Air Conditioner BTU Sizing Calculator
The first question when shopping for an air-con: how many BTU (or HP) does this room need? Plug in floor area, ceiling height, occupants and climate and the tool runs the HK Electric "Smart Living" / EnergyStar Manual J rules of thumb to give you a BTU/h target, the equivalent kW of cooling, the HK-style horsepower rating and the closest off-the-shelf size (5 000, 7 000, 9 000, 12 000, 18 000, 24 000 BTU and so on).
Please enter a valid number
Recommended BTU/h
9 000
BTU/hour
Closest off-the-shelf rating
9 000 BTU
- Equivalent horsepower
- 1.0 HP
- Cooling capacity
- 2.64 kW
- Room volume
- 37.5 m³
Treat the result as a starting point. Window count, insulation, building orientation and electrical supply also matter — confirm with the brand’s Manual J spec sheet before buying.
Formula
BTU/h = area × base × ceiling factor × sun factor + occupants bonus + kitchen bonus Base (BTU/h per m²): temperate 350 ┃ subtropical (Hong Kong) 600 ┃ tropical 800 Ceiling factor: ceilings above 2.5 m → ×(1 + (h − 2.5) × 0.1) Sun factor: shaded ×0.9 ┃ normal ×1.0 ┃ west-facing ×1.1 Occupants bonus: +600 BTU/h for each person beyond two Kitchen bonus: +4 000 BTU/h Horsepower: 9 000 BTU/h ≈ 1 HP (Hong Kong AC trade convention); kW = BTU/h × 0.000 293
- · Per-m² baselines blend HK Electric "Smart Living" and CLP "Eco-Living Hub" guidance: living rooms about 600 BTU/m², bedrooms 450–500 BTU/m². This tool uses 600 BTU/m² as the conservative subtropical baseline.
- · The HK trade rule "1 HP ≈ 9 000 BTU/h" is shared by Mitsubishi, Daikin and Hitachi catalogues; actual output varies slightly by model and EER / COP rating.
- · The sun factor is a rough window-orientation tweak — for floor-to-ceiling glazing or a fully west-facing wall, add another 10–15 %.
- · EnergyStar Manual J suggests 20 BTU per sq ft for bedrooms and 25 BTU per sq ft for living rooms; the tool converts square feet automatically next to the area field.
- · The +4 000 BTU/h kitchen bonus is EnergyStar's allowance for stove, oven and cooking moisture (sensible + latent heat).
- · BTU is cooling capacity, not power draw. Real electricity use depends on EER / COP — check the energy label and run the electricity cost calculator separately.
- · Sources: HK Electric Smart Living portal, CLP Eco-Living Hub, EnergyStar Room AC Buying Guide, ASHRAE Manual J residential load.
Frequently asked
My bedroom is 15 m² — how many HP should I get?
At 600 BTU/m² for Hong Kong, 15 m² × 600 = 9 000 BTU/h, which is the standard 1 HP split. That is enough for two occupants, normal sun. Upgrade to 1.5 HP (12 000 BTU/h) if the room faces west or opens into a living area.
How do "1 HP" / "1.5 HP" / "2 HP" map to BTU/h?
The HK trade approximations: 1 HP ≈ 9 000 BTU/h (~2.6 kW cooling), 1.5 HP ≈ 12 000 BTU/h (~3.5 kW), 2 HP ≈ 18 000 BTU/h (~5.3 kW), 2.5 HP ≈ 22 000 BTU/h, 3 HP ≈ 24 000–28 000 BTU/h. Real outputs vary by about ±5 % between brands — confirm via the energy label.
Is it better to oversize the AC for extra cooling?
No. An oversized unit short-cycles — the compressor stops before it can dehumidify the air, leaving the room cold and clammy and wasting electricity. EnergyStar recommends staying within ±10 % of the calculated load; this tool already builds in roughly 10 % headroom when rounding up to a standard rating.
Can I use this tool for Singapore, Taipei or other tropical / subtropical cities?
Yes. Pick "subtropical" for Hong Kong, Taipei, Shenzhen, Tokyo summer or Shanghai; "tropical" for Singapore, Bangkok, Hainan or Manila where it is hot and humid year-round; "temperate" for most of Europe, Canada or mainland Japan. The per-m² baseline switches automatically.
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