What size AC for North Augusta, SC? 4 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

4 tons central AC or heat pump, about 43,100 BTU/hr of load

Here the 20 BTU per square foot chart lands close: 3.5 tons against a load of 3.6 tons. This is one of the climates the chart was written for.

If a contractor quotes you more than 4 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 557 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 21.5 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Augusta Daniel Field Airport (6.1 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 93.5°F and a low of 74.4°F, with about 80 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 100°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 4,184 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $665 at South Carolina's average residential rate of 15.9¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 7 months of the year here.

What drives the load in North Augusta

Of the 43,100 BTU/hr, 18,000 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 100°F afternoon (42%), 13,000 is sun on the house (30%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 9,900 is moisture the coil has to wring out of North Augusta's summer air (23%).

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 33,120 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in North Augusta

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 3,200 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 7,500 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 12,900 BTU/hr.

Month by month in North Augusta

Jul alone uses 22% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 1,390 hours a year at full output.

North Augusta against nearby cities

Of 42 South Carolina cities here, North Augusta has the 2nd highest cooling load. The range runs from Gaffney at 32,300 BTU/hr to Columbia at 43,100.

Where North Augusta's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Augusta Daniel Field Airport, across the line in Georgia, 6.1 miles from the center of North Augusta at 410 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are North Augusta's summers.

1 other city uses the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to North Augusta: Grovetown (15 mi away, 9.9 mi from the station). North Augusta sits closer to the station than any of them, so its numbers are the best measured of the group.

The sun over North Augusta in late July

At 33.52°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 76.9° above the horizon over North Augusta and the day runs 13 h 54 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.

26,395 people live in North Augusta, the 23rd largest of the 42 South Carolina cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 33.5233, -81.9566.

North Augusta AC sizing questions