How to Choose the Right Aircon BTU for Your Room
9,000, 12,000, 18,000 or 24,000 BTU? Use this simple room-size guide to pick the right aircon capacity for bedrooms and living rooms in Singapore.
By SPMM Group ·
BTU (British Thermal Unit) measures how much heat an aircon can remove per hour. Too small and the unit never cools the room; too big and it cycles on and off, wasting power and leaving the room clammy.
Quick BTU guide
- 9,000 BTU – bedrooms up to about 15 m² (most HDB common bedrooms).
- 12,000 BTU – rooms up to about 20 m² (master bedrooms, study rooms).
- 18,000 BTU – rooms up to about 30 m² (smaller living rooms).
- 24,000 BTU – rooms up to about 40 m² (large living and dining areas).
Go one size up if…
- The room gets strong afternoon sun (west-facing).
- The room is on the top floor under the roof.
- The living room is open to the kitchen.
- Several people regularly use the room, or there are many electronics.
Mixing BTUs in one system
With a multi-split system, each fan coil can have its own BTU – for example a System 3 with two 9,000 BTU bedroom units and one 12,000 BTU unit for the master bedroom. The outdoor unit is sized to match the total.
Let us measure for you
Room size is only part of the picture. During our free site visit, we check sun exposure, ceiling height and pipe routes, then recommend the right BTU for each room. Book a free site visit.