What size AC for Augusta-Richmond County, GA? 3.5 tons for 2,000 sq ft

What size AC a 2,000 sq ft house in Augusta-Richmond County needs

3.5 tons central AC or heat pump, about 41,300 BTU/hr of load

Here the 20 BTU per square foot chart lands close: 3.5 tons against a load of 3.4 tons. This is one of the climates the chart was written for.

If a contractor quotes you more than 3.5 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 581 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 20.6 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Augusta Bush Field Airport (6.3 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 94.1°F and a low of 71.6°F, with about 86 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 101°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 3,481 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $539 at Georgia's average residential rate of 15.48¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 7 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Augusta-Richmond County

Of the 41,300 BTU/hr, 18,720 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 101°F afternoon (45%), 13,000 is sun on the house (31%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 7,400 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Augusta-Richmond County's summer air (18%).

Heat through the shell is the biggest share here, so insulation and air sealing cut the size you need more than shading would. Sensible heat totals 33,840 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Augusta-Richmond County

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 3,100 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 7,200 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 12,400 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Augusta-Richmond County

Jul alone uses 23% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 1,206 hours a year at full output.

Augusta-Richmond County against nearby cities

Of 101 Georgia cities here, Augusta-Richmond County has the 13th highest cooling load. The range runs from Cumming at 33,100 BTU/hr to Albany at 44,000.

Where Augusta-Richmond County's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Augusta Bush Field Airport, 6.3 miles from the center of Augusta-Richmond County at 134 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Augusta-Richmond County's summers.

No other city in this set uses Augusta Bush Field Airport, so this sizing is Augusta-Richmond County's alone.

The sun over Augusta-Richmond County in late July

At 33.37°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 77.0° above the horizon over Augusta-Richmond County and the day runs 13 h 53 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. Shorter days give the house a longer night to shed the day's heat.

201,737 people live in Augusta-Richmond County, the 3rd largest of the 101 Georgia cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 33.3655, -82.0734.

Augusta-Richmond County AC sizing questions