What Size Btu Window Air Conditioner Do I Need

Open the bottom window and measure the opening from the bottom of the window to the top of the window ledge.

What size btu window air conditioner do i need.

Now measure the width from the inner most part of the side window opening. If you need to install a unit that delivers 12 000 btus or more have an electrician install a 240 volt receptacle. As a rule of thumb an air conditioner needs 20 btu for each square foot of. According to the us department of energy directive the most appropriate size of an air conditioner would be 2 880 btu unit.

Conversely the higher the number the larger the room it can cool. Window air conditioners typically have a cooling capacity ranging from 5 000 to 12 500 british thermal units btu hr. But no worries about having to do any confusing equations luckily there s a convenient list for figuring how much a c power you need for a room based on the room s square footage. Consumer reports recommends 20 btus per square foot of the living space or spaces you want to cool down.

Here s an easy to read chart to help you pair up your square footage to the proper size btu number. The best you can do here is to buy a small 5 000 btu window or small 8 000 btu portable ac unit more about smallest ac units here. The smaller the number the smaller the room it can cool. The cooling power of an air conditioner is calculated in british thermal units btus.

Written on the side of each box of window air conditioners there s a chart that displays the opening size requirements for that particular window air conditioner.