What size AC for Burlington, NJ? 3 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

3 tons central AC or heat pump, about 34,300 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 23% 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 3 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 701 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 17.1 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Ne Phila Airport (8.5 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 88.2°F and a low of 69.4°F, with about 29 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 93°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 2,027 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $488 at New Jersey's average residential rate of 24.09¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 5 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Burlington

Of the 34,300 BTU/hr, 12,960 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 93°F afternoon (38%), 13,000 is sun on the house (38%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 6,200 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Burlington's summer air (18%).

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 28,080 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Burlington

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 2,600 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 6,000 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 10,300 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Burlington

Jul alone uses 31% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 846 hours a year at full output.

Burlington against nearby cities

Of 116 New Jersey cities here, Burlington has the 7th highest cooling load. The range runs from Hackettstown at 26,400 BTU/hr to Camden at 34,300.

Where Burlington's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Ne Phila Airport, across the line in Pennsylvania, 8.5 miles from the center of Burlington at 108 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Burlington's summers.

1 other city uses the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to Burlington: Philadelphia (16 mi away, 8 mi from the station). Burlington is farther from the station than 1 of them.

The sun over Burlington in late July

At 40.08°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 70.3° above the horizon over Burlington and the day runs 14 h 26 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.

10,143 people live in Burlington, the 113th largest of the 116 New Jersey cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 40.0788, -74.8525.

Burlington AC sizing questions