Systems
HVAC Sizing Calculator
Enter your home's conditioned square footage. This is a rough rule of thumb for our NC climate. The right way to size a system is a Manual J load calculation, which a good HVAC company will do.
At a glance
- What you enter
- Conditioned area (sq ft)
- Accuracy
- Rule of thumb
About 3.5 to 4.0 tons
Roughly 3.5 to 4.0 tons of cooling for 2,000 sq ft. Oversizing wastes money and short-cycles; a load calc accounts for insulation, windows, and ductwork.
A starting point only. Real sizing (Manual J) accounts for insulation, windows, orientation, ceiling height, and duct condition. An undersized or oversized system runs poorly either way.
Systems
Oversized is its own kind of broken
An air conditioner with too much capacity short-cycles, never pulls the humidity out, and wears itself down early. This is a starting point; a Manual J from a licensed pro is the real number.
How this is worked out
No hidden fudge factor. This is the whole calculation.
- You enter conditioned area (sq ft).
- That runs through a rule of thumb calibrated for the North Carolina climate.
- It is a starting point for the conversation, not the calculation a licensed pro performs.
Common questions
- What size air conditioner do I need for my house?
- Enter your home's conditioned square footage. This is a rough rule of thumb for our NC climate. The right way to size a system is a Manual J load calculation, which a good HVAC company will do. It's a rule-of-thumb starting point; a licensed pro does the exact calculation for your home.