable plus save on operating costs.
Let’s get started.
What size AC unit do you need for a 2000 sq ft house?
To know exactly what size air conditioner unit you will need for a 2000 square feet house, you will have to do some measuring.
First, figure out the rooms that will need an air conditioner and measure the floor area of the rooms.
Begin by measuring the width and length to find the area of each room.
For hallways and corridors, you can add the floor areas as well if you need.
If you want, you can add the measurements of other rooms you are going to need an air conditioning unit.
The next step is to estimate the required capacity for each of the rooms.
For example, according to the Energy Star recommendations, you will need around 5,000 BTU to 6,000 BTU for areas between 100-250 sq ft.
However, some rooms may need slightly more if you have large windows.
Let’s say your living room has large windows that let in a lot of sun; you should add 10% more capacity.
Keep in mind, you may want to add 4,000 BTU in the kitchen if you plan on putting an AC in there due to the heat from cooking appliances.
If you have ceilings that are more than 9 feet, you should add on 1,000 BTU.
For most 2000 square foot houses, a 3 ton unit air conditioner will be enough.
How much is a new AC unit for a 2000 square foot house?
The cost of a new AC unit for a 2,000 sq ft house is going to depend on what type of air conditioner and the model.
For example, if you’re looking for central air conditioner prices, they can range from $2,000 to $12,000.
If you want a window unit, it would cost around $200-$1,000 for the unit plus installation combined.
A portable air conditioner could range from $300 and up to over $1,000.
To get the best cost for your needs, you can set up a consultation with an HVAC technician to see what your home would benefit from the most.
What size AC unit do you need for a 1600 sq ft house?
When you purchase your home, the square footage measurements you receive are the actual living space in your home; this could include a basement or indoor porch area.
It’s important that you measure differently for an air conditioner.
You can accurately measure how many BTUs you need by multiplying each room, length by width, to get specific room measurements.
When you’re measuring, be sure to add hallways, corridors, or other areas, even laundry rooms in your calculations.
When you’re adding up the measurements, you don’t have to worry about closet spaces or other small areas that won’t be connected to the air conditioning unit.
Keep this in mind when converting measurements to BTU:
100-150 sq ft rooms = 5,000 BTU
150-250 sq ft rooms = 6,000 BTU
250-350 sq ft rooms = 7,000 BTU
Next, you will multiply the square footage of each room larger than 350 sq ft by sq ft for average BTU.
For kitchens, be sure to add another 4,000 BTU.
For laundry rooms and bathrooms, you should add 1,000 BTU. Finally, you’ll want to add the BTUs together to figure out the total BTU for your house.
What size AC unit do you need for a 3000 sq ft house?
While you can’t go by just the measurements of 3000 sq ft to find the accurate BTU, the average is around 42,000-60,000 BTUs.
For a 3000 square foot home, you’re likely going to need a larger system.
It’s important to follow the proper way to take measurements, as mentioned above, so you can ensure even cooling in your home.
Two people could have a home of 3,000 sq ft but could need different BTUs, depending on the layout of their home and if you have a second floor.
How Many Tons Of AC Do I Need Per Square Foot?
Most experts agree that, in general, air conditioners should be 20 BTU for each square foot of living space.
However, you need to convert the BTU into tonnage with one ton equal to 12000 BTU. So, this would mean around 0.0016 tons for each square foot.
For example, if you have a 2000 square feet home, you will multiply it by 0.0016, which equals 3.2 tons.
How many BTUs do I need for a 2000 sq ft house?
To give a general idea, you may need around 30,000-34,000 BTUs for around 2000 sq feet.
These ranges assume you have around 8 ft ceiling height. However, if your ceilings are higher, add 10% on the BTU.
You should also consider how many people are going to be consistently in the room you are trying to cool down the most.
The human body can impact the heat of a room greatly.
If there are going to be more than two people in the room most of the time, you will want to increase the BTU size from 10% up to 20% for effective cooling capacity.
How many BTU do I need for a 1800 sq ft house?
If you have a home that is around 1800 square footage range, you will need around 24,000-34,000 BTU.
It all depends on how many people are living there, the layout of the home, the climate zone, if you have older style windows or newer style windows, and more.
You also need to consider where you are going to be placing your new air conditioning unit.
If it’s in the kitchen, you will want to add more BTUs because of the heat from your oven and other cooking appliances.
If you place your air conditioner in a room that has significant amounts of sunshine, you will want to also get a higher BTU.
If you have poor insulation, you will likely need to fix the issue or find the proper air conditioning system that will still be energy efficient, despite this construction type.
If you are unsure how to measure properly, having a HVAC professional provide a consultation can help you choose the perfect air conditioner size for your home.
Final Thoughts
The size of your air conditioning unit can greatly affect the overall cooling capacity.
While some people may think the more BTU the better; that’s far from the truth. You can experience a whole host of issues if you get an air conditioner that is either not enough BTU or is too much.
If you don’t want the hassle of measuring, that’s okay. You can set up a consultation with an experienced HVAC technician so they can let you know the best air conditioning needs for your home.
