Buying advice
What size ACdo I need?
Air conditioners are sized in 'tons' — which has nothing to do with weight. Here's what the numbers actually mean, the rule-of-thumb math for your square footage, and why the biggest unit on the truck is rarely the right one.
Tons, BTUs and the honest math
- One 'ton' of cooling = 12,000 BTUs per hour — it comes from the ice-melting era
- In Indiana's climate, most homes need roughly 20 BTUs per square foot
- A 1,500 sq ft ranch typically lands around 1.5–2.5 tons
- A 2,500 sq ft two-story typically lands around 3.5–4 tons
- Shade, insulation, window count and ceiling height all move the number
Why oversizing backfires
- An oversized AC cools the air too fast, then shuts off before it can dry it
- The result: a house that's 72°F but feels cold and clammy
- Short run times mean short equipment life — compressors hate starting
- Humidity left in the air feeds musty smells and window condensation
- Right-sized and slightly undersized beats oversized every single time
Why it matters
How we
actually size it.
01
We measure, not guess
A proper load calculation weighs square footage, insulation, windows, orientation, shade and occupancy — not a glance at the old unit's sticker. It's the difference between a system that fits and one that fights your house.
02
Humidity is half the job
An air conditioner is a dehumidifier that also cools. Indiana Julies are sticky; a right-sized unit runs long enough to wring the air dry, which is what actually makes 74°F feel comfortable.
03
Where we draw the line
We're a residential and light commercial shop, working on systems 5 tons and under — which covers virtually every home in the county and most small offices and shops.
Free quotes,
honest numbers.
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