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how big of an ac unit do i need for a 2000 sq ft house

by Milton White Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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If your home is 2000 square feet, you can calculate your HVAC needs the same as you would for a 1600 square foot home. Assuming one ton of cooling capacity can cool 400 square feet of your home, you'll need about 5.0 tons of air conditioning capacity. Multiply this by 12,000 BTUs, and you'll get 60,000 BTUs.Apr 26, 2018

Full Answer

How many sq ft will a 4 ton AC unit cool?

A 4 ton unit will typically cool between 2000 square feet and 2400 square feet. See our free system sizing calculator for sizing assistance. Many people will tell you to figure about 500-600 square feet of living space for each ton of cooling.

How many square feet will a 3-ton AC cool?

about 1,800 square feet3-ton is equal to 36,000 BTU. If you apply the 20 BTU per sq ft rule of thumb, you can see that a 3-ton air conditioner cools about 1,800 square feet spaces.

What size house will a 5 ton air conditioner cool?

Most homes from about 2500 to 3000 square feet require a 5 ton air conditioner.

How many square feet will a 5 ton AC cool?

2401 - 3000 sf 2501ZONE 1ZONE 23 Tons1501 - 1800 sf1501 - 1850 sf3.5 Tons1801 - 2100 sf1851 - 2150 sf4 Tons2101 - 2400 sf2151 - 2500 sf5 Tons2401 - 3000 sf2501 - 3100 sf3 more rows

How much should a 3-ton AC unit cost installed?

$4,000 to $7,000The national average cost to install a 3-ton air conditioner is $4,000 to $7,000. Most homeowners pay around $5,500 for a 3-ton, split system unit with a SEER rating of 16, fully installed with modifications to existing ducts.

Is 20 SEER worth the money?

If an air conditioner has a 20+ SEER rating, that is considered an excellent energy-efficient unit.

Is a 4 ton AC unit too big?

While a local HVAC professional can help you with this, the general rule of thumb is that one ton of AC capacity will cool approximately 500 square feet. So if your home is 1,500 square feet, a two to three-ton unit would be best.

Will a 3 ton AC cool a 2000 square foot house?

For a 2,000 sq ft house, you need anywhere between 2.5-ton to 4.5-ton units (with an average of about 3-3.5 tons). For this capacity, you need either central air or ductless mini splits.

Does a 5 ton AC use more electricity?

Yes. The average tons to watts conversion is 1 ton = 3516 watts. That is consistent with our Generator Size for AC table that shows a 1 ton AC needs a 4kW or 4000 watt generator and a 5 ton AC needs at least 17,500 watt generator, so a 20kW generator will handle both starting watts and running watts.

How much does a 4-ton AC unit cost?

4-ton units can come in various types and efficiencies, which impact your total costs. The average cost to install a 4-ton central air conditioner is $6,000 to $11,000. Most homeowners spend around $8,500 on a 16 SEER split system fully installed with minor modifications to existing ducts.

Can I replace a 2.5 ton AC with a 3-ton?

Don't do it. If your heated area requirements are 2 tons (24,000 BTU), increasing to 3 tons (36,000 BTU) will increase your problems. Call a professional HVAC contractor to determine if there is a problem with your equipment and/or ductwork.

Will a bigger AC unit cool my house better?

A bigger air conditioner will cool the home faster. The thermostat, being on the main floor away from the walls and windows will typically be blasted with that easy cold air and will be satisfied in a matter of a few minutes.

Will a 3-ton AC cool a 2000 square-foot house?

For a 2,000 sq ft house, you need anywhere between 2.5-ton to 4.5-ton units (with an average of about 3-3.5 tons). For this capacity, you need either central air or ductless mini splits.

How big of a house can a 3-ton AC unit handle?

1,800 square feetBenchmarks for Air Conditioner Size: 1,201 to 1,500 square feet homes should use 2.5 tons. If your home size is higher than the number above but is less not more than 1,800 square feet, you can go for a three-ton A/C.

What size central air conditioner do I need for a 3000 sq ft home?

5-tonSince larger homes are costlier to cool, you'll need a 5-ton unit to cool a 3,000 square-foot home.

Is a 3-ton air conditioner enough?

If you live in a home that's about 1,800 square feet, has standard 8-foot ceilings, average sun exposure, and it's a cold climate, you'll probably need a 3-ton, (36,000 BTUs) unit. Change that to a hot climate, and you'll need to upsize that to a 3.5-ton (42,000 BTUs) unit.

What happens if you buy an air conditioner that is too big?

If you end up buying an air conditioner that is too big, this will just cool your house too fast . It will cause the unit to shut off then turn back on again and again that will lead to higher costs, lower efficiency, and sometimes, more repairs than necessary.

How many BTUs are needed for a 1500 sq ft. house?

30,000 BTUs for 1,500 to 2,000 sq. ft.

How many BTUs for 400 sq ft?

10,000 BTUs for 400 to 450 sq. ft.

What is the number one factor when deciding on the size of the window AC unit you will need?

The room’s size is the number one factor when deciding on the size of the window ac unit you will need. Listed below is the number of BTUs required for a particular room size.

How many sq ft is a house?

Many homes today are around 2000 sq ft. While houses with this measurement are not small, these are not that big either. This is why many homeowners have a hard time choosing the right air conditioner to use. If you happen to be one of them, what size ac unit for 2000 square feet should you use in the first place then?

How to determine the area of a room?

Start by measuring the width and length to determine area of a room. For the corridors or hallways, you can also try including their floor areas if significant. You can also include the rest of the rooms where you need cooling or heating.

How to determine the size of AC for 2000 sq ft?

The very first step to determine the correct ac size for a 2000 sq ft house is to calculate the specific capacity required for the individual rooms. After that, you need to choose the suitable air conditioning unit depending on the required capacity. You can then decide on the type of ac that you want for the house.

What size air conditioner for a 2,000 sqft house?

As mentioned earlier, we need to calculate the cooling capacity needed for the house. The proper way of calculating the capacity is by using heat load calculations. However, the heat load calculations are very complex and often not suitable for a normal person.

Which type of air conditioner for a 2000 sqft house?

Just for residential application, there are few types of air conditioners available for you to choose from. But, don’t worry, let’s break it down into two types of air conditioners.

What will increase the overall cost of an air conditioning system?

The total air conditioning cost for a 2,000 sqft house can be vastly different depending on many factors such as the house layout, type of system, location and contractors. However, I can provide you what are the things that will increase the air conditioning cost for your house.

Final Thought

On average, people don’t use high efficiency air conditioners. Accordingly to IEA’s report, we can save 45% on electricity costs if high efficiency air conditioners are used.

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What size AC do I need?

Getting the right size AC unit for your house is very important if you want to have the desired level of comfort and good energy efficiency. The smallest central air conditioning unit is 18,000 BTUs (1.5 tons), while the largest is 60,000 BTUs (5 tons).

How much does it cost to install a 2.5 ton central air system?

Before we get into sizing a residential central air unit, lets take a quick look at pricing. On average, homeowners report spending $3,900 – 5,000 to install a 2.5 ton central air system in a house that has functional ductwork.

How much does a 1 ton AC unit cost?

The smallest AC unit 1 ton (12,000 BTUs) costs $1,300 – $1,700. The 1-ton units are very rarely installed as they are too small for a “CENTRAL AC” application. If you need an AC that small, you are much better off going with a ductless mini-split system.

How much tonnage is needed for a poorly insulated house?

If there is poor insulation/efficiency in your home, its best to estimate higher tonnage. In the example above, you would estimate a 4 ton unit for a poorly insulated 2,200 sq.ft. house.

What is ductless mini split?

Ductless mini split systems provide targeting cooling (and heating) to a single room or a large area. If you get a multi-zone mini split system, then you can heat and cool multiple rooms.

Why do AC systems fail?

Over 40% of all HVAC systems, including central air conditioners, fail due to incompetent, hack job installation. Especially if you are willing to spend extra money on a premium brand name AC unit, such as Carrier, don’t try to squeeze a few hundred dollars of savings by hiring a sub-par installer.

How big is a residential central AC system?

Residential Central AC systems come in a maximum size of 5-ton. Anything bigger, requires a commercial roof-top AC, which are in most situations not suitable for residential use. Final pricing for central AC also varies based on brand name, as well as other features.

How to calculate output of gas furnace?

Then, to calculate the output on a gas furnace, multiply its efficiency rating by its listed input rating for the actual Btu output of heat. For example, if a furnace has a listed input rating of 100,000 Btu's and an efficiency rating of 80%, it will produce

Why is it important to sizing an air conditioner?

When sizing air conditioners, be careful not to make the mistake of getting one that is too large. If the system you install is too large for the space, it will short cycle. In other words, the compressor will not run long enough to dehumidify the space and will limit your comfort. In addition, it will cycle on and off more frequently, increasing operating costs and reducing the system life. Proper air conditioner sizing is critical to optimize performance.

What determines BTU per square?

Variables such as your insulation, type and number of windows, number of stories, construction type, etc. will greatly affect the required Btu's per square for both heating and cooling. A general rule of thumb is that if your home is well insulated with newer style windows, you can select the smaller size system that falls within your total square footage.

Why do you need a 2 story home?

If your home is two story it will place less of a load on the system in the downstairs area as the second floor acts as additional insulation. If your home is not well insulated, has older style windows, and/or a larger than average number of windows, you will want to select the larger system which falls within your square footage range. The less insulated and more windows within the environment, the more likely you will experience greater air and heat loss.

When to use the lower number or higher number?

Use the lower of the two numbers if your home is well insulated and the higher number if it is older or poorly insulated. (Hint: Use the larger of the two numbers above if you're unsure of your home's insulation)

Does the manufacturer list the size of an air conditioner?

The manufacturers do not list the air conditioner size on the unit. The system capacity will be coded into the model number of the outdoor unit. For example, model GSX140241K is a 2 ton unit.

What is SEER rating?

To develop a SEER ratio, or rating, a unit’s cooling output - taken over an average cooling season - is divided by the total energy used. When less energy is used, a higher SEER ratio is earned. Keep in mind, the SEER ratio is the maximum efficiency of a unit. The most common SEER rating is 14 or 16, but American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning® offers units up to 22 SEER. Most higher SEER units have two-stage or variable cooling stages.

What is packaged air conditioner?

A packaged air conditioner system consists of a single outdoor unit. All necessary mechanical parts, like the evaporator coil, compressor, and condensing coil, are in the unit. The packaged system utilizes your home’s ductwork to cool the appropriate spaces. Based on your needs and desire for an energy-efficient unit, you can choose from single- or two-stage systems.

How is an AC rated?

Air conditioners are usually rated based on their energy efficiency and cooling capacity. As you set out to answer “what size AC unit do I need?” it’s a good idea to be familiar with how those two components are represented. A system’s energy efficiency is signified by the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER), and the cooling capacity is measured in BTUh (British Thermal Units per Hour) or tons.

What happens if your air conditioner is too big?

When your system is too large or too small, you may battle an uncomfortable indoor climate and higher energy costs.

What are the different types of air conditioners?

Your home likely has one of the following systems: ductless AC, packaged air conditioner, or split-system air conditioner.

What is split system AC?

This system has an outdoor unit and indoor unit that work together to cool and control the humidity level in your home. A multitude of options exist with this type of AC unit. By partnering with an American Standard Customer Care dealer, you can choose a split-system AC based on your desired energy-efficiency level, noise level, and budget.

What does it mean when an AC is too small?

Purchasing an AC that’s too small for your home means the unit runs constantly and the indoor temperature is rarely cool enough. It’s also possible you could experience uneven cooling throughout your home.

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