What is the proper air conditioning size for a house that is 1600 square feet.?

Question

The AC unit we have is 2 1/2 tons and we are being offered a 2 ton unit free of charge and I don't want our power bill to rise any more than it already does in the heat of florida. Please advise.

2 1/2 tons isn't the weight and 2 window units will not battle 96 degree temps in florida where we run our AC almost year round!

Thanks for the tips! Thats what I needed to know.

Answer 1

2 ton for 1600 square footage is too small for that area of the country. Free is good but it would be working its tail off to keep up. try talking them into a 2.5 and you pay the difference!!

Answer 2

Why would someone offer you a free 2ton unit to replace a 2 1/2 tonner?
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Never mind.
If a unit is too small it will have to be on more often and for longer amounts of time to do the same job as a larger unit. The smaller unit will then cost more to own then the larger unit.
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Most companies have charts that will show you how big you should go.
I would also take into account whether you have adequate insulation and whether the house is shaded or not by trees.
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Answer 3

I work in a refrigeration and air conditioning laboratory.
Experience and testing have proven that you are better off with a slightly undersized unit. It will save you money in the long run.
Reasons:
A unit that is large enough to handle the hotest of hot days may run on short cycles during more "normal" times.
Part of being comfortable is removing excess humidity form the air.
Short cycles cannot remove the humidity. You WANT the unit to run almost constantly to accomplish that task.
When the air is more humid, you must have cooler air to feel comfortable. It costs more money to further lower the temperature.
A large unit takes more power to operate. Starting and stopping a unit frequently creates higher wear & tear on the motor.
Operating a smaller unit for a longer time may actually cost less and save power because the motor draws less power.
Also, there is a large (and expensive ) power surge when the motor is started.
In my home I had a difficult time trying to find a contractor to install a small unit. They ALL wanted to make more by selling a larger unit.
After I had my small unit installed, the power company came to my home and replaced my electric meter. They though the drop in power usage was due to a defective meter.
Please get more than one opinion prior to making your final decision.
Consider adding insulation if your home is below the standards recommended by your power company.
They will cunsult with you on that issue FREE of charge. Proper insulation is always a good investment.

Answer 4

Most of the answers you've received thus far are somewhat incorrect. Under normal conditions one ton (12,000 btu) of A/C will cool 500 sf of area - provided that ceilings are no higher than 8 ft. Skylights and excessive window glass might lead to a ton of A/C cooling only 400 sf. A home with few windows, or well-insulated windows, good insulation, low ceilings, and well shaded by trees could be cooled by one ton per 650 sf. What is most important is that the unit be undersized rather than oversized. An oversized unit will cool the house too quickly and not run enough to dehumidify. An A/C must run to dehumidify the home.

Answer 5

You will never see a saving or an advantage by going down in size. You should always increase in size (Up to a certain point - then it becomes counter-productive.

Answer 6

Any size will do as long as it cools the house.
Wow, u have a giant unit.
2 small window units will cool a house just as good.

Answer 7

you need
30 btu/hr/sqft*1600sqft=48000 btu/hr
or 48000/12000 = 4 tons