How to Determine Size of Air Conditioner Needed
When you get the wrong size air conditioner, not only do you put unnecessary wear and tear on the unit, you are also draining power from your home and raising your electric bill unnecessarily. Take the time to get an accurate measurement of the rooms in your house so that you can figure out which AC units are required to cool your home comfortably. Keep in mind that the physical size of the air conditioner doesn't matter much anymore, as manufacturers have now found a way to pack more BTU power into smaller units; it's the number of BTUs that you need to look at when shopping for an air conditioner. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Measure the room that will hold the air conditioning unit with a measuring tape.
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Multiply the length by the width of the room in feet. The resulting figure is the square footage of the room. If your room is shaped like a triangle, multiply the length of the room by the width and then divide the result by two (think half of a square or rectangle).
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Determine the BTUs (British Thermal Units) that correspond with the square footage of your room. The general rule of thumb is about 7,000 BTUs for every 300 square feet. So if you have a room that measures about 600 square feet, you will need to buy a 14,000 BTU air conditioning unit for that room. Most air conditioners come with a minimum of 5,000-6,000 BTUs, which will cool a room between 100-250 square feet in size. (See an official BTU chart to look up your exact room size in the "Resource" links.)
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Tips & Warnings
If you are purchasing a central air conditioning unit, you need to determine the square footage of your entire house. The area where you live also determines how strong the central air unit needs to be. For instance, a 3,000 square foot home in Mesa, Ariz., is going to need more cooling power as compared to a home in the Northeast, because the air is much more humid in Arizona. This same concept can be put into play when you are getting an individual unit; for a hotter climate add 10 to 20 percent to your BTU calculation to assure that you're getting the correct amount of cooling power for your room. A cooling ton is roughly equivalent to 12,000 BTUs. Don't purchase an air conditioner that you know is much more powerful than what your room needs. This could raise your electric bill because the air conditioner will turn off and on more frequently.
