What size heat pump do I need for a 1,000 sq ft house?

About 2 to 2.5 tons. In a mixed climate like Atlanta the estimate is 2 tons (cooling load 19,500 BTU/h, heating load 19,000 BTU/h). Hot climates need more cooling capacity and cold climates more heating capacity, as the table shows.

How many BTU do I need for 1,000 square feet?

For cooling, roughly 21,300 BTU/h in a hot, dry climate and 16,800 BTU/h in a cold one. For heating, from 15,000 to 30,000 BTU/h depending on how cold winters get. Older, drafty homes need up to 30% more.

Is it better to oversize or undersize a heat pump?

Neither, but slight undersizing is usually less harmful for cooling. An oversized unit short-cycles and leaves the air clammy. In cold climates, size for the heating load and check the unit’s output at 5°F, or plan for backup heat on the coldest nights.

What size heat pump for a 1,000 sq ft house?

Short answer: 2 to 2.5 tons, depending on your climate and insulation. In a mixed climate like Atlanta: 2 tons.

By climate

Hot and dry (Phoenix)2 ton
Hot and humid (Houston)2 ton
Mixed (Atlanta)2 ton
Cold (Chicago)2.5 ton
Very cold (Minneapolis)2.5 ton

Average insulation, 8 ft ceilings, three occupants.

Best 2-ton heat pumps

Most efficient

Arcoaire B5H3V24KAAA

2 ton central · Deluxe 23 VS Heat Pump · cold-climate certified

SEER2: 23.0
HSPF2: 10.5
Heat at 5°F: 23,000

Top-rated certified model in the size most 1,000 sq ft homes need.

Full specs and running cost

Best for cold winters

York HH824E2S12

2 ton central · LX SERIES · cold-climate certified

SEER2: 18.0
HSPF2: 8.5
COP at 5°F: 2.46

Cold-climate certified, best efficiency at 5°F in this size.

Full specs and running cost

Compare all 2-ton heat pumps

Work it out for your home

Pre-filled with 1,000 sq ft. Pick your city and adjust insulation, sun and ceiling height.

Your space

Area to heat and cool sq ftCeiling heightInsulationSun exposurePeople who usually use itIncludes the kitchen?

Your climate

StateCity

Mini-split size: 24,000 BTU
Central / ducted size: 2 ton
Cooling load: 21,300 BTU/h
Heating load: 15,000 BTU/h

See 24,000 BTU mini-splits See 2-ton central heat pumps

Rule-of-thumb estimate: cooling follows the ENERGY STAR room sizing table, heating uses typical BTU per square foot for the climate (NOAA 1991-2020 heating degree days). For a whole-house system, ask your installer for a Manual J load calculation.

More detail

Cooling and heating loads by climateBTU/h

Hot and dry (Phoenix)cooling 21,300 · heating 15,000
Hot and humid (Houston)cooling 21,300 · heating 15,000
Mixed (Atlanta)cooling 19,500 · heating 19,000
Cold (Chicago)cooling 18,600 · heating 27,000
Very cold (Minneapolis)cooling 16,800 · heating 30,000

Cooling follows the ENERGY STAR sizing table; heating uses BTU per sq ft for the climate (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).

How insulation changes the sizein Atlanta

Poor2 ton · heating 24,700 BTU/h
Average2 ton · heating 19,000 BTU/h
Good1.5 ton · heating 15,200 BTU/h
Very good1.5 ton · heating 12,400 BTU/h

Top 5 2-ton heat pumpsranked by SEER2

#	Model	SEER2	EER2	HSPF2	COP at 5°F
1	Arcoaire B5H3V24KAAA	23.0	13.5	10.5	2.10
2	Carrier 27VNA324A*030also sold as 1 other model number	23.0	14.0	10.5	2.10
3	Lennox SL25XPV-024-230A	22.8	14.4	9.2	1.88
4	Trane 5TWV0X24A1also sold as 1 other model number	22.4	12.0	10.0	2.20
5	GE NS22H24MA4-**A	22.0	13.5	9.5	2.32

Questions3

What size heat pump do I need for a 1,000 sq ft house?: About 2 to 2.5 tons. In a mixed climate like Atlanta the estimate is 2 tons (cooling load 19,500 BTU/h, heating load 19,000 BTU/h). Hot climates need more cooling capacity and cold climates more heating capacity, as the table shows.
How many BTU do I need for 1,000 square feet?: For cooling, roughly 21,300 BTU/h in a hot, dry climate and 16,800 BTU/h in a cold one. For heating, from 15,000 to 30,000 BTU/h depending on how cold winters get. Older, drafty homes need up to 30% more.
Is it better to oversize or undersize a heat pump?: Neither, but slight undersizing is usually less harmful for cooling. An oversized unit short-cycles and leaves the air clammy. In cold climates, size for the heating load and check the unit’s output at 5°F, or plan for backup heat on the coldest nights.

Other sizes

All sizing guides