There are two variables that affect the size system necessary to adequately cool a manufactured home. The first is the amount of insulation in the walls, floor and ceiling of home. Because older homes have less insulation, they will require more BTUs of cooling for the same size home; and, of course, the second is that more square footage means a larger unit. So there is no one-size-fits-all air conditioner for a single-wide.

     But the manufacturer is required by HUD to calculate the correct size air conditioner for each mobile home built since 1976, and the information is located on the data plate in your home. To find out where to find the data plate and how to interpret it, along with a link to a U.S. Department of Energy guide with charts to help you figure out the right unit for your home if the data plate is missing, see our other blog post “What size air conditioner is right for my mobile home?”

   Also, visit our blog “What is the best air conditioner for a mobile home?” for advice on selecting the right type of air conditioner.

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Want to learn more about inspecting
manufactured/mobile homes? 
Get our  Handbook for 
Manufactured Home Inspectors 
at amazon.com for $19.95

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Here’s links to a collection of our blog posts about MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES:

• Where can I file a complaint if I have problems with my new or used manufactured/mobile home in Florida?

• What are the most common defects in mobile/manufactured home foundation piers?

• How do I determine the age of a very old mobile home?

• What is a "HUD label verification letter" for a mobile/manufactured home?  

• When did a ground cover vapor barrier (plastic sheet) become required under a mobile/manufactured home? 

• Is it safe to go under a mobile home? 

• Are older mobile homes unsafe? 

• What do I need to know about buying a foreclosed mobile home? 

• Does it make sense to buy an older mobile home and remodel it? 

• Where do I find the vehicle identification number (VIN) on a mobile home? 

• How do I find out how old a mobile home is and who manufactured it?

• What is the right price for a used mobile home?

• How energy efficient is a mobile home?

   Visit our MOBILE/MANUFACTURED HOMES and HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING pages for other related blog posts on this subject, or go to the INDEX for a complete listing of all our articles.