What size AC for Lincoln City, OR? 1.5 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

1.5 tons central AC or heat pump, about 16,500 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 155% 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 1.5 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 1,457 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 8.2 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Otis 2 Ne (5.5 mi away). Aug is the hottest month, averaging a high of 72.3°F and a low of 51.6°F, with about 2 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 76°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 44 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $7 at Oregon's average residential rate of 15.46¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 0 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Lincoln City

Of the 16,500 BTU/hr, 720 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 76°F afternoon (4%), 13,000 is sun on the house (79%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 600 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Lincoln City'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 15,840 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Lincoln City

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 1,200 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 2,900 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 4,900 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Lincoln City

Aug alone uses 32% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 39 hours a year at full output.

Lincoln City against nearby cities

Of 57 Oregon cities here, Lincoln City has the 54th highest cooling load. The range runs from North Bend at 15,700 BTU/hr to Ontario at 36,500.

Where Lincoln City's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Otis 2 Ne, 5.5 miles from the center of Lincoln City at 150 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Lincoln City's summers.

No other city in this set uses Otis 2 Ne, so this sizing is Lincoln City's alone.

The sun over Lincoln City in late July

At 44.98°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 65.4° above the horizon over Lincoln City and the day runs 14 h 55 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.

10,034 people live in Lincoln City, the 57th largest of the 57 Oregon cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 44.9779, -124.0061.

Lincoln City AC sizing questions