What Size Air Conditioner Do I Need for My Home?

If you’re shopping for a new air conditioner, chances are that you’re a bit overwhelmed by all of the possibilities. It’s a good thing that customers have options, but at Dugan Air Heating Cooling, we certainly understand when people seek out our help. If you’re looking for a quick overview that sheds light on what size air conditioner you’d need, you’ll hopefully find the information below helpful.

The Importance of BTUs

BTUs are used to refer to an air conditioner’s ability to remove heat from a space. BTU stands for British thermal unit, and referring to BTUs allows us to standardize the effectiveness of various ACs. Some recommendations are that a 1,000 square-foot home needs an 18,000-BTU unit. A 2,000-square-foot home may need at least a 30,000-BTU unit.

If you’ve heard of tonnage when it comes to AC units, that’s a reference to the history of air conditioners. Before we used modern appliances, we used ice to keep homes cool. The ice would melt as it absorbed heat from the home. Melting a ton of ice was calculated to require about 12,000 BTUs. Therefore, a 1-ton AC unit has 12,000 BTUs.

Of course, there are many factors to consider when buying an AC unit. Those factors include:

• Climate in the region
• Amount of shade on the home
• Number of windows
• Quality of insulation
• Number of people using the space

Rely on Professionals

At Dugan Air Heating Cooling, we’re available to work with residents in the Franklin area, and the surrounding communities, on air conditioner installations. We’ve been in the industry for 14 years and work with various makes and models. We’d be happy to come to your home and do an assessment so that we can set you up with the right model. We’ll be mindful of your budget and energy-efficiency preferences, and we can answer any questions you may have. We offer heating, cooling, indoor air quality and construction services. Call us today for more information.