What size air conditioner do I Need?

We created the table below so you can get a general sense of what size air conditioner you may need for a variety of home sizes. A good general rule to start with for finding the right size AC unit is to have 20 BTU for every square foot of house. So a 1,000 square foot home would need a 20,000 BTU air conditioner.

How many AC units do I Need?

If your house actually requires a unit that is over 5 tons, your HVAC contractor will install two units to match your home’s cooling needs. The most popular central AC size that works for the majority of residential homes is either 2 or 2.5 ton unit.

What is air conditioning unit size?

Rather, size is a measure of its capacity to generate cool air. Air conditioning unit sizes are measured in tonnage as well as BTU (British Thermal Unit) per hour. 1 Ton = 12,000 BTUs per hour, or the amount of energy it takes to melt 1 ton of ice in a day.

How big is a central air conditioner?

Residential central air conditioners range in size from 1.5 to 5 tons. Unit sizes go up in half ton increments: A unit that is above 5 tons is considered commercial size and these large units are actually not available for home installation.

What size central AC do I Need?

The most popular central AC size that works for the majority of residential homes is either 2 or 2.5 ton unit. If you want to get a sense of how much AC tonnage your home needs, take a look at this heat zone map and ac sizing chart.

How do I determine the size of an AC unit?

Here is another very quick and basic way to figure out the size of an AC unit based on the number of square feet in your house. Take the total amount of square feet in your home. Make sure to EXCLUDE the square footage of your attic/basement/garage, unless you are using any of them as living spaces.