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Summers are coming and everyone in the USA is getting their air conditioners ready. At the same time, you will hear a lot of people complaining that their air conditioner is not cooling effectively and takes a lot of time.
Do you know why? It’s because they are using the wrong size of AC in the wrong room. Whenever you are buying an air conditioner, you must make sure that it is of the right size for your room.
Only then you will be able to get the maximum cooling effect. In this article, we are going to explore what size room does a 12,000 BTU air conditioner cools?
Once you have the right size of air conditioner in the right-sized room, your AC will start cooling with much greater efficiency and you will enjoy a strong cooling effect.
What is the BTU of an air conditioner?
First of all, you need to understand the concept of what BTU actually is. It’s because if you don’t know anything about BTU then you won’t be able to understand anything else.
Well, every AC unit has a cooling power that is measured in a unit called BTU. If an air conditioner has more BTU capacity then it means that it has very strong cooling powers. Similarly, if an air conditioner has less BTU capacity then it means that it has a less cooling effect.
In technical and scientific terms, the amount of energy that can change the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit is called 1 BTU.
When it comes to the capacity of air conditioners, you can easily keep this interesting fact in mind that 25 BTU can cool 1 square foot of floor space.
Best room size for 12,000 BTU air conditioner
Normally, a perfectly working 12,000 BTU air conditioner can cool down a room having floor space of up to 450 – 550 square feet. It has the power to effectively cool a room having a length of 25 feet and a width of 20 feet.
However, these figures are the average ones and for ideal conditions. In real life, the cooling capacity of your 12,000 BTU air conditioner can vary and depend on different factors that we will discuss in detail.
Factors affecting cooling of 12,000 BTU AC
Here are some factors that will affect the cooling efficiency of 12,000 BTU AC:
Size of Your Room
The best suitable room size for a 12,000 BTU air conditioner is 450-550 square feet floor space, 25 feet length, & 20 feet width.
If your room is much bigger than that then you will get the less cooling effect. It’s because the area will be bigger and the cooling capacity of the air conditioner will be smaller. The AC will take more time to cool the far corners of the room. So overall, the cooling efficiency of the AC will be less as it will take more time to cool the room.
Moreover, they are two more drawbacks to it. The first is that when your AC will run for more time, it will consume more power and eventually raise your utility bills. The second is that when the AC unit will keep running for a longer time, it may get damaged due to excessive wear & tear of different parts, and thus, its life will decrease.
Insulation of Your Room
Heat always flows from the hotter region towards the colder region.
If your room has poor insulation then the heat from outside will easily transfer into your room and increase its temperature. This way the efficiency of your 12,000 BTU AC will decrease because it will have to work for a longer time to bring down the temperature. It will again increase your electricity bills and also decrease the AC’s lifespan due to wear & tear.
Outdoor Temperatures in Your Area
If you are living somewhere in the USA with hot outdoor temperatures (above 93 degrees Fahrenheit) then the AC is probably going to take a bit longer to cool the room.
But if the outdoor temperatures in your locality are moderate (below 93 degrees Fahrenheit) then it will show quick and efficient cooling.
Maintenance of the AC Unit
Regular maintenance is one of the most important things to do to get the most out of your air conditioner.
Even if you are using your 12,000 BTU air conditioner in a perfectly sized room, you still won’t be able to get maximum cooling if your AC unit is not maintained. It’s just so simple to understand. How do you expect your 12,000 BTU air conditioner to give maximum cooling if its air filters are dirty, its drain is blocked, its refrigerant levels are low, its motor or fan is locked?
Therefore, you must keep your air conditioner maintained and regularly service it to ensure that it gives out the maximum cooling effect.
Amount of Occupants
The number of occupants in the room also has a solid role in influencing the efficiency of the air conditioner.
If the room is crowded with a lot of people then the cooling efficiency of your 12,000 BTU air conditioner will significantly decrease and it will take more time to cool the room.
On the other hand, if there are a few people in the room then it will boost the efficiency of your 12,000 BTU air conditioner and cool the room in a shorter time.
How do i know which size of air conditioner is right for me?
If you are having trouble determining which air conditioner is the right choice for you then this data from our experts will help you find your best choice easily.
Here you can check which size of AC is best for which size of the room:
| Area | BTU Required |
|---|---|
| 100 to 150 square ft | 5,000 BTU |
| 150 to 250 square ft | 6,000 BTU |
| 250 to 300 square ft | 7,000 BTU |
| 300 to 350 square ft | 8,000 BTU |
| 350 to 400 square ft | 9,000 BTU |
| 400 to 450 square ft | 10,000 BTU |
| 450 to 550 square ft | 12,000 BTU |
| 550 to 700 square ft | 14,000 BTU |
| 700 to 1000 square ft | 18,000 BTU |
| 1000 to 1200 square ft | 21,000 BTU |
| 1200 to 1400 square ft | 23,000 BTU |
| 1400 to 1550 square ft | 25,000 BTU |
Conclusion
A 12,000 BTU air conditioner will effectively cool a room having 450 to 550 square feet of floor space, 25 feet in length and 20 feet in width.
For optimal performance, make sure that your AC unit is regularly maintained and your room size is close if not equal to the measurements we have given above.
If you are confused about which BTU AC size is the best for you then you can simply measure the area of your room and see the best BTU AC size for that much area in the chart given above.
Do you want to learn what size air conditioner do i need for 2,000 sq ft house too?
