What size air conditioner unit should you buy for 2400 square foot house?

Answer 1

The correct size air conditioner for a 2400 square foot house can ONLY be determined by calculating the heat gain of the home. Determining the total heat gain of the home is a comprehensive process that includes using data about walls, insulation, ceilings, doors, roofs, attics, ventilation, overhangs, windows, construction quality, appliances, people, geographic location, geographic orientation, actual exterior shading on the home, humidity, desired temperatures and duct systems.

Installing a air conditioner that is too small will not keep the house cool. Installing a system that is too big will make the house very uncomfortable and cost more money to operate.

House air conditions are sized in "tons of cooling". Typically house air conditioners range in size from 1 ton to 5 tons. Some homes need more than one system. Some air conditioner run in multiple speeds such as a "high" and "low" operation. As an example a 5 ton 2-speed unit might also run in a 3-ton size.

A 2400 square foot home in South Texas might need a 5 ton system while 2400 square foot home in Canada might not need air conditioning at all.

If this is for a new air conditioning system a qualified contractor should be able to show you the process he used to determined the size. Determining the size of a home air conditioner is not a process most homeowners can do.