|
I will add my $0.02 here. This is what I do for a living, but please keep in mind that rules of thumb, assumptions, and internet advice is only worth about $0.01. There is a lot that goes into this from a calculation standpoint (insulation, mass of walls, number of windows, quality of windows, direction of windows and walls, latitude/longitude, shaded, etc.), but in general a residential load will be about 1 ton (12,000 Btu/Hr) for 500 Square Feet. One of the assumptions built into this rule of thumb is that the unit is running continuously which allows it to "catch up" some during the cool of the night. If part of your criteria is that you want to be able to cool the place down after arrival on a good hot day you might want to add a safety factor of 2-3 times the capacity noted above. Probably will either require multiple units to keep capacity in range that 120V equipment can handle, or a larger unit that might require 220V service and a visit from the electrician. I would lean toward multiple units, then you could turn them off as the space starts to cool down. AC generally works better when it is not too over sized. As usual, YMMV and good luck, Kirk
|
