What size AC for Coeur d'Alene, ID? 2 tons for 2,000 sq ft

What size AC a 2,000 sq ft house in Coeur d'Alene needs

2 tons central AC or heat pump, about 25,500 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 65% 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 943 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 12.7 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Coeur D'alene (1.4 mi away). Aug is the hottest month, averaging a high of 83°F and a low of 56°F, with about 18 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 549 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $71 at Idaho's average residential rate of 13.02¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 2 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Coeur d'Alene

Of the 25,500 BTU/hr, 9,360 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 88°F afternoon (37%), 13,000 is sun on the house (51%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 1,000 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Coeur d'Alene's summer air (4%).

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 Coeur d'Alene

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 1,900 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 4,400 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 7,600 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Coeur d'Alene

Jul alone uses 42% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 308 hours a year at full output.

Coeur d'Alene against nearby cities

Of 26 Idaho cities here, Coeur d'Alene has the 23rd highest cooling load. The range runs from Sandpoint at 24,000 BTU/hr to Mountain Home at 36,500.

Where Coeur d'Alene's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Coeur D'alene, 1.4 miles from the center of Coeur d'Alene at 2,133 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Coeur d'Alene's summers.

1 other city uses the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to Coeur d'Alene: Hayden (5 mi away, 6 mi from the station). Coeur d'Alene sits closer to the station than any of them, so its numbers are the best measured of the group.

The sun over Coeur d'Alene in late July

At 47.70°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 62.7° above the horizon over Coeur d'Alene and the day runs 15 h 13 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.

57,355 people live in Coeur d'Alene, the 7th largest of the 26 Idaho cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 47.7029, -116.7958.

Coeur d'Alene AC sizing questions