What size AC for Dover, DE? 3 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

3 tons central AC or heat pump, about 33,400 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 26% 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 719 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 16.7 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Dover (1.3 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 86.9°F and a low of 69°F, with about 25 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 92°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 1,967 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $354 at Delaware's average residential rate of 17.98¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 5 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Dover

Of the 33,400 BTU/hr, 12,240 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 92°F afternoon (37%), 13,000 is sun on the house (39%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 6,000 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Dover'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 27,360 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Dover

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 2,500 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 5,800 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 10,000 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Dover

Jul alone uses 30% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 843 hours a year at full output.

Dover against nearby cities

Of 6 Delaware cities here, Dover has the 3rd highest cooling load. The range runs from Smyrna at 33,400 BTU/hr to Milford at 34,300.

Where Dover's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Dover, 1.3 miles from the center of Dover at 30 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Dover's summers.

No other city in this set uses Dover, so this sizing is Dover's alone.

The sun over Dover in late July

At 39.16°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 71.2° above the horizon over Dover and the day runs 14 h 21 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.

40,191 people live in Dover, the 2nd largest of the 6 Delaware cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 39.1606, -75.5217.

Dover AC sizing questions