What size AC for Alexandria, MN? 2 tons for 2,000 sq ft

What size AC a 2,000 sq ft house in Alexandria needs

2 tons central AC or heat pump, about 23,300 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 80% more than this climate needs. An oversized unit cools the air fast, shuts off before it pulls moisture out, and leaves the house cold and clammy.

If a contractor quotes you more than 2 tons for an average 2,000 sq ft house here, ask to see the Manual J load calculation behind it before you sign. That works out to one ton per 1,029 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 11.7 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Alexandria Chandler Field (1 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 80.2°F and a low of 60.9°F, with about 6 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 84°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 645 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $106 at Minnesota's average residential rate of 16.44¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 3 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Alexandria

Of the 23,300 BTU/hr, 6,480 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 84°F afternoon (28%), 13,000 is sun on the house (56%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 1,700 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Alexandria's summer air (7%).

Sun is the biggest share here, more than heat through the walls, so shading west windows and a light roof cut the size you need more than extra insulation would. Sensible heat totals 21,600 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Alexandria

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 1,800 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 4,100 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 7,000 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Alexandria

Jul alone uses 38% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 396 hours a year at full output.

Alexandria against nearby cities

Of 103 Minnesota cities here, Alexandria has the 95th highest cooling load. The range runs from Hibbing at 20,200 BTU/hr to Winona at 29,000.

Where Alexandria's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Alexandria Chandler Field, 1 miles from the center of Alexandria at 1,420 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Alexandria's summers.

No other city in this set uses Alexandria Chandler Field, so this sizing is Alexandria's alone.

The sun over Alexandria in late July

At 45.88°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 64.5° above the horizon over Alexandria and the day runs 15 h 00 min from sunrise to sunset. A lower noon sun puts more of the day's heat on east and west walls than on the roof, which is why shading west glass pays off here. Long days mean the house keeps gaining heat into the evening, well after the outdoor peak.

14,914 people live in Alexandria, the 74th largest of the 103 Minnesota cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 45.8772, -95.3770.

Alexandria AC sizing questions