Hvac Tonnage Calculator

How to Use the HVAC Tonnage Calculator

This guide will walk you through the necessary steps to efficiently use the HVAC Tonnage Calculator to determine the appropriate tonnage for your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning needs.

Step 1: Input Your Home’s Square Footage

Begin by entering the total square footage of your home. This number should be between 100 and 10,000. Ensure that this field is filled out, as it is a required input for the calculator to provide accurate results.

Step 2: Enter the Ceiling Height

Next, input the ceiling height of your home in feet. The valid range for ceiling height is from 6 to 20 feet, with increments of 0.5 feet. This field is also required for the calculations.

Step 3: Select the Climate Zone

The climate zone will affect your HVAC needs. Choose one of the following options based on your local climate:

• Mild (20-30°F temperature difference)
• Moderate (30-40°F temperature difference)
• Hot (40-50°F temperature difference)
• Extreme (>50°F temperature difference)

Your selection will impact the climate adjustment factor used in the calculations.

Step 4: Choose the Insulation Level

Select the level of insulation in your home from the following options:

• Poor (minimal insulation)
• Average (standard insulation)
• Good (above average insulation)
• Excellent (maximum insulation)

This will determine the insulation adjustment factor applied to the tonnage calculation.

Step 5: Determine Sun Exposure

Select the appropriate sun exposure level that best describes your home environment:

• Minimal (mostly shade)
• Average (partial sun/shade)
• High (mostly sunny)
• Extreme (full sun all day)

This plays a role in calculating the sun exposure adjustment.

Step 6: Specify the Number of Occupants

Enter the number of occupants in the home. This is an important variable and should be between 1 and 20. The occupant count impacts the occupant load adjustment.

Calculating Results

After entering all the required information, the calculator will compute the following:

• Basic HVAC Tonnage: Calculated using your inputs for square footage, climate, insulation, and sun exposure.
• Occupant Load Adjustment: Calculated based on the number of occupants.
• Volume Adjustment: Calculated from the square footage and ceiling height.
• Recommended HVAC Tonnage: The sum of basic tonnage, occupant adjustment, and volume adjustment.
• BTU Output Required: A final value indicating the power output required of your HVAC system.

Ensure all inputs are filled accurately to receive a correct and reliable recommendation for your HVAC requirements.