If there are two individuals in a 12 by 12 room, an AC with a 5000 BTU cooling capacity would be needed. If your room is properly shaded, an AC with a 4500 BTU capacity would be required. Furthermore, a 5500 BTU would be sufficient if your room receives a good quantity of natural light.
In general, a 12 x 12 room is considered a small room with a total area of 14 sqft. According to air conditioning experts, such a room would request an air conditioner with a cooling capacity of 5000 BTU if there are two people in the room. If there is proper shading, you would need a 4500 CTU capacity AC.
Larger unit may be more efficient (larger condensers generally are), but make sure you don't oversize it. If the unit is oversized it'll cycle more frequently, which is hard on it. Oversized can also cause some issues with humidity if you have any outside air connections.
The cooling capacity should be equal to or higher than the heat gained and heat generated. That depends on the outdoor temp, humidity, sunshine, windows, number of occupants, activities in the room, fresh air change, wall material and equipment in the room. A rough estimate would be around 12000BTU per room.
A 1 ton air conditioner is ideally suited for rooms measuring between 100 to 150 square feet, ensuring effective cooling without excessive energy consumption. For rooms sized 150 to 225 square feet, a 1.5 ton AC provides the necessary power to keep the space cool and comfortable.
While this rule of thumb is helpful as a preliminary guide, it's crucial to understand that it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. The 450 to 600 square feet per ton range is a broad one, and various factors can push your needs toward the higher or lower end of that spectrum.
For a 100-130 square feet room 0.8 to 1 ton AC is enough. for a room of 130 square feet to 200 square feet of 1.5 ton AC is better. more than 182 200 square feet rooms require a 2 ton AC and more than 500 square feet rooms require more than one AC in multiple places.
An air conditioner with BTUs that exceed the recommended square footage in your home may also take on more wear and tear over time because it will initiate its on/off cycle more frequently. It could also create a subpar cooling experience because your AC's compressor may turn off much sooner than it should.
A Higher BTU Number Doesn't Always Indicate a Better Product
On the other hand, AC units with too few BTUs will need to run constantly to reach the target temperature, which may add strain to the system. Therefore, it is crucial to choose the appropriate BTU based on the size of the space.
If your air conditioner has short cycled since you installed the system, have your home measured for the proper size. If your air conditioner is too big, you'll have hot spots – or inconsistent cooling – throughout your home. Hot spots occur most often when cold air doesn't disperse through the home efficiently enough.
Higher Utility Bills
A bigger unit simply gobbles more power than a smaller one. To make matters worse, your oversized air conditioner will likely never reach its promised level of energy efficiency. Just as it is cycling up to its most efficient level, the thermostat will tell it to shut off again.
Energy Consumption and Savings: While two AC units might initially seem like they would consume more energy, they can actually offer savings by allowing you to cool only the spaces you're using. For example, you can shut off the upstairs unit when it's not in use, reducing overall energy expenditure.
A 6,000 BTU mini split system will be able to handle a 12 x 12 room. Once you go over a 260 square foot room, you're going to need to go up to a 9,000 BTU mini split system. A 6,000 BTU mini split can usually handle up to 6,500 BTUs.
The Temperature Outside
Most central air conditioners can cool a moderate-sized (3 to 4 bedroom) home by about 5 degrees every 3 hours. This means while it can take no more than a couple hours to lower the temperature to a comfortable range in the fall or autumn, it can take much longer in the summer.
As a guide, consider 5,000-BTU models for rooms 150 square feet or smaller, 8,000 BTUs for medium-size rooms (340 square feet), and 12,000 to 14,000-BTU models for rooms with square footage from 550 to 800. Having the correct power is imperative.
How many square feet is a 12x12 room? To measure square footage, multiply the length and width of the room in feet. In the case of a 12x12 room, simply multiply 12 by 12, resulting in 144 square feet.
Whether you are talking about an air conditioner or a heating device, you will often also see a mention of BTUs per hour which directly correlates to a kilowatt-hour in terms of energy usage. More BTUs produced per hour will generally cost more in terms of electricity usage compared to a device with a lower BTU output.
What Is BTU in AC? BTUs measure the energy output of your AC system. It takes about 20 to 35 BTUs to cool each square foot of space. Higher BTUs cool a room faster, but boost humidity and wear your unit down.
First, if the system is too small for the space it is intended to cool, there may be inadequate cooling and an inability to maintain a comfortable temperature. This could result in overworked components due to the excessive strain on the system, leading to higher energy costs and a shortened lifespan of the unit.
If you prefer to choose your air conditioner size based on individual room sizes, there are a few more simplistic options: Small Room: A small bedroom or home office of between 100 and 300 sq. ft. will need between 5,000 and 6,000 BTU for cooling. Medium Room:A master bedroom or playroom of between 250 and 400 sq.
If there are two individuals in a 12 by 12 room, an AC with a 5000 BTU cooling capacity would be needed. If your room is properly shaded, an AC with a 4500 BTU capacity would be required. Furthermore, a 5500 BTU would be sufficient if your room receives a good quantity of natural light.
Using this example, a 12 x 15 foot room is 180 square feet; multiplied by 25 this yields 4,500 BTU of required cooling capacity. By following this rule, you get ample cooling on a rainy or hot, sunny day. But you can also determine size by considering an A/C needs 20 BTU per square foot.
The split AC is higher in terms of cooling power than the window AC. The cooling power of the window AC is in the range of 0.75 to 2.5 tons, while the split power can reach 0.80 tons to 3 tons. The split is the best AC in distributing the air according to the place where it is located.