The way heat waves are circling around our planet, that way we are circling around the ac showroom for the perfect air conditioner for home or workspace.
However, there are a plethora of parameters to consider before purchasing the ac. One crucial point is the size of the space you want to set your air conditioner.
So, we need to figure out what size of ac will be suitable for your bedroom. Let’s find out.
Ac size for bedroom:
For a standard bedroom size, you will need ac with a capacity of 5,000 to 6,500 Btu. Normally a bedroom size ranges from 120 to 200 square feet. So, the approximate capacity for an air conditioner is 2-2.5kW. If, however, the bedroom size gets bigger, the Btu rate should get higher as well.
Ac is a big and long-term investment for us. To determine the perfect ac for our room is very crucial. Here the bigger, the better theory won’t apply. You need to consider all the variables and choose the right fit.
The standard unit to measure the ac capacity is the British thermal unit (BTU) which calculates the heat content of the energy source. For standard cooling power, you will need 20 to 30 BTUs for each square foot of the room.
Let’s see what size of ac is required in consideration of bedroom capacity_
Small bedroom:
A bedroom will be considered small if it is a single bedroom with a space area between 100 to 300 sq feet. To measure the room size, take note of the length and width and simply multiply the numbers.
For a 300 sq. feet room and 20 BTU per sq. feet, the capacity of the ac should be 300 x 20 = 6000 BTUs. If the area in your home is situated is heavily shaded, you may reduce the number by 10%.
Midsize bedroom:
A midsize bedroom is considered a room size ranging from 300 to 450 square feet. If your bedroom is connected to a suite or walk-in closet room, it will be a midsize bedroom.
To measure the exact size of the room, take the measurement of all the corners and calculate it.
So, for a midsize bedroom of 300 sq. feet and considering the BTU rate to be 25, the ac size should be 300 x 25 = 7500 BTU. If the location of your place has a high temperature or is sunny, the capacity should be increased by 10%.
Large bedroom:
A large bedroom should range from 450- 550 sq. feet. It is quite unusual to spot a bedroom in such a large space but not impossible. If your bedroom is adjacent to a living space or office room, it is normal for the bedroom to be spacious.
So, for a large room capacity of 550 and per unit the BTU of 25, the ac capacity should be 550 x 25 = 13,750 BTUs.
| Bedroom size (sq ft) | Recommended AC size (BTU) |
|---|---|
| 100-200 sq ft | 2,000 BTU |
| 200-300 sq ft | 4,000 BTU |
| 300-400 sq ft | 7,000 BTU |
| 400-500 sq ft | 9,000 BTU |
| 500-600 sq ft | 10,000 BTU |
| 600-700 sq ft | 12,000 BTU |
| 700-800 sq ft | 14,000 BTU |
| 800-900 sq ft | 16,000 BTU |
| 900-1000 sq ft | 18,000 BTU |
| 1000-1100 sq ft | 20,000 BTU |
| 1100-1200 sq ft | 22,000 BTU |
| 1200-1500 sq ft | 24,000 BTU |
| 1500-2000 sq ft | 34,000 BTU |
| 2000-2500 sq ft | 44,000 BTU |
How do I calculate what size air conditioner I need?
With the help of an online calculator, you can easily find out the ac size you should get for your bedroom. Even though the choice of brand, model, and color should be your decision, the ac size should be about calculation.
You can find lots of online calculators to measure the ac size for you. But the variables they consider are very minimal, only room size and per unit of BTU.
For the perfect capacity number, you will be required to know the number of people living in the bedroom, the sun exposure level in the room, and room size from all corners.
You need to set the unit of your choice. It can be BTU, horsepower, or watts. Usually, for determining the ac capacity, BTU is considered standard.
If the number of people exceeds 2, you need to add 600 BTU per person to the actual figure.
For the room size, you will need the room height, width, ceiling height, and room floor area. Choose a similar unit for all sizes. Put down those numbers and the perfect ac size will come out.
Things to consider before choosing an AC size for your bedroom:
As mentioned earlier, AC is a long-term investment. So, you can’t take an abrupt decision about the AC size of your bedroom.
Some variables will determine the right size fit for your bedroom. Too small or too big AC will fail to reach the cool temperature you are aiming at. For choosing the perfect AC size for your bedroom, you need to consider.
Size of the room:
It is very important to measure the room size correctly. For measurement, you need to convert the height and width of the bedroom into square feet and multiply the numbers.
Such as, if the height of the bedroom is 20 feet and the width is 15 feet, the size will be 20 x 15 = 300 square feet.
Ceiling height:
As per International Building Code, the ceiling height can’t be less than 7 feet. A standard height for the ceiling of the bedroom is 8 feet. Ac size calculation also considers this standard.
If the ceiling height is higher than 8 feet, the rate of BTUs will also increase exponentially.
Room insulation:
Room insulation indicates a barrier between the room and the outside world. The temperature, weather, and airflow will impact the functioning of the AC.
Improper insulation of the room may hinder the AC to function properly. So, this is a crucial thing to consider.
Sun exposure:
If your location of the bedroom is in a shady place, you can decrease the BTUs level by 10% i.e., you can reduce the number of BTUs for your AC size by 10%.
However, if the location has sun exposure, the number should be increased by 10% as well.
Window covering:
If your bedroom has a window covering, it will impact the temperature level of the room and the cooling down effect of the AC.
A window covering can reduce the heat and cold particles in the room by 77%. So, the number of BTUs will vary considering the presence of window covering.
Number of occupants:
For a standard calculation, the number of people of the room is considered two. If the number gets higher, the BTUs rate will get higher as well. For every person living additionally, adding 600 BTUs will the actual capacity.
Location of the room:
If the location of the room is near a kitchen or a heat-generating place, the number of BTUs will increase by 3000 to 4000.
What happens if the air conditioner BTU is too high or too low?
The mechanism of an air conditioner is that it absorbs warm air from the room and takes away the humidity and moisture. Then, the AC emits cold air through the vent.
But AC’s efficiency depends on numerous variables. For proper functioning, your bedroom will need AC with a specific number of BTUs.
So, to express how important the correct BTU number is, let’s see what happens if the BTU is too high or too low.
An AC with a higher BTU than required will make its running cycle shorter, randomly shut off, and start over since the humidity and heat content will fluctuate. The bedroom will cool down earlier than usual with the higher BTU ac.
But, since it won’t run long and shut down, it can’t drag the extra moisture out of the bedroom, making the temperature eventually return to normal.
Also, power consumption will rise and cost you a fortune. The maintenance, repairing, and troubleshooting will be double the trouble. The air quality will deteriorate, and the humidity won’t leave the room.
On the flip side, if the Btu is too low, the bedroom will not cool up. It won’t be able to suck all the moisture in the bedroom, eventually leaving humidity in the air.
Since the AC will have to work hard to cool down the room, so the power consumption will rise as well, eventually costing more. The AC may dilapidate itself due to overheating and functioning beyond its capacity.
Final thoughts:
BTU number is the ultimate criterion your AC needs to fulfill to enter your bedroom is 5000 to 6000 btu. Despite the model, or brand, the most crucial factor for the AC is BTU. the perfect size of AC will serve its purpose without any trouble, won’t cost you extra, and will last long.