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

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

2 tons central AC or heat pump, about 24,100 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 74% 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 996 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 12.1 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Austin Waste Wtp Facility (1.3 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 80.8°F and a low of 61.2°F, with about 6 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 85°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 738 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $121 at Minnesota's average residential rate of 16.44¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 4 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Austin

Of the 24,100 BTU/hr, 7,200 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 85°F afternoon (30%), 13,000 is sun on the house (54%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 1,800 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Austin'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 22,320 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Austin

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 4,200 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 7,300 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Austin

Jul alone uses 35% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 438 hours a year at full output.

Austin against nearby cities

Of 103 Minnesota cities here, Austin has the 90th highest cooling load. The range runs from Hibbing at 20,200 BTU/hr to Winona at 29,000.

Where Austin's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Austin Waste Wtp Facility, 1.3 miles from the center of Austin at 1,199 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Austin's summers.

No other city in this set uses Austin Waste Wtp Facility, so this sizing is Austin's alone.

The sun over Austin in late July

At 43.67°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 66.7° above the horizon over Austin and the day runs 14 h 46 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.

26,690 people live in Austin, the 40th largest of the 103 Minnesota cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 43.6721, -92.9779.

Austin AC sizing questions