What size AC for Poughkeepsie, NY? 2.5 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

2.5 tons central AC or heat pump, about 27,200 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 54% 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 882 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 13.6 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Poughkeepsie Airport (5.1 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 84.8°F and a low of 62.3°F, with about 19 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 89°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 972 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $285 at New York's average residential rate of 29.26¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 4 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Poughkeepsie

Of the 27,200 BTU/hr, 10,080 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 89°F afternoon (37%), 13,000 is sun on the house (48%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 2,000 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Poughkeepsie's summer air (7%).

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 25,200 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Poughkeepsie

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 4,800 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 8,200 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Poughkeepsie

Jul alone uses 36% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 511 hours a year at full output.

Poughkeepsie against nearby cities

Of 90 New York cities here, Poughkeepsie has the 42nd highest cooling load. The range runs from Gloversville at 20,200 BTU/hr to Spring Valley at 33,400.

Where Poughkeepsie's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Poughkeepsie Airport, 5.1 miles from the center of Poughkeepsie at 153 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Poughkeepsie's summers.

2 other cities use the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to Poughkeepsie: Beacon (13 mi away, 9.5 mi from the station), Newburgh (14 mi away, 11.1 mi from the station). Poughkeepsie sits closer to the station than any of them, so its numbers are the best measured of the group.

The sun over Poughkeepsie in late July

At 41.69°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 68.7° above the horizon over Poughkeepsie and the day runs 14 h 35 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.

32,293 people live in Poughkeepsie, the 22nd largest of the 90 New York cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 41.6946, -73.9199.

Poughkeepsie AC sizing questions