What size AC for Henderson, NC? 3 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

3 tons central AC or heat pump, about 34,800 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 21% 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 690 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 17.4 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Henderson 2 Nnw (1.6 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 90.1°F and a low of 66.7°F, with about 43 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 96°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 2,001 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $299 at North Carolina's average residential rate of 14.94¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 5 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Henderson

Of the 34,800 BTU/hr, 15,120 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 96°F afternoon (43%), 13,000 is sun on the house (37%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 4,500 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Henderson's summer air (13%).

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 30,240 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Henderson

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 2,600 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 6,100 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 10,400 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Henderson

Jul alone uses 29% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 823 hours a year at full output.

Henderson against nearby cities

Of 91 North Carolina cities here, Henderson has the 72nd highest cooling load. The range runs from Boone at 21,700 BTU/hr to Lumberton at 40,200.

Where Henderson's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Henderson 2 Nnw, 1.6 miles from the center of Henderson at 480 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Henderson's summers.

No other city in this set uses Henderson 2 Nnw, so this sizing is Henderson's alone.

The sun over Henderson in late July

At 36.33°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 74.1° above the horizon over Henderson and the day runs 14 h 07 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.

14,807 people live in Henderson, the 72nd largest of the 91 North Carolina cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 36.3260, -78.4149.

Henderson AC sizing questions