What size AC for West Haven, UT? 3 tons for 2,000 sq ft

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

3 tons central AC or heat pump, about 35,600 BTU/hr of load

The 20 BTU per square foot chart would put in 3.5 tons, about 18% 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 3 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 674 square feet in this climate. For a single room, size by the room: 17.8 BTU/hr per square foot.

The climate it is sized for

Climate from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals at Ogden Hinkley Airport (2.2 mi away). Jul is the hottest month, averaging a high of 91.3°F and a low of 64.8°F, with about 49 days a year at 90°F or more. That gives a design temperature of 97°F against 75°F inside.

What it costs to run

About 1,462 kWh a year at SEER2 14.3, or roughly $193 at Utah's average residential rate of 13.19¢ per kWh. Cooling runs 4 months of the year here.

What drives the load in West Haven

Of the 35,600 BTU/hr, 15,840 comes through walls, roof and windows on a 97°F afternoon (44%), 13,000 is sun on the house (37%), 2,120 is four people and their appliances, and 4,600 is moisture the coil has to wring out of West Haven's summer air (13%).

Heat through the shell is the biggest share here, so insulation and air sealing cut the size you need more than shading would. Sensible heat totals 30,960 BTU/hr before the moisture allowance.

Other house sizes in West Haven

Single rooms with a window or mini-split unit: a 150 sq ft bedroom needs about 2,700 BTU/hr; a 350 sq ft living room needs about 6,200 BTU/hr; a 600 sq ft open plan kitchen and family room needs about 10,700 BTU/hr.

Month by month in West Haven

Jul alone uses 39% of the year's cooling energy. The unit runs the equivalent of 587 hours a year at full output.

West Haven against nearby cities

Of 67 Utah cities here, West Haven has the 37th highest cooling load. The range runs from Heber at 30,700 BTU/hr to St. George at 49,200.

Where West Haven's weather numbers come from

The nearest NOAA station with full 1991 to 2020 normals is Ogden Hinkley Airport, 2.2 miles from the center of West Haven at 4,449 ft above sea level. That is close enough that the station's summers are West Haven's summers.

11 other cities use the same station and get the same climate inputs. The closest to West Haven: Roy (3 mi away, 2.3 mi from the station), Ogden (5 mi away, 3.5 mi from the station), Clinton (5 mi away, 4.6 mi from the station), South Ogden (6 mi away, 3.4 mi from the station), West Point (6 mi away, 6.6 mi from the station). West Haven sits closer to the station than any of them, so its numbers are the best measured of the group.

The sun over West Haven in late July

At 41.21°N, the noon sun on 21 July stands 69.2° above the horizon over West Haven and the day runs 14 h 32 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.

24,617 people live in West Haven, the 42nd largest of the 67 Utah cities sized on this site. Coordinates used: 41.2091, -112.0536.

West Haven AC sizing questions