I am about to purchase a new manufactured home that is 2038 sq feet. It is a very open floor plan with vaulted ceilings. I live in Oklahoma and it can get hot here. There are just two of us. I will be buying the central air unit myself. Any suggestions for size and or manufacturer that would best fit my needs?
There's no way to tell just from your description, unfortunately. I suggest you find three local air conditioning/heating companies and get them each in for a quote. They will know exactly what you need, and you can compare their answers and costs. You can also check them out on Angie's list, or other websites. If the house you are purchasing is new, then you can also probably ask your contractor/builder about it. They will almost always know someone who does that sort of work.
Carla I am assuming when you say you are purchasing the central air unit that you will not be installing it. Ask the contractor who is installing it what is the recommended size for 2038 sq ft home or I always call home depot or Lowes's and ask them what size (BTUs) I would need for my home. They always go by the square footage of the home. They can also recommend a few different brands. If the home has not ever had central air, you will probably have to purchase or have installed all of the duct work. If you are replacing a central air system, this duct work will already been in the home. FYI: They have portable air conditioning units that do not need to be installed and save you the work of getting all the duct work installed. Talk to Lowe's or Home Depot about this. Good luck1
I would guess a 2.5 ton air conditioner would be plenty but if you post this question in home and garden you would get more technically oriented people. You also might be able to find an online calculator that would help you figure the right size as well or ask the service people in your area or the dealer. I think it is harder to get the right brand than the right size. Look at EER ratings and the cost savings between various brands. There are also calculators online that can estimate the differences in EER. I also would check around to see what tax credits might be available for a new a/c both federal and perhaps from the local electric co. Anyway, congrats on the new home and good luck.
