What size AC does my home actually need?
Punch in your square footage, when the home was built, ceiling height, and a few other details. We'll run the same Manual J variables a real load calculation uses and return an honest tonnage range — no email, no upsell, no guessing. The result tells you whether the contractor at your kitchen table is in the right ballpark or trying to oversize you.
Your home
Estimates are fine — drag, type, change anything.
Estimated system size
5.5 – 6.0 tons
About 70,070 BTU/hr of cooling for your 2,000 sq ft home in Baldwin County's hot, humid climate.
Three things to know before you sign anything
- Get an in-home Manual J. Any installer who quotes tonnage from a phone call alone is guessing. Air Solutions includes Manual J on every install quote — free, in writing.
- Oversizing is the bigger mistake. An AC that's too big short-cycles, never pulls humidity out of the air, and wears out years early. If a contractor pushes a much bigger system than this estimate, ask why.
- Humidity matters as much as temperature here. Variable-speed compressors run longer at lower output, which pulls more moisture from Baldwin County's 70–80% outdoor humidity. Worth the upgrade for most primary residences.
Honest math. Not a guess.
A real Manual J load calculation takes 25–30 inputs and licensed software. This tool captures the 6–7 inputs that drive about 80% of the answer, runs Baldwin County climate assumptions (Zone 2A, hot & humid), and returns a tonnage range you can trust within a half-ton.
Why it's a range
HVAC equipment is sold in 0.5-ton increments (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5… up to 5.0 tons residential). Most homes land on a half-ton boundary where either size works — the range surfaces that honestly instead of pretending to a precision the math can't deliver.
Why oversizing is the bigger danger
An oversized AC cools too fast, shuts off before pulling moisture out of the air, and short-cycles all summer. You get a cold, clammy house and a system that wears out in 8–10 years instead of 15. Most contractors err big because nobody ever complains about a system that's too cold — they complain about humidity later.
Why Baldwin County is its own thing
Gulf Coast humidity (70–80% outdoor RH most of cooling season) means latent load is ~30% of total load — much higher than inland regions. Variable-speed compressors that run longer at lower output dehumidify better than single-stage units. We bake that into the result.
Free, in-home, in writing — every install quote.
When you're ready to actually replace the system, we'll do a full Manual J load calculation in your home and put the math on paper. No charge, no obligation.