What size AC for Columbia, IL? 3 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

3 tons central AC or heat pump, about 36,000 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 17% 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 666 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 18 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Cahokia St. Louis Dwtn Airport (8.2 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 89°F and a low of 68.8°F, with about 46 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 95°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 2,176 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $418 at Illinois's average residential rate of 19.23¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 5 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Columbia

Of the 36,000 BTU/hr, 14,400 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 95°F afternoon (40%), 13,000 is sun on the house (36%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 6,500 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Columbia'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 29,520 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Columbia

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 2,700 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 6,300 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 10,800 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Columbia

Jul alone uses 29% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 864 hours a year at full output.

Columbia against nearby cities

Of 225 Illinois cities here, Columbia has the 11th highest cooling load. The range runs from Fox Lake at 24,900 BTU/hr to Granite City at 36,000.

Where Columbia's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Cahokia St. Louis Dwtn Airport, 8.2 miles from the center of Columbia at 405 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Columbia's summers.

12 other cities use the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to Columbia: Cahokia Heights (9 mi away, 0.7 mi from the station), Arnold (9 mi away, 15.3 mi from the station), Waterloo (9 mi away, 15.4 mi from the station), Crestwood (11 mi away, 12.4 mi from the station), Webster Groves (12 mi away, 11.2 mi from the station). Columbia is farther from the station than 4 of them.

The sun over Columbia in late July

At 38.46°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 71.9° above the horizon over Columbia and the day runs 14 h 17 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.

10,919 people live in Columbia, the 211th largest of the 225 Illinois cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 38.4581, -90.2160.

Columbia AC sizing questions