What Size AC Unit For 2000 Square Feet?
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Want to decorate your 2000 square feet area with a new AC unit but hesitate what size to go for? Congrats on your positive thinking.
Learning what size AC unit for 2000 square feet will help you invest in the most appropriate unit to enjoy a cool atmosphere without spending extra money.
In this post, you will get a simple yet appropriate-sized AC unit recommendation for your 2000 square foot area and also a broad formula to determine it on your own.
What size AC unit for 2000 square feet?
A 2000 square feet area requires 3 tons of AC. But you require a larger-sized AC unit based on the room design, the living area, and others.
Following are some criteria and recommendations:
- In a temperate climate, your 2000 square-foot home requires a 4 ton AC unit.
- For a 2000 square-foot business class room, you need a 5-ton ac unit. A common rule is 1 ton per square foot.
- In a warmer area or a 2000 square-foot older home with weak insulation, you will need a 6 ton AC unit.
- If your house is in Phoenix, Las Vegas, or a similar area, you will need a 7.5 ton AC unit as the summer temperature in these is 100–110 F.
Determine The Right Size AC Unit For 2000 Square Feet
To determine the right size AC unit for 2000 sq ft feet, you must measure the exact capacity needed for the individual rooms.
Then you have to multiply the area with the tonnage that you will find from the BTUs required per sq ft area.
As your measuring capacity is 2000 sq ft, your next requirement is to find out the tonnage required per sq ft.
Before that, let’s check out some other related factors that determine the BTU capacity for choosing the right size AC unit for 2000 square feet.
Read More: What Size Generator To Run 5 Ton AC Unit?
How to measure the BTU capacity for a 2000 square foot house?
Identify the room for which you need an AC unit and its floor area. It is essential as every room may have unique specifications that can be the deciding factor.
Know The Floor Area Of Each Room
Measure the length and width of the room.
You can also add the floor area of the hallways or corridors and the rest of the rooms that you want to make cool and heated.
Read More: What Size Tankless Water Heater For Mobile Home?
Estimate the required capacity for each room
According to the energy star recommendation, you need 5000 BTU/hr to 6000 BTU/hr for a 100-250 sq ft area.
But it can vary, especially if the room has large windows. Even the room needs 10% more capacity if it gets lots of sunlight.
Another criterion is that if more than two people live in the room, you have to add an extra 600 BTU/hr for each person.
A kitchen needs 4,000 BTU/hr to remove the heat that is gained due to the cooking appliances.
Lastly, if your room has a 9-foot high ceiling or more, add 1000 BTU/hr for every extra foot.
Read More: What Size Generator To Run Furnace?
Choose The Ac Unit
The AC unit generally comes with standard capacity, unlike the odd capacity like 7300 BTU/hr.
One kW of cooling capacity is equal to the cooling capacity of 3412 BTU/hr. So, finding the precise match is quite tiresome.
Therefore, the best decision is go for the closest capacity of what is required.
How many BTU furnaces require for a 2000 square foot house
The basic principle for measuring furniture sizing includes:
A larger house requires more BTU than a smaller one, and it is directly proportional to the sq ft.
Houses in the colder areas need to produce more heat than houses in the warmer areas.
You can also get the right furnace size by using the BTU heating needed for each sq ft for every climate zone.
| Area | BTU sq ft required |
|---|---|
| Region 1 | 35 BTU/sq ft |
| Region 2 | 40 BTU/sq ft |
| Region 3 | 45 BTU/sq ft |
| Region 4 | 50 BTU/sq ft |
| Region 5 | 60 BTU/sq ft |
Your 2000 sq ft homes need double furnace capacity than 1000 sq ft homes. Below is an approximate measurement of the BTU furnace based on the region you live:
| Area | BTU sq ft required |
|---|---|
| Region 1 | 70000 BTU/sq ft |
| Region 2 | 80000 BTU/sq ft |
| Region 3 | 90000 BTU/sq ft |
| Region 4 | 100000 BTU/sq ft |
| Region 5 | 120000 BTU/sq ft |
How Many Tons Of AC Unit For 2000 Square Feet?
The AC tonnage is another essential factor that you must calculate to invest in the right AC unit for 2000 square feet.
Mistakes can waste hundreds of dollars and cause future, consistent extra electricity bills.
A professional states that a living space requires at least 20 BTU for each sq ft.
To find out the required tonnage, convert the BTU into tons where 12000 BTU is equivalent to 1 ton. It means you will require 0.0016 tons for each square foot.
So, to cool a 2000 sq ft area, you’ll need a 2000 sq ft * 0.0016 tons/sq ft = 3.2 ton AC unit.
How To Pick Right Size Window AC Unit For 2000 Sq Ft?
Picking the right size window AC unit for 2000 sq ft homes needs to go through plenty of factors, and the room size is the primary one.
Room size
Below is the list of BTUs required for a different size room:
| Room Size | BTU Required |
|---|---|
| 100 to 150 sq. ft. | 5,000 BTUs |
| 150 to 250 sq. ft. | 6,000 BTUs |
| 250 to 300 sq. ft. | 7,000 BTUs |
| 300 to 350 sq. ft. | 8,000 BTUs |
| 350 to 400 sq. ft. | 9,000 BTUs |
| 400 to 450 sq. ft. | 10,000 BTUs |
| 450 to 550 sq. ft. | 12,000 BTUs |
| 550 to 700 sq. ft. | 14,000 BTUs |
| 700 to 1,000 sq. ft. | 18,000 BTUs |
| 1,000 to 1,200 sq. ft. | 21,000 BTUs |
| 1,200 to 1,400 sq. ft. | 23,000 BTUs |
| 1,400 to 1,500 sq. ft. | 24,000 BTUs |
| 1,500 to 2,000 sq. ft. | 30,000 BTUs |
| 2,000 to 2,500 sq. ft. | 34,000 BTUs |
These AC sizes are listed based on an 8-foot ceiling height. But if your room has a higher ceiling than 8 feet, you can increase the BTUs by up to 10%.
Effects of sunlight
The room gets lots of sunlight and needs extra energy to remain cool and comfortable. This type of room requires a 10% larger AC unit than usual.
Available electrical power
Most of the bigger windows require more power, while some require special outlets.
Consider the type of power outlet that is available as well as the amount of power it can deliver in order to select the best window AC unit based on the existing configuration.
If you are confused about electrical outlets, consult with an expert electrician.
Window ac size for kitchens
The kitchen requires more energy to remain cool, so it needs a bigger AC unit than a room.
The kitchen generally has plenty of heat-producing appliances that make the cooling task difficult.
To make the kitchen cool after using the oven or stove, you should consider adding an extra 4000 BTUs to the standard requirement.
Number of people
The human body also produces heat that makes the room warm. For a room where more than two people live, you will need a window AC 10% to 20% larger than usual.
Cost of operation
In general, bigger AC units will consume more electricity, which will increase the electricity bill in the end. So consider your AC unit’s maintenance budget as well.
Size of the window
If the window of your room accepts one larger AC unit, install two smaller sizes of AC. If your room has two windows, you can also consider in-room ac rather than window ac.
How big of an AC unit for 2000 square feet?
Still, wondering what size AC unit to get for 2000 square feet? Summarizing the guide, your first duty is to know how to determine the sizes of air conditioners.
The AC unit’s cooling capacity is measured in tons following the amount of BTU.
For example, a 1 ton AC unit can eliminate 12000 BTU while a 2-ton unit removes 24000 BTU.
Generally, home air conditioners start at 1.5 tons and the increment rate is half-ton. But a house usually doesn’t require more than 5 tons of concrete.
Based on your available square feet, you can estimate the AC unit by following multiple guidelines.
For example, one estimate suggests that a 1 ton AC unit is required for every 750 to 1000 sq ft.
If it’s meant for your 2000 sq ft house, you should use 2 to 2.5 tons. Other consideration factors are briefly discussed above.
Final words
You should know what size AC unit to get for 2000 square feet by now.
We have offered a short and sweet answer based on different criteria, as well as briefly discussed the determining formula.
So, whether your room is 2000 square feet or other different sizes, installing the right size AC should be like a piece of cake for you.
