What size AC for Lake in the Hills, IL? 2.5 tons for 2,000 sq ft

What size AC a 2,000 sq ft house in Lake in the Hills needs

2.5 tons central AC or heat pump, about 26,400 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 59% 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 2.5 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 908 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 13.2 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Chicago W Chicago Dupage Airport (19.8 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 84°F and a low of 63.3°F, with about 15 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 1,073 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $206 at Illinois's average residential rate of 19.23¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 4 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Lake in the Hills

Of the 26,400 BTU/hr, 9,360 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 88°F afternoon (35%), 13,000 is sun on the house (49%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 2,000 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Lake in the Hills's summer air (8%).

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 Lake in the Hills

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 2,000 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 4,600 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 7,900 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Lake in the Hills

Jul alone uses 33% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 580 hours a year at full output.

Lake in the Hills against nearby cities

Of 225 Illinois cities here, Lake in the Hills has the 189th highest cooling load. The range runs from Fox Lake at 24,900 BTU/hr to Granite City at 36,000.

Where Lake in the Hills's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Chicago W Chicago Dupage Airport, 19.8 miles from the center of Lake in the Hills at 749 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Lake in the Hills's summers.

23 other cities use the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to Lake in the Hills: Algonquin (1 mi away, 18.5 mi from the station), Carpentersville (4 mi away, 15.8 mi from the station), Huntley (6 mi away, 20.6 mi from the station), Pingree Grove (9 mi away, 16.1 mi from the station), Elgin (10 mi away, 10.6 mi from the station). Lake in the Hills is farther from the station than 22 of them.

The sun over Lake in the Hills in late July

At 42.18°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 68.2° above the horizon over Lake in the Hills and the day runs 14 h 38 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.

28,706 people live in Lake in the Hills, the 70th largest of the 225 Illinois cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 42.1794, -88.3155.

Lake in the Hills AC sizing questions