What are BTUs in heating?
Heating a home or business can often be a large expense, so to ensure you’re getting the most out of your heating or cooling system without overpaying, it is important to understand BTUs and how to choose the correct products based on this unit of measurement.
What are BTUs in heating?
BTUs, or British Thermal Units – are a unit of measurement used to determine the amount of energy it will take to heat 1lb of water (equivalent to approximately a pint) by 1 degrees Fahrenheit.
Although the title implies BTU being a UK exclusive measurement, BTUs are also used internationally.
How is the BTU requirement of heating a room calculated?
Calculating the BTU requirement of any space involves a number of factors, but can mainly be split in to two sections.
The first being to measure the cubic volume of the room, which is calculated by taking the height, length and width of a room and multiplying that by 4.
The second takes other considerations in to account, including:
· The type of area/room you are looking to heat
· Window area and type of window
· What is below and above the room
· Type and number of outside walls
· Level of insulation
There are a number of BTU Calculators online to help you with these calculations, alternatively, you can consult a plumber who will be able to assist you with this process.
Why are BTUs in heating important?
As the number of BTUs determines how much heat output you can achieve with each component of your heating system, choosing the wrong number could result in either an inadequate system, or increased costs paying to run a system that emits more heat than you need.
The number of BTUs often directly correlates with the size of the unit itself, for example, it would not be expected that a small radiator would have the power to heat a large space, and placing an industrial sized unit in a small space would be a waste of heat output.
How to convert BTU to kW
1 British Thermal Unit is equivalent to 0.000293 kilowatts, therefore all you need to do is multiply the number of BTUs by 0.000293, for example:
40,000 BTU x 0.000293 = 11.72 kW
To reverse this calculation, multiply the number of kW by 3414 to get the number of BTUs, for example:
8.79kW x 3414 = 30,009.06 BTU (rounded down to 30,000 BTU)
Understanding BTUs is a vital part of guaranteeing that your heating system is as efficient as possible, resulting in lower costs and the most comfortable environment for all.
