What size AC for Monroe, GA? 3 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

3 tons central AC or heat pump, about 36,000 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 17% 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 666 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 18 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Watkinsville 5 Sse (18.9 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 89.5°F and a low of 68.8°F, with about 52 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 95°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 2,497 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $387 at Georgia's average residential rate of 15.48¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 6 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Monroe

Of the 36,000 BTU/hr, 14,400 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 95°F afternoon (40%), 13,000 is sun on the house (36%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 6,500 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Monroe's summer air (18%).

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 29,520 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Monroe

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 2,700 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 6,300 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 10,800 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Monroe

Jul alone uses 26% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 992 hours a year at full output.

Monroe against nearby cities

Of 101 Georgia cities here, Monroe has the 87th highest cooling load. The range runs from Cumming at 33,100 BTU/hr to Albany at 44,000.

Where Monroe's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Watkinsville 5 Sse, 18.9 miles from the center of Monroe at 741 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Monroe's summers.

No other city in this set uses Watkinsville 5 Sse, so this sizing is Monroe's alone.

The sun over Monroe in late July

At 33.80°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 76.6° above the horizon over Monroe and the day runs 13 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. Shorter days give the house a longer night to shed the day's heat.

16,270 people live in Monroe, the 74th largest of the 101 Georgia cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 33.7975, -83.7187.

Monroe AC sizing questions