How Much BTU Do You Need Heater and Fireplace?
Quicklinks:
- What is the purpose of BTU?
- How Much BTUs Do You Need?
- BTU Chart
- Shop for Fireplaces, Fire Pits, Grills, Heaters & Ovens
You've seen it before, and you've seen it everywhere. If you’re on the lookout for some home appliances like fireplaces, bbq grills, heaters, or air conditioning systems, you’ve probably come across these three letters: BTU. In this article, we'll explain BTU (which stands for British Thermal Unit) and provide a comprehensive guide to it.
The British Thermal Unit (BTU) is a unit of energy measurement. It refers to the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1°F.
What is the Purpose of BTU?
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For hundreds of years, BTUs have been used to measure energy and it’s the most widely used thermal measurement for determining heating and cooling capacity. The BTU rating of an appliance indicates how powerful it is. This is referred to as the BTU per hour rating. A heater that has 12,000 BTUs on the label can produce 12,000 BTUs per hour.
Heating and Cooling Power
Heating
The heat output of a unit is measured in BTUs. The higher the number, the greater the amount of heat the unit can generate. It helps in keeping track of the energy units your appliance will burn or use.
Cooling
Since BTUs are used to measure the amount of energy required to heat a pound of water, you’re probably wondering how this works as a form of measurement for cooling devices. The BTU number on cooling devices measures the amount of energy used to remove heat from the air rather than the amount of heat output.
It’s very useful in comparing energy sources of various types of fuel. For instance, you can compare energy sources by converting electricity, propane, natural gas, or wood into BTUs. Wood burning fireplaces, heaters, grills, ovens & stoves, and other common home appliances all measure their energy output in BTUs, as well as refrigerators and other cooling devices like window air conditioners, portable air conditioners, and central air conditioners.
How Much BTUs Do You Need?
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It's important to check the BTU of an appliance to ensure that it’s in the proper BTU range for what you need. An insufficient fireplace BTU rating, for example, will operate all the time and still leave you cold. However, you don't want to spend too much money on a unit that produces far more BTU than what your home needs.
Your appliances will be strained if the BTU output is either low or too high, wasting a lot of money and energy. You also run the danger of making the room stuffy and overheated if it’s a heating device like a gas fireplace.
There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution. Every heating and cooling requirement is unique. Several could affect whether you need more or fewer BTUs.
Size and Layout of Your House
One of the things you must consider is the size and layout of your home or business establishment. If you have a large estate, maintaining a cozy temperature in all of the rooms will need more effort. On the other side, a small two-story house is easier to heat since the warmth from the ground level goes up to the second floor.
Insulation
Depending on the type and quality of insulation you have, you may require more or less than the standard BTU suggestion. Here’s a little truth bomb: If your home is very drafty or poorly insulated, it's as if you're paying to heat the outside of your house as well.
Windows
Considering the number, type, and size of windows is related to the concept of insulation. Keep these in mind, as well as how well-insulated they are, when determining how much BTU you require.
Location
If you're using your appliance primarily for supplemental heating or cooling, try to plan out where to place your equipment/appliance strategically. A unit placed in the middle has an easier time heating or cooling the rooms surrounding it.
Tip: You can also direct air from the heating or cooling system using fans or possibly installing a duct system.
Ceiling Height
High ceilings add to the room's overall volume and use more energy to heat or cool the air than standard 9-foot ceilings.
Tip: Install a fan to help circulate the air around your home. The fan can either pull hot air up and away in the summer or push it back down in the winter, depending on the direction of the blades.
Temperature and Climate
When looking for appliances, keep the seasons and climate in mind and adjust your BTU requirements accordingly. Choose large BTU heaters or fireplaces if you live in colder climates. If you live in a hotter region, choose a low BTU option so you can enjoy the beauty of the flames without the added heat.
BTU Chart
We recommend seeking professional advice or expert guidance to help you determine what will work best for you. Meanwhile, we made this simple guideline for you.
Start by calculating the square footage of the area to be heated or cooled (length x width)
BTUs per square foot x square footage = BTU output needed
Some appliances have charts showing how many BTUs you'll need for various room sizes. These are helpful, but they are merely estimates and do not account for all of the specific aspects of your needs.
Room Size |
BTUs Needed |
| 150 sq. ft. | 5,000 BTUs |
| 250 sq. ft. | 6,000 BTUs |
| 300 sq. ft. | 7,000 BTUs |
| 350 sq. ft. | 8,000 BTUs |
| 400 sq. ft. | 9,000 BTUs |
| 450 sq. ft. | 10,000 BTUs |
| 550 sq. ft. | 12,000 BTUs |
| 700 sq. ft. | 14,000 BTUs |
| 1,000 sq. ft. | 18,000 BTUs |
| 1,200 sq. ft. | 21,000 BTUs |
| 1,400 sq. ft. | 23,000 BTUs |
| 1,600 sq. ft. | 25,000 BTUs |
| 1,900 sq. ft. | 28,000 BTUs |
| 2,700 sq. ft. | 36,000 BTUs |
Hope you've learned everything there is to know about BTU. The fact that it is the standard unit used for many different types of fuels and appliances makes comparing different outputs much easier.
Shop for Fireplaces, Fire Pits, Grills, Heaters & Ovens at Flame Authority!
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If you have any queries concerning BTU, particularly the BTU ratings of our products, please contact us or call our customer service representatives at 1-800-923-4556. You can also send us an email at support@flameauthority.com and we'll be more than happy to help!
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