What size AC for Ridgefield, WA? 2 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

2 tons central AC or heat pump, about 24,000 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 75% 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 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 1,002 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 12 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Scappoose Ind Airport (9.8 mi away). Aug is the hottest month, averaging a high of 82°F and a low of 54.4°F, with about 14 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 86°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 421 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $61 at Washington's average residential rate of 14.42¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 2 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Ridgefield

Of the 24,000 BTU/hr, 7,920 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 86°F afternoon (33%), 13,000 is sun on the house (54%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 900 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Ridgefield'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 23,040 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Ridgefield

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 1,800 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 4,200 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 7,200 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Ridgefield

Aug alone uses 37% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 251 hours a year at full output.

Ridgefield against nearby cities

Of 91 Washington cities here, Ridgefield has the 23rd highest cooling load. The range runs from Burlington at 15,700 BTU/hr to Kennewick at 32,900.

Where Ridgefield's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Scappoose Ind Airport, across the line in Oregon, 9.8 miles from the center of Ridgefield at 49 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Ridgefield's summers.

1 other city uses the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to Ridgefield: St. Helens (7 mi away, 6.4 mi from the station). Ridgefield is farther from the station than 1 of them.

The sun over Ridgefield in late July

At 45.82°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 64.6° above the horizon over Ridgefield and the day runs 14 h 60 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.

15,359 people live in Ridgefield, the 69th largest of the 91 Washington cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 45.8176, -122.6720.

Ridgefield AC sizing questions