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

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

2 tons central AC or heat pump, about 21,000 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 100% 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 1,145 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 10.5 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Duluth (5.6 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 77.7°F and a low of 56.2°F, with about 2 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 82°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 320 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $53 at Minnesota's average residential rate of 16.44¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 2 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Duluth

Of the 21,000 BTU/hr, 5,040 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 82°F afternoon (24%), 13,000 is sun on the house (62%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 800 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Duluth'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 20,160 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Duluth

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 1,600 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 3,700 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 6,300 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Duluth

Jul alone uses 43% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 218 hours a year at full output.

Duluth against nearby cities

Of 103 Minnesota cities here, Duluth has the 100th highest cooling load. The range runs from Hibbing at 20,200 BTU/hr to Winona at 29,000.

Where Duluth's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Duluth, 5.6 miles from the center of Duluth at 1,542 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Duluth's summers.

3 other cities use the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to Duluth: Hermantown (5 mi away, 2.8 mi from the station), Superior (6 mi away, 11.7 mi from the station), Cloquet (18 mi away, 15.8 mi from the station). Duluth is farther from the station than 1 of them.

The sun over Duluth in late July

At 46.77°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 63.6° above the horizon over Duluth and the day runs 15 h 06 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.

87,986 people live in Duluth, the 5th largest of the 103 Minnesota cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 46.7745, -92.1341.

Duluth AC sizing questions