Example: Miami, Florida, is in Climate Zone 2 and requires 35 BTU of heat per sq ft. The United States is divided into 7 main climate zones or regions. That will determine how many BTU per sq ft you need for heating (more on that later on). Secondly, you need to figure out what climate zone you live in. You need to know if you’re heating up a 1,000 sq ft, 1,500 sq ft, or a 3,000 sq ft home, or a 400 sq ft room, for example. To use the heating BTU calculator, you will first need to measure the place you want to heat up. Heating a house in Miami, Florida will obviously require less heating BTUs than heating a house in Chicago, Illinois. This can be anything from a 150 sq ft room to a 3,000+ sq ft house. Total square footage of your home, or the place you want to heat up in winter.
To calculate how many BTU of heating output you need, you have to know only 3 factors: US households require anywhere from 20,000 BTU to 300,000 BTU of heating output in the winter. 1 BTU is enough heat to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1☏. The purpose of the ‘Heating BTU Calculator’ below is to pinpoint how many BTUs of heat your need as precisely as possible.īTU or ‘British Thermal Unit’ is a unit of heat. Adequately estimating how many BTUs you need to heat up your home is essential. These kinds of questions are very common when planning your heating needs. Write this number down, and keep it handy as you examine your options.Question: How many BTUs do I need to heat 1,500 sq ft? How many square feet will 30,000 BTU heat?Įxample: To heat 1,500 sq ft home, you will need anywhere between 45,000 BTU and 90,000 BTU. Once you punch in that information, the calculator will tell you the BTU/hr required. The room’s length, width, ceiling height, and insulation, as well as the lowest outside temperature, are all considered on the Total Home Supply calculator. What Factors Are Considered in Calculating BTUs? This determination can also affect the heater’s longevity –– if your unit is operating improperly, that imbalance could shorten the length of time that the heater can be used for.
Conversely, if you oversize your heater with too many BTUs, you may be spending more money than necessary on your heating bill. If you don’t determine the proper size of heater you should be looking for, you run the risk of your heater not effectively heating the space (or overheating it), causing the room to be either drafty or stuffy. When you go to buy a heater, you will see that the BTUs are listed as a guideline for the heating capacity, and are usually broken down into different levels. What is a BTU?īritish Thermal Units, or BTUs are a measurement of the energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree. Let’s take a closer look at what this measurement is and why it matters to you as someone looking for a heater to buy. We here at Total Home Supply recognize the importance of this calculation, which is why we developed this on-site calculator to assist you. The best place to start when considering the purchase of a space heater for your home is to calculate the BTUs. Given all the different options available for heaters –– space, vented, gas, console, and more –– narrowing down the choices can be a great way to ensure that you are choosing the best option.įor that reason, it can be helpful to have a numeric system that analyzes your personalized heating situation, and provides a benchmark that can be used while shopping to make the selection process a little more navigable. When shopping for heaters, many people make the mistake of choosing the wrong size for their actual needs.