What size AC for Richmond, VA? 3 tons for 2,000 sq ft

What size AC a 2,000 sq ft house in Richmond 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 Richmond International Airport (8.5 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 89.5°F and a low of 69.2°F, with about 45 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 2,301 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $390 at Virginia's average residential rate of 16.95¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 5 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Richmond

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 Richmond'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 Richmond

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 Richmond

Jul alone uses 29% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 913 hours a year at full output.

Richmond against nearby cities

Of 39 Virginia cities here, Richmond has the 6th highest cooling load. The range runs from Christiansburg at 24,900 BTU/hr to Chesapeake at 42,100.

Where Richmond's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Richmond International Airport, 8.5 miles from the center of Richmond at 166 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Richmond's summers.

1 other city uses the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to Richmond: Hopewell (19 mi away, 15.3 mi from the station). Richmond sits closer to the station than any of them, so its numbers are the best measured of the group.

The sun over Richmond in late July

At 37.53°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 72.9° above the horizon over Richmond and the day runs 14 h 13 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.

233,655 people live in Richmond, the 3rd largest of the 39 Virginia cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 37.5314, -77.4760.

Richmond AC sizing questions