Summers demand a peaceful and comfortable living or working space and for that, an air conditioner is considered essential, especially in the extremely hot weather of Dubai. But you can’t just buy any AC unit randomly; you have to do proper calculations to find out the right size for your living space. Now the question arises that how to calculate AC requirements for a room. This article will answer all your possible questions about AC sizing and it will also guide you about several factors that you need to follow to calculate your room size.
Importance of Choosing the Right Air Conditioner
Selecting the right air conditioner holds as much importance as deciding to buy one or repair of an ac. If you aren’t giving much thought to the selection process, you are just throwing your money down the drain. Here are some factors that indicate the importance of choosing the right air conditioner:
- Minimize the electricity bill: Your electricity bill reduces when you select the right AC according to your room size. It consumes just enough energy to cool down the place hence saving you some bucks.
- Fast Cooling: Selecting the right size can cool your room faster. When you select the AC which is bigger for a smaller room, it cools down the room instantly but it doesn’t dehumidify the room which makes it clammy and sticky.
On the contrary, if you choose a smaller ac for a bigger room, it will take a longer time for cooling and sometimes it doesn’t cool down the temperature at all.
How to Calculate the Room’s Square Footage
Calculating your room’s square footage helps in determining the cooling capacity of your room. To find this, measure the length and width of the room and multiply these dimensions together.
For example, if a room measures 10 feet by 12 feet, the square footage would be 120 square feet.
How to Calculate the AC Ton Requirement
Now to find tonnage requirement, take the square root of the room’s square footage and divide the answer by 10. Take the above-given example
1. The room’s square footage was 120.
2. Take the square root of it which is 10.95
3. Divide it by 10 which is 1.09
Hence, a room of 120 square feet would require an AC of 1 ton.
How to Calculate AC BTU Requirement
BTU is a British Thermal Unit, which is a measure of heat and is defined as the amount of heat required to raise one Pound of water’s temperature by 1 °F.
Once you have the room’s square footage, you can use it to determine the appropriate British Thermal Unit (BTU) rating for the AC unit. As a general rule, a room typically requires about 20 BTUs per square foot. Using the example of a 120-square-foot room, the BTU rating needed would be 120 square feet multiplied by 20 BTUs, resulting in a requirement of 2,400 BTUs.
You can also easily determine Your AC requirement from the table given below:
| Area (Square Feet) | BTU | Tonnage |
| 600 sq ft | 12,000 BTU | 1 Ton |
| 900 sq ft | 18,000 BTU | 1.5 Tons |
| 1,200 sq ft | 24,000 BTU | 2 Tons |
| 1,500 sq ft | 30,000 BTU | 2.5 Tons |
| 1,800 sq ft | 36,000 BTU | 3 Tons |
| 2,100 sq ft | 42,000 BTU | 3.5 Tons |
| 2,400 sq ft | 48,000 BTU | 4 Tons |
| 2,700 sq ft | 54,000 BTU | 4.5 Tons |
| 3,000 sq ft | 60,000 BTU | 5 Tons |
| 3,300 sq ft | 66,000 BTU | 5.5 Tons |
| 3,600 sq ft | 72,000 BTU | 6 Tons |
Other Factors to Consider
Some other factors should be taken into account when you are selecting an AC.
Room Orientation:
Your room orientation highly impacts your cooling needs. If your room receives direct sunlight, your AC’s capacity can increase by 10%. And if your room has shade and no direct sunlight enters it, your Ac’s capacity can decrease by 10%.
Ceiling Height:
Ceiling height can affect your cooling capacity. Measure your ceiling and if it is higher than 8 feet, add 10% more BTU for each increasing foot.
Occupancy:
Number of people that live in your room highly affects the cooling temperature. For instance, your bedroom may require more BTUs to compensate for the heat generated by people.
Other Heat Resources:
Look for other heat-generating appliances in your room like a computer or oven. They exempt heat and contribute to the temperature of the room.
In conclusion, you are required to select the right size of the AC. You can find it by calculating the room’s square foot. But other factors are equally important to consider like room orientation, ceiling height, occupancy, and other heat resources to determine accurate BTU ratings.
Consulting with an HVAC professional is always recommended to ensure that the AC unit you choose is properly sized for your specific space.
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