How many rooms can a window AC cool?
A window AC can cool 1 – 2 rooms depending on how powerful a window AC unit you buy. Window AC units are not designed to cool entire homes but can work for a small one-bedroom apartment or a studio.
The purpose of a window AC is to provide a convenient amount of cooling for a small space. Window ACs do not require expensive and laborious installations but a lower cooling capacity than permanent air conditioning systems is the price.
Window ACs have different amounts of power and cooling capacities.
Cooling capacity for air conditioners is measured in terms of BTUs (British Thermal Units). A BTU is the amount of energy needed to increase the temperature of a kilogram of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit.
Most window ACs are in the 8,000 – 12,000 BTU range. An 8,000 BTU window AC would be able to cool a 300 – 350 square foot room and a 12,000 BTU unit could cool a 450 – 550 square foot room. Neither unit is powerful enough to cool more than one room unless you have very small rooms.
But there are much more powerful window ACs on the market if you want a unit powerful enough for a reasonably-sized one-bedroom apartment. The biggest units are around 24,000 BTUs. That’s enough for a 1,400 – 1,500 square foot space. At this size, you could conceivably cool a 2 bedroom apartment.
Mark is a journalist who has written about home products for two years. He holds a masters degree with distinction from the London School of Economics and an undergraduate degree from the University of Edinburgh.