HVAC Cooling Load Calculator
Estimate the required air conditioning capacity in BTU/h and Tons for any room.
Required Cooling Capacity
0 BTU/h
HVAC Rule of Thumb Formulas
While a full "Manual J" calculation is required for precise residential HVAC sizing, contractors often use standardized engineering rules of thumb to quickly estimate the baseline cooling load based on Square Footage (Sq Ft).
Base BTU/h Formula:
$$ BTU_{base} = \text{Area (SqFt)} \times 20 $$
Additional Adjustments:
- Add 400 BTU/h for each person occupying the room.
- Add 4,000 BTU/h if the room is a kitchen.
- Multiply the total by 1.10 if the room is heavily exposed to the sun.
In the US, Air Conditioning systems are usually rated in Tons. To convert from BTU/h to Tons, simply divide by 12,000 (1 Ton of AC = 12,000 BTU/h).