What size AC for Scranton, PA? 2.5 tons for 2,000 sq ft

What size AC a 2,000 sq ft house in Scranton 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 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (5.7 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 84.6°F and a low of 62.7°F, with about 12 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 1,032 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $218 at Pennsylvania's average residential rate of 21.13¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 5 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Scranton

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 Scranton'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 Scranton

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 Scranton

Jul alone uses 34% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 542 hours a year at full output.

Scranton against nearby cities

Of 68 Pennsylvania cities here, Scranton has the 45th highest cooling load. The range runs from St. Marys at 21,700 BTU/hr to Philadelphia at 34,300.

Where Scranton's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, 5.7 miles from the center of Scranton at 951 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Scranton's summers.

4 other cities use the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to Scranton: Dunmore (3 mi away, 8.2 mi from the station), Kingston (15 mi away, 9.7 mi from the station), Wilkes-Barre (15 mi away, 10 mi from the station), Nanticoke (22 mi away, 17.1 mi from the station). Scranton sits closer to the station than any of them, so its numbers are the best measured of the group.

The sun over Scranton in late July

At 41.40°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 69.0° above the horizon over Scranton and the day runs 14 h 33 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.

75,905 people live in Scranton, the 7th largest of the 68 Pennsylvania cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 41.4042, -75.6659.

Scranton AC sizing questions