What size AC for Sterling, IL? 2.5 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

2.5 tons central AC or heat pump, about 27,300 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 878 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 13.7 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Dixon 1w (9.7 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 82.7°F and a low of 64.3°F, with about 11 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 87°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 1,183 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $228 at Illinois's average residential rate of 19.23¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 5 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Sterling

Of the 27,300 BTU/hr, 8,640 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 87°F afternoon (32%), 13,000 is sun on the house (48%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 3,600 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Sterling's summer air (13%).

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 23,760 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Sterling

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 2,100 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 Sterling

Jul alone uses 31% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 619 hours a year at full output.

Sterling against nearby cities

Of 225 Illinois cities here, Sterling has the 165th highest cooling load. The range runs from Fox Lake at 24,900 BTU/hr to Granite City at 36,000.

Where Sterling's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Dixon 1w, 9.7 miles from the center of Sterling at 660 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Sterling's summers.

1 other city uses the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to Sterling: Dixon (12 mi away, 1.9 mi from the station). Sterling is farther from the station than 1 of them.

The sun over Sterling in late July

At 41.80°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 68.6° above the horizon over Sterling 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.

14,535 people live in Sterling, the 170th largest of the 225 Illinois cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 41.7997, -89.6959.

Sterling AC sizing questions