But hopefully those calculations can help you make a more informed purchasing decision. BTUs are an essential part of identifying the air conditioner that will best fit your needs. Ultimately, your goal should be to find an energy-efficient system that adequately cools your space while helping you save on energy costs. So, as you continue shopping, be sure to check out the BTU rating and do some quick calculations to figure out if it makes sense for you.
You can close and confirm your location on the form or view all dealers in your area. Find a Local Dealer. Call to speak with a dealer. Tap to Call a Dealer. Find a Local Dealer Language. Before You Buy. Existing Trane Owners. Glossary BTU. House Square Footage BTUs Needed 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, , 18, 1,, 21, 1,, 23, 1,, 24, 1,, 30, 2,, 34, I understand these calls may be generated using automated technology and my consent does not imply or require that a purchase be made.
Still have questions? Here's what your dealer can do for you Custom evaluation Local rebates Expert repairs Upfront pricing. Change Service Location. Zip Update Zip Code. Please enter a valid zip code. See all dealers. See More. The height of your ceilings matter, too. While the number of BTUs recommended is based on square footage, these recommendations typically assume that your home has ceilings that are 8-feet high. If you have higher or lower ceilings, this will affect the power of the air conditioner you need.
The location of your home and the type of floor plan you have will play into how many BTUs are needed. Homes in hotter climates will require more power than those located in colder climates. A sprawling floorplan will require more power than a compact, two-story one. Homes with open floor plans will also require more power than the ones that have smaller, enclosed rooms.
How well insulated your home is will matter. If your home is not well insulated, it will lose the cool air much more quickly. Another factor to consider is how many windows your home has. Even with several large windows, however, there are things that you can do, such as adding light-blocking or insulating curtains, to help keep your house cool in the summer.
In the case of air conditioners, bigger does not necessarily mean better. If your air conditioner is too powerful, it will cool your home too quickly. In addition to cooling your home, your air conditioner also removes moisture.
Additionally, when it cools too quickly, this means that it will cycle on and off more often to keep your home to its set temperature. This means that your unit is at risk for wearing out and breaking down much sooner than you may have anticipated.
On the other hand, having an air conditioner with too few BTUs is also problematic. Without enough power, your air conditioner will constantly be running to keep your home cool. As recommended by The U. Department of Energy, the ballpark figure is 20 BTU per sq ft. That is a very good estimate already. However, to get a perfectly-sized air conditioner with just right enough cooling power and no energy overspending, you should consider some additional factors.
These are:. The BTU calculator and chart work best for standard room height. There is also a difference if you live in Texas or New York. The local climate in Texas is, on average, hotter, and therefore you should need an air conditioner with a few 1, BTU more. The same goes for sun exposure. Additionally, the walls do block the sun very effectively. If you have big windows and many of them, the sun will heat your house more.
Example: If you have a sq ft sun cabin near Texas with many glass windows, you should be looking at 10, BTU air conditioners as recommended. It would be best if you were looking at 14, BTU portable air conditioners, for example. BTU in air conditioners is simple a metric of how much cooling effect that particular AC unit can produce. We want an air conditioner that has just the right amount of cooling effect. That means that a sq ft room needs a 10, BTU air conditioner.
Of course, do make sure to buy an AC unit that is a bit stronger if you have high ceilings, live in a hot climate, and have an above-average sun in those rooms. For smaller spaces example: camping air conditioners for tents , you can use portable battery-powered AC units.
Note: Evaporative coolers and mini personal air coolers do not produce a cooling effect that can be expressed in BTU. They use water evaporation instead of the refrigerant-based system to provide a cooling effect. We hope this helps. I have a 15 ft by 15th room with a 9ft ceiling. This room has a door way that goes into another 12 by 13 room. What btu would you recommend. Hope this helps. My apartment living room is square feet, has 3 small windows, 8 ft tall ceilings and three doors leading to restroom, bedroom and kitchen.
Only two people reside here. The room is south and East facing. Your guidance would greatly be appreciated. Hello Arturo, 10, BTU might just cut it. You can check out some portable air conditioners with high energy efficiency here. I am researching the most efficient portable room air conditioner for a 2nd floor, sunny bedroom.
Due to HOA restrictions and a sliding glass window, I plan to get a portable air conditioner. Can you help with any thoughts on this? Thank you, Sue Harig. Such a bedroom has the same volume as a sq ft room with an 8 ft ceiling height. That would, roughly speaking, require a 6. With that big sliding glass window and a lot of sun, the safe estimate for the most optimum AC unit would be 7. However, they tend to be bigger — If you can find a 8. Roughly speaking, you would need Portable AC units will hardly handle it, window units or mini split units could do that job well.
Thank you for the useful advice. My small apartment has openings in the wall for AC in the living room and the bedroom, thus I am debating whether to get one 14, BTU AC or two smaller ones. Any advice on the subject is appreciated. Hello there, if you need 14, BTU AC, one window unit or one mini-split unit would be the best choice.
On the other hand, you can invest in two portable AC units, each of 7,, BTU, but those can take some space and need to be vented out of the window. The most elegant solution would be a 14, BTU mini-split unit. I have an area that is sq feet and another room that is sq ft.
I want to purchase a unit for each area. How many BTUs do I need for each area and how big a condenser will I need to accommodate both with a multi unit condenser? The best option would be to use a 2 zone mini split AC unit 1 outdoor unit with 2 indoor units, one in each room. Such a combination, quite frankly, is hard to find; the most common 2 zone unit is 12,, BTU. Hi there. The AC unit will be for our living room. Your advice would be much appreciated!
However, the kitchen is additional space and for kitchen you usually have to add 4, BTU. All in all, 12,, BTU would make sense in this situation. You can opt for portable or window AC unit; mini-split unit would be a bit too much.
Hello Jackie, 16 x 14 room is sq ft. For this size, a smaller portable air conditioner would be most appropriate. You can find some of the best portable AC units here. I was told the unit is too big for our size room. Of everything I read online, it seems to me that this is too big? Am I correct? What size wall unit would best suit my needs and what Frigidaire wall mounted model am I looking for?
That means a 5,, BTU would be enough. You are right; the 15, BTU unit is definitely an overkill for a single room. Hello Carlos, with 10 ft ceiling the two fans is a good idea. The room has quite a volume; you would need about 25, BTU devices. Hello Carlos, the 30, BTU mini-split will do the job very well. I live in New York.
My small apartment is square feet but is broken up into 2 bedrooms, 1 living room, 1 kitchen, 1 hallway, bathroom. I have lots off walls and ceiling is just under 9 feet high. I want to buy a mini split ac system. Hello Andrew, several rooms, hallways, and kitchen do add to the overall BTU cooling power. You do have to have the door open in order to ensure smooth air circulation.
It seems that you already have exactly the right idea what to do. Should I get the 8, btu? What size portable uni t do I need? Hello Harold, for a sq ft patio you would need 6, — 8, BTU unit.
Portable air conditioner would probably be the most convenient. Good Morning. I have a office room size of 22ft x 30 ft with ceiling height of 9 ft. No direct sunlight but evening sun rays through two glass window. How much BTU do I need to cool the room? Is there any standard that the temperature of the room should within a particular time and what other specifications do I need for a AC while buying like CMH, Cooling Capacity. In your situation, a 14,, BTU should do the job well.
Hello Kerwyn, we have to do a bit of sq m to sq ft conversion here. The key here might be the heater. Located above this added on room is an open attic… can you help. Standard sq ft room, for example, would need at least 6. Its sq ft with an 11 ft ceiling. I live in central North Carolina. Direct sunlight on insulated garage doors during the afternoon. Garage walls are foam insulated. Four windows, three of which get direct sunlight. Windows are doubled pane. Cement floor.
According to your BTU calculator I would need 18, Not sure if they make that size AC in a portable? In your situation, you would probably need two units, yes. Hello Pond, your dilemma is understandable. An average sq ft room would need a 7, BTU unit. However, the 3 big windows can really increase the size of the air conditioner you need. Of the two choices, 8, BTU would be the optimum one. However, if the choice falls between 8, BTU and 13, BTU, an optimistic view is that 8, BTU should do the job well without increasing the electricity bill significantly.
I am also thinking to add window films like reflective one to help cut down the sunlight and the heat. Why do you think he is saying that? Hello Mela, for the bedroom, 4, BTU device would be more than enough. Basically, 5, BTU is usually a minimum you can get.
I have a lanai square feet with aluminum enclosure and acrylic windows. What size portable AC would work? In the summer here central Florida the room fells like an oven! Hello Ron, for a sq ft you would need a 5,, BTU portable air conditioner. The minimum size of small portable air conditioners is 8, BTU. The room has a 48 in open doorway to a 90 sq foyer directly opposite the window with the AC unit and a 30 open doorway to a sq ft dining room to the side.
The current 8, BTU unit does not cool the living room sufficiently. Could I go with a 10, or 12, BTU unit?
Thanks for the advice! Hello David, in most cases 8, BTU should be more than enough for a sq ft room. However, in your situation with a big window area, the 8, BTU unit might struggle to achieve the required temperature. Here are the specs of my apartment: Ceilings: 8.
I have my doubts. What do you think? I live in southwestern Connecticut. Humidity is high and in recent summers the temperatures are sweltering for weeks. Hello Meg, the total area to cool down is sq ft. According to the EPA, you would have to multiply that number with 20 to correctly size your air conditioner unit.
Of course, other factors such as sun exposure and your location can significantly increase the size of the AC unit that would be most appropriate. Your friend is right. The fans are also useful in order to distribute the cooled air throughout the apartment. What size are the 2 window units that are currently installed? I use them only for those rooms. The BTUs are more than adequate for the spaces, but the units are too old to work properly and need to be replaced. The configuration problem I anticipate with using a single unit for the whole apartment is that the air flow from bedroom to living room involves passing through a narrow doorway and make a dog-leg turn.
I look on fans as efficiency boosters, not as mandatory links in the cooling chain, if you see what I mean. Nor do I want to end up blasting the AC in one room but still getting an inferior result in the other. Cooling the living room and the kitchen as one consolidated space is a much easier proposition. But with the need to work from home now, it would be a huge benefit to have another fully habitable room.
They get excellent reviews, and the sturdiness of the mounting looks like it might save wear and tear on the units, given that I must install and uninstall them every year. Get two air conditioners. A less powerful one just for the bedroom, a more powerful one to handle the two hottest rooms living room and kitchen together.
I need to keep an eye on the finances, but this is an infrastructure upgrade. Have a cool summer! Considering this is for a normal housing with wood structure. For example, when I put in the specs for my apartment, 32 ft by 15 ft, 8 ft ceiling and heavily shaded, the BTUs come out to a little over 10, However when I checked off kitchen, it jumps up to over 14, Is that extra BTUs necessary whether or not the kitchen is actually being used?
I am no cook and, except for using my microwave and toaster every everyday, I hardly ever use my kitchen except to go to the refrigerator to get something to drink or find something to heat up in the microwave. Is there something about the mechanics of the kitchen that will automatically necessitate an increase of BTUs or is there an assumption that the kitchen is actively being used, i. Hello Scott, thank you for your kind comment. The question is very on point; a rule of thumb is to add 4, BTU for the kitchen because people who have kitchen usually use it kitchen appliances, oven, stove, even fridge all create surplus energy.
There is nothing in the nature of the kitchen itself that would call for a more powerful air conditioner. My kitchen is open to the living room with an attached hallway. I have a total of 5 windows. Kitchen is All open and connected to each other. Please can someone help. Hello Miguel, the square footage of the kitchen, living room, and hallway combined is about sq ft. The minimum size of the mini split unit for sq ft would be 8, BTU. You might want to get an additional fan in order to create indoor airflow that will distribute the cool air evenly, even as far as the end of the hallway.
All in all, 12, BTU mini split air conditioner would make a whole lot of sense in your situation. Any help will do thanks Manny. Hello Manuel, you would need an 8, BTU air conditioner. If there is a hole in that wall, the air-conditioned air will reach both rooms. You can easily put it in the 1st room and then in the 2nd room. The smallest capacity for a portable AC unit is 8, BTU, you can check other small air conditioner choices here.
The room is 12 x Then there is a 5 x 5 casement on the east wall. Hello Bob, the space-wise structure you have there is quite complex. Hello, I am trying to get an AC unit for my fifth-wheeler. The ceiling has a height of 8 ft.
Do you think a 15, BTU unit would be an overkill? Also, I am considering that since it is pretty long 32 ft 15, BTU could do a great job. Thank you. Hello Julio, for sq ft, 15, BTU would be an overkill. The best solution here would be a 10, BTU unit with a strong airflow. Strong airflow — something above CFM — is better for long spaces because it can push the air along the space much better.
0コメント