AC Tonnage Calculator

This tool estimates how many tons of air conditioning a space needs, using the square-foot rule of thumb the trade quotes for a quick check. You enter the cooled floor area, a climate zone, the insulation and sun exposure, the ceiling height, how many people are usually home and whether a kitchen is included, and it returns the cooling load in BTU per hour, the load in tons and the nearest size that is actually sold. A second option converts a load figure you already have into tons at 12,000 BTU per hour per ton. The equipment that gets installed should be sized from a Manual J load calculation by the installer, not from a rule of thumb, and oversizing is penalised in short cycling and poor humidity removal rather than rewarded.