How Do You Size Central Air Conditioning Units?
An air conditioner’s size is measured by British thermal units. Each Btu is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a single pound of water a single degree. The amount of Btu that your central air conditioning unit will need depends on the side of your house, whether your home is insulated and for what purpose your rooms are used. Determine the square footage of the area the central AC unit will have to cool. You can do this by multiplying the length times the width of each room that will be cooled and then adding the totals together. Estimate the number of Btu your central air conditioning unit will need by using a sizing chart found on the internet (see Resources section). For example, if your home was 1,000 square feet you would need 19,500 Btu. Adjust your estimate for insulation. For each room that is not below an insulated ceiling, add 4,000 Btu. Adjust your estimate for room purpose. Each kitchen adds 4,000 Btu. For rooms that have more than two people living i
