What size AC for Silverton, OR? 2 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

2 tons central AC or heat pump, about 25,500 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 65% 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 943 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 12.7 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Salem Airport (mcnary Field) (12.7 mi away). Aug is the hottest month, averaging a high of 83.6°F and a low of 54.8°F, with about 18 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 88°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 504 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $78 at Oregon's average residential rate of 15.46¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 3 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Silverton

Of the 25,500 BTU/hr, 9,360 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 88°F afternoon (37%), 13,000 is sun on the house (51%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 1,000 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Silverton'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 24,480 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Silverton

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 1,900 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 4,400 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 7,600 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Silverton

Jul alone uses 37% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 283 hours a year at full output.

Silverton against nearby cities

Of 57 Oregon cities here, Silverton has the 35th highest cooling load. The range runs from North Bend at 15,700 BTU/hr to Ontario at 36,500.

Where Silverton's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Salem Airport (mcnary Field), 12.7 miles from the center of Silverton at 208 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Silverton's summers.

5 other cities use the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to Silverton: Keizer (12 mi away, 6.9 mi from the station), Salem (13 mi away, 1.7 mi from the station), Independence (23 mi away, 10.2 mi from the station), Monmouth (24 mi away, 11.7 mi from the station), Dallas (27 mi away, 15.3 mi from the station). Silverton is farther from the station than 4 of them.

The sun over Silverton in late July

At 45.00°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 65.4° above the horizon over Silverton and the day runs 14 h 55 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.

10,391 people live in Silverton, the 51st largest of the 57 Oregon cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 45.0034, -122.7809.

Silverton AC sizing questions