HVAC Rated
    Menu

      What size heat pump for a 2,000 sq ft house?

      Short answer: 3 to 5 tons, depending on your climate and insulation. In a mixed climate like Atlanta: 3.5 tons.

      By climate

      Average insulation, 8 ft ceilings, three occupants.

      Best 3.5-ton heat pumps

      Compare all 3.5-ton heat pumps

      Work it out for your home

      Pre-filled with 2,000 sq ft. Pick your city and adjust insulation, sun and ceiling height.

      Your space
      Your climate
      Mini-split size
      36,000 BTU
      Central / ducted size
      3 ton
      Cooling load
      35,100 BTU/h
      Heating load
      30,000 BTU/h

      See 36,000 BTU mini-splitsSee 3-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 35,100 · heating 30,000
      • Hot and humid (Houston)cooling 35,100 · heating 30,000
      • Mixed (Atlanta)cooling 32,100 · heating 38,000
      • Cold (Chicago)cooling 30,600 · heating 54,000
      • Very cold (Minneapolis)cooling 27,600 · heating 60,000

      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
      • Poor4 ton · heating 49,400 BTU/h
      • Average3.5 ton · heating 38,000 BTU/h
      • Good2.5 ton · heating 30,400 BTU/h
      • Very good2.5 ton · heating 24,700 BTU/h
      Top 5 3.5-ton heat pumpsranked by SEER2
      #ModelSEER2EER2HSPF2COP at 5°F
      1Bryant 293VAN048**AA23.012.59.52.00
      2Carrier 27VNA348A*03023.012.59.52.00
      3Comfortmaker C5H3V48*K*AAA23.012.59.52.00
      4Heil H5H3V48*K*AAA23.012.59.52.00
      5Tempstar B5H3V48*K*AAA23.012.59.52.00
      Questions3
      What size heat pump do I need for a 2,000 sq ft house?
      About 3 to 5 tons. In a mixed climate like Atlanta the estimate is 3.5 tons (cooling load 32,100 BTU/h, heating load 38,000 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 2,000 square feet?
      For cooling, roughly 35,100 BTU/h in a hot, dry climate and 27,600 BTU/h in a cold one. For heating, from 30,000 to 60,000 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