The British thermal unit (BTU or Btu) is an SI derived unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required for raising the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius. It is named after the physicist William Thomson, Baron Kelvin of Largs.
In common usage, the term “thermal unit” refers to the BTU, while the term “heat unit” usually refers to the joule. In science, however, the terms are interchangeable, although scientists tend to use the term “heat unit”.
The BTU is commonly abbreviated as Btu, but the symbol for the BTU is Bt.
While units of heat are often replaced by energy units in scientific literature, they remain popular in many areas such as building design, where heating costs are important. For example, a typical residential air conditioning system uses about 10,000 BTUs per hour, while a large commercial HVAC system might require up to 30,000 BTUs per day.
Definitions
A British thermal unit (abbreviated Btu) is a measure of heat equal to the quantity of heat needed to increase the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree Celsius under standard conditions of pressure and density. One Btu is equivalent to about 0.055 kcal/g.
In the United States, it is common practice to define the British thermal unit in terms of calories rather than Joules, resulting in a conversion factor of approximately 5.15 J/kcal. In Canada, the British Thermal Unit is defined as the amount of energy required to raise the temperature 1°C of one kilogram of pure water at one atmosphere of pressure.
In Australia, New Zealand, and many parts of Asia, the British thermal unit is commonly defined as the amount of work required to raise the temperature 2°C of one kilo of water at one atmosphere of air pressure.
In most countries outside North America, the British thermal unit refers to the amount of energy required for a given rise in temperature. For example, in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo, Greece, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, Vatican City State, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean Islands, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Belize, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Dominica, St Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda, Montserrat, Turks & Caicos Islands, Anguilla, Virgin Islands, Aruba, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Martin, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla.
Why BTUs should be important to you
Air Conditioning 101
BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. A BTU is a measurement of energy used to make one pound of ice melt. In other words, it measures how much energy it takes to freeze one pound of water.
The amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit is called a Btu. One cubic foot of air contains approximately 746 Btus. This means that one cubic foot of air contains enough energy to raise the temperature of seven pounds of water by one degree Farenheit.
So, what does this mean? Well, let’s say you’re sitting in front of a fan blowing cold air onto your face. As the air passes over your skin, it absorbs some of the warmth from your body. When the air leaves your body, it carries away the absorbed heat. So, while the fan is cooling you off, it is actually heating up the room around you.
This is because the fan is moving air, which is composed mostly of oxygen and nitrogen molecules. These are gases that contain no heat energy. However, when the fan blows air across your skin, it causes those molecules to collide with your skin and absorb some of the heat energy contained within your body.
When the air leaves your body and enters the surrounding environment, it releases the heat energy it picked up from your body. This process is known as evaporation. Evaporating water requires less energy than freezing it. Therefore, the fan is able to provide a cooling effect without raising the temperature of the room.
In addition to providing a cooling effect, fans also help circulate warm air out of the house. Fans pull air through vents, allowing it to escape into the outdoors. This increases the flow of air through the house, helping to keep it cool.
But why measure with BTU?
BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. It measures how much energy is required to change one pound of water by exactly one degree Fahrenheit. This unit is commonly used to measure the efficiency of air conditioning systems.
While air conditioners don’t really heat your home, they are designed to remove unwanted heat from it. And while there are many different ways to measure the effectiveness of an AC system, one of the most common metrics is called “coefficient of performance.”
This measurement takes into account things like the size of the room, the temperature outside, and the type of insulation installed inside. In short, it tells us how effective your AC is at keeping your house cool.
But what does BTU actually mean?
What does it take to make sure your air conditioner works efficiently?
How does it compare to other measurements?
Choosing the right BTU for your air conditioner (and your home)
Generally speaking, an air conditioners needs about 20 BTUs per square foot of living space it’s cooling. This number varies depending on the type of climate where you live. In hot climates, like Phoenix, you’ll want to make sure your AC kicks out plenty of heat. But in cold climates, like New York City, you don’t need nearly as much cooling power.
To get an approximate idea for what amount of BTUs you need, divide the square footage of your home (whether that’s a one-room apartment or your whole house) by 20. So, if you’re looking for an AC that’s capable of cooling a 1,400-square foot home, you should be looking for a model that’s around 28,000 BTUs.
Remember, this is just a general estimate that doesn’t always apply to every situation. And there are factors beyond the square footage of your room that affect how much BTUs you need. For instance, the size of your doors and windows play a role in determining how much heat escapes. Also, the height of your ceilings affects the amount of BTUs required to keep your home comfortable.
A true BTU calculation takes all those variables into account. But here’s a quick way to figure out whether you’ve got enough cooling power: If you’re running your AC 24 hours a day, seven days a week, you probably have enough BTUs. If you’re running it less often, you might want to consider upgrading.
How BTUs and tonnage are linked
Tonnage is not a measure of your air conditioner’s weight. Instead, it describes how much heat your AC can absorb in order to lower the temperature inside a space. So, while a 2,500-BTU system might seem like a lot, it actually isn’t enough to cool down a large home. A 3,000-BTU system, however, could keep a small house comfortable during a hot summer day.
One ton of cooling (also known as refrigeration) refers to how much heat is required to melt one pound of ice over 24-hours. This number is used to determine how much energy an air conditioning system needs to operate. For example, a 1,200-ton system requires 1,200 BTUs per hour to function properly.
Calculating kilowatts using BTU
Before you commit to a particular air conditioning system, you may want to consider how much electricity it might use to keep your home comfortable. That way, you get a sense of whether it will affect your utility bill.
BTUs, when converted to Kilowatts and Kilowatt Hours, can help you figure out how much energy your AC uses. To do that, follow these steps:
Step 1: Calculate the total number of BTUs your current AC produces.
To find this number, multiply the cooling capacity of your existing system by the number of hours it runs each day. For example, if you have a 3 ton split AC, and it runs 24/7, you’ll need to divide 72 x 7 504 BTUs per week.
Step 2: Convert the number of BTUs into kilowatts.
Multiply the number of BTUs by 1,000 to convert it to kilowatts. In our example, we multiplied 504 by 1,000, which equals 5040 kilowatts.
Step 3: Multiply the number of kilowatts by 0.1234 to calculate the cost of running the system for one hour.
So, what does all this mean for your AC?
The amount of heat generated by your air conditioning unit depends on several factors, including how much power it uses, where it is located, and whether or not it is properly maintained. But there is one thing that will always remain constant — the amount of heat that it produces. This number, known as the Btu rating, indicates how many British Thermal Units (BTUs) your air conditioner generates per hour.
In general, the higher the Btu rating, the better the efficiency of your cooling system. However, keep in mind that the lower the Btu rating, even if it seems like a good deal, it isn’t necessarily a great choice. For example, a low Btu rating might make sense if your home is very small, because it won’t require a lot of cooling capacity. On the other hand, a high Btu rating could be ideal if your home is large, since it will use less electricity.
When shopping for an air conditioner, it’s important to know the difference between the Btu ratings of different models. A higher Btu rating usually means that the unit will run longer without needing to be replaced. In addition, a higher Btu rating usually translates to more efficient operation, meaning that it will produce fewer emissions.
How to choose the right size air conditioner
When choosing an air conditioner, you’ll want to look at its Btu rating first. The higher the Btu rating of your new air conditioner, the more efficient it will be. If you’re looking for something with a high Btu rating, but don’t want to spend too much money, you should consider buying a window air conditioner instead. Window units are typically smaller than central systems, so they tend to consume less energy. They also provide excellent ventilation, making them perfect for rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens.
If you’re looking for a larger air conditioner, you should take into account how often you plan to use it. You’ll want to buy a unit that has enough capacity to cool your entire house during peak times. To determine how much space your air conditioner needs, measure the square footage of your living area. Then add another 20 percent to account for any additional rooms you may want to cool. Finally, subtract 10 percent from the total to allow room for expansion.