BTU Calculator | Find your perfect Air-conditioner

BTU Calculator | Find your perfect Air-conditioner
4 min read
17 February 2023

How flexible are BTUs?

Even if the radiator you think you must have does not have enough power to heat the room you have in mind, don't despair. When a radiator's BTU output is too low, it may not be able to heat the room efficiently by itself, but if it's necessary, it will typically work just fine. When you use AllCalculator.net’s BTU calculator, you gain a comprehensive reading, incorporating all heating elements in the room. It is certainly advisable to select two or three smaller radiators to meet the BTU requirements of your room instead of six extra electric heaters during the winter months. Regarding BTU specification, there is no top end, so don't overspend on a juggernaut radiator. Fortunately, you can turn down thermostatic valves to find the right temperature. In other words, working with our BTU calculator allows you to buy a new radiator with more flexibility instead of being restricted by it. Searching for an air conditioner will become easier once you know your BTU calculation. You will save money running juggernaut air conditioners at half power or lining up six electric heaters to fill exposed rooms in winter.

How to measure the output of BTUs?

British Thermal Units, or BTUs, are a unit of measurement for heat and energy. One BTU represents the energy required to heat by one degree Fahrenheit, and water becomes a pound. BTU output can be useful when determining whether a unit can heat a given space. It measures how much heat or other energy an appliance generates. 

  • You can find these measurements in the manual of the unit, or you can find them on the device itself. The instructions manual should tell you which voltage, current, and wattage to measure.
  • Multiply the device's volts by its amps to determine its wattage. For example, a device with 160 volts and two amps would have 320 watts (16 times 2).
  • The BTUs per hour is determined by taking 320 watts and multiplying it by 3.413, a constant figure. In the example in Step 2, 93.76 BTUs per hour are obtained by dividing the 320 watts by 3.413.
  • To determine how many BTUs are generated by the device per hour, multiply the BTUs per hour by the number of hours it runs. For example, if the device runs for four hours, it will generate 375.04 BTUs in that time frame (93.76 BTUs/hour x four hours).

What is the recommended BTU rating for cooling a room?

The first step is to understand what cooling capacity is. Air conditioning units are measured in BTUs per hour and indicate how much heat they can remove from a given space. Choosing the right air conditioner for your space depends on knowing its exact cooling capacity. To calculate the total number of units for cooling a home, measure the diameter and length of the space. Then use the measured square footage to calculate the BTU requirement by consulting a cooling power chart from BTU Calculator. The chart value is calculated for an area shared by two people. If there is a kitchen in the space, add 4,000 BTU to this value. For each additional person, add 600 BTUs to the basic value. If you are cooling a heavily shaded space, you should reduce the BTU cooling requirements by 10%, and if you are cooling a very sunny place, you should increase them by 10%. When choosing an air conditioner, it is important to know how much cooling your space requires.

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