What size AC for Warrenton, VA? 2.5 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

2.5 tons central AC or heat pump, about 29,800 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 41% 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 805 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 14.9 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Warrenton 3 Se (3 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 84.9°F and a low of 65.8°F, with about 21 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 90°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 1,414 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $240 at Virginia's average residential rate of 16.95¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 5 months of the year here.

What drives the load in Warrenton

Of the 29,800 BTU/hr, 10,800 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 90°F afternoon (36%), 13,000 is sun on the house (44%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 3,900 is moisture the coil has to wring out of Warrenton'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 25,920 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in Warrenton

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 2,200 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 5,200 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 8,900 BTU/hr.

Month by month in Warrenton

Jul alone uses 32% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 678 hours a year at full output.

Warrenton against nearby cities

Of 39 Virginia cities here, Warrenton has the 32nd highest cooling load. The range runs from Christiansburg at 24,900 BTU/hr to Chesapeake at 42,100.

Where Warrenton's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Warrenton 3 Se, 3 miles from the center of Warrenton at 500 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are Warrenton's summers.

No other city in this set uses Warrenton 3 Se, so this sizing is Warrenton's alone.

The sun over Warrenton in late July

At 38.72°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 71.7° above the horizon over Warrenton and the day runs 14 h 19 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.

10,224 people live in Warrenton, the 39th largest of the 39 Virginia cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 38.7178, -77.7973.

Warrenton AC sizing questions