For a 3-bedroom house, how many occupants should be calculated according to industry guidelines?

In HVAC design and load calculation, industry guidelines often estimate the number of occupants in a dwelling based on the number of bedrooms. Typically, the common practice is to assume that each bedroom can accommodate two persons. Therefore, for a 3-bedroom house, the total number of occupants would be calculated as follows:

1. Two occupants for each of the three bedrooms results in a standard expectation of up to six occupants.
2. However, industry guidelines recommend calculating based on realistic living conditions. While every bedroom might theoretically hold two people, homes may not always be fully occupied. Hence, it’s standard to round down the number to account for other factors, such as whether the bedrooms are typically used by adults or children.

Thus, to avoid overestimating the system capacity requirements, a common guideline is to suggest four occupants for a 3-bedroom home, which recognizes practical occupancy rates while ensuring that heating and cooling systems are appropriately sized to manage the needs of the residents effectively. This careful calculation helps maintain both comfort and efficiency in HVAC systems.