2.5 HP Air Conditioner: The Choice for a Living Room Open to the Kitchen

A 2.5 HP AC suits a space of about ⁦30–34⁩ m² on a mid-level floor, about 29 m² on a top floor, and about 27 m² in a penthouse with a west-facing façade or in a living room open to the kitchen on a top floor.

The calculation, at about ⁦650 BTU⁩ per m² (the basis of the calculator on our site), for ⁦22,000 BTU⁩:

• Mid-level floor, closed space: about 34 m².
• Living room open to the kitchen (10% extra): about 31 m² for the whole space.
• Top floor (15% extra): about 29 m².
• Top floor and open kitchen, or top floor and sun (25% extra): about 27 m².

The common case: a ⁦4–5⁩ room apartment (Israelis count the living room as a room) with a ⁦22–25⁩ m² living room open to an ⁦8–10⁩ m² kitchen. The whole space is ⁦30–35⁩ m², and a 2 HP AC won’t be enough on heat-wave (sharav) days. A 2.5 HP AC with ⁦23,500 BTU⁩ or more will suit it.

If you come out above 35 m², or the space is on a top floor with large windows, go to our 3 HP air conditioner guide. The full table and calculator are in our guide on how many horsepower an AC needs.

At this size every importer labels things differently, so don’t rely on the number in the model name. Check on the cooling output line that the AC delivers about ⁦21,000–⁦24,500 BTU⁩⁩.

Examples from the store pages we checked:

• Tadiran Air One INV 340: labeled 2.5 HP, ⁦23,750 BTU⁩. The Tadiran Air One INV 370 is already 3.5 HP.
• Tadiran Sfera Inverter 28: labeled 2.5 HP, ⁦23,130 BTU⁩ (range ⁦5,120–24,940⁩).
• Electra A Inverter 340, Titanium INV 340 and AI INV 350: all labeled 2.5 HP, with about ⁦23,800–⁦24,260 BTU⁩⁩.
• Haier Pro X Inverter 30: labeled 2.5 HP, ⁦21,091 BTU⁩.
• Haier Elite Pro INV 32: labeled 2.5 HP in the store, but per the specs on the same page it delivers only ⁦18,020 BTU⁩, i.e. effectively 2 HP.

The last example shows why reading the specs matters. If there’s a contradiction between the store label and the BTU, trust the BTU and ask the seller. Per Tadiran, “horsepower” is a rough conversion from BTU output, not a technical measure.

A 2.5 HP AC with standard installation usually costs about ₪⁦4,000–⁦6,100. W⁩⁩ith a deal including installation, check in writing what the installation includes before comparing prices.

Per pro.co.il (an Israeli contractors’ site), installing a ⁦2–4⁩ HP wall-mounted AC costs about ₪⁦1,200–1,800⁩ including VAT, with up to 3 meters (10 ft) of piping. What to ask before closing a deal:

• How many meters of piping are included? Each extra meter costs about ₪150 for ACs above 2 HP, per pro.co.il.
• Is there drilling? Drilling through concrete costs about ₪⁦300–400,⁩ and in a mamad (reinforced safe room) about ₪⁦600–900.⁩
• Is there a dedicated electrical line? A 2.5 HP AC needs a 16-amp breaker. Adding an outlet costs about ₪⁦300–1,000⁩ per Tadiran.
• Crane: a 2.5 HP outdoor unit is heavy. In a building without easy access, a crane costs about ₪250 per hour.
• Removing and disposing of the old AC: sometimes not included in the price.

A deal that looks cheap can get a few hundred shekels more expensive with extras. Compare two quotes on the same list. The full price list is in our AC installation cost guide.

All the 2.5 HP models we checked are single-phase and need a line with a 16-amp breaker. Running current at full cooling reaches about ⁦9–14⁩ amps, so the line should be dedicated.

What the spec sheets say:

• Tadiran Air One INV 340: 16C fuse, running current of 12 amps in cooling (range ⁦1.6–13.9⁩ amps).
• Tadiran Alpha Pro INV 340N: 16C fuse, current of ⁦3.4–13⁩ amps.
• Haier Harmony Inverter 28: 16-amp circuit breaker, running current of 8.87 amps in cooling.
• Tornado TOP J INV 30: nominal current of 10.7 amps in cooling (range ⁦1.5–13.5⁩ amps).
• Family Comfort Inverter 32: running current of 10.3 amps.

In an apartment with a small household electrical connection, an AC like this, an induction cooktop and an electric water heater (dud) running together can trip the main breaker. If you’re adding a living-room AC in an older apartment, ask an electrician to check the total load. A 2.5 HP AC doesn’t require a three-phase connection.

Capacity is similar across most models. The differences are in efficiency, heating and warranty, and all three are worth more than a few hundred shekels on the price.

What we saw:

• Efficiency: the Tadiran Alpha Pro INV 340N leads with SEER 7. The Tornado TOP J INV 30 reaches 6.6, the Air One INV 340 6.3, and the Haier Harmony 28 and Family Comfort 32 about 6. Electra’s pages show COP rather than SEER, so direct comparison is hard.
• Heating: on the Alpha Pro 340N (⁦25,000 BTU⁩) and Tornado TOP J 30 (⁦24,566 BTU⁩), heating is higher than cooling. On the Electra A Inverter 340, heating is much lower, ⁦18,766 BTU⁩. If the living room is heated by the AC, that’s a significant difference.
• Warranty: 7 years on Tornado and Family per the store pages, 7 years also on the Electra AI INV 350, 5 years on the Air One 340 and Electra A Inverter 340, and one year on the Alpha Pro 340N and Haier Harmony 28.

If your AC runs ⁦8–10⁩ hours a day in summer, prefer a high SEER. If price is the main consideration, the Family Comfort Inverter 32 gives a lot of BTU and a long warranty at a low price. The explanation of SEER and electricity use is in our inverter AC guide.

In a square, open space, one 2.5 HP AC is cheaper and simpler. In a long or L-shaped space, two ⁦1.25–1.5⁩ HP units give more even distribution.

The considerations:

• Price: a 2.5 HP AC costs about ₪⁦2,800–4,300.⁩ Two 1.25 HP ACs cost about ₪⁦2,500–4,100,⁩ but need two installations, about ₪⁦1,600–2,800.⁩
• Distribution: one AC installed at the end of the living room won’t cool the kitchen at the other end well, especially if there’s a partial wall or column between them.
• Flexibility: with two units you can cool only the living room in the evening, or only the kitchen while cooking.
• Outdoor space: two outdoor units need two locations.

If you’re renovating and planning AC for the whole apartment, also look at a mini-central AC. Its installation costs more, but it replaces several wall units.