This HVAC calculator is designed to give an approximate size for an adequate room air conditioner unit capable of cooling the room you have described in your entry. More information can be found below the HVAC calculator.
Inside an air conditioner, air is taken in through the air intake and becomes filtered. The air then passes over a series of cooling pipes. Inside the pipes circulates some type of cold fluid that is usually between 4 and 10 °C. If the temperature needs to be below 0 °C, like in a freezer, cold brine is used. The air that passes over the pipes becomes cooler and less humid. A fan inside the unit then pushes the air into the room.
The size of an air conditioner required for a given job is determined by calculating the cooling load, which is the amount of cooling that the machine will have to put out to "condition"the space. The cooling load depends upon the size and `shape of the space; the number and size of windows and their orientation toward the sun; the areas of walls, ceilings, floors and the extent to which they are insulated; local climatic conditions; the wattage of electrical equipment present; and the number of people who normally occupy the space.
The BTU per hour rating is the basic measurement in the United States for air conditioning, and it is used to specify the capacity of an air conditioner. One British thermal unit (BTU) equals the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water from 59 °F to 60 °F (15 °C to 16 °C). An air conditioner with a capacity of 12,000 BTU per hour can remove enough heat from the air it is conditioning to raise 12,000 pounds (5,440 kilograms) of water one degree Fahrenheit each hour. One BTU per hour is equal to 0293 watts. The cooling capacities of room air conditioners range from 1 to 10 kilowatts.
Ka Fung Kan -- 2001
