What size AC for Chanhassen, MN? 2.5 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

2.5 tons central AC or heat pump, about 28,200 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 49% 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 2.5 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 853 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 14.1 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Minneapolis Flying Cloud Airport (4.7 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 83.7°F and a low of 64°F, with about 14 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 88°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 1,094 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $180 at Minnesota's average residential rate of 16.44¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 4 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Chanhassen

Of the 28,200 BTU/hr, 9,360 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 88°F afternoon (33%), 13,000 is sun on the house (46%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 3,700 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Chanhassen's summer air (13%).

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 24,480 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Chanhassen

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 2,100 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 4,900 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 8,500 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Chanhassen

Jul alone uses 35% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 556 hours a year at full output.

Chanhassen against nearby cities

Of 103 Minnesota cities here, Chanhassen has the 18th highest cooling load. The range runs from Hibbing at 20,200 BTU/hr to Winona at 29,000.

Where Chanhassen's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Minneapolis Flying Cloud Airport, 4.7 miles from the center of Chanhassen at 905 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Chanhassen's summers.

9 other cities use the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to Chanhassen: Chaska (4 mi away, 6.9 mi from the station), Eden Prairie (5 mi away, 1.3 mi from the station), Victoria (5 mi away, 10.2 mi from the station), Shakopee (7 mi away, 4.2 mi from the station), Minnetonka (7 mi away, 7 mi from the station). Chanhassen is farther from the station than 2 of them.

The sun over Chanhassen in late July

At 44.85°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 65.5° above the horizon over Chanhassen and the day runs 14 h 54 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.

25,746 people live in Chanhassen, the 43rd largest of the 103 Minnesota cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 44.8543, -93.5624.

Chanhassen AC sizing questions