How does btu relate to temperature

Units and calculators explained British thermal units Btu. What is energy? Units and calculators. Use of energy. Energy and the environment. Also in What is energy? Forms of energy Sources of energy Laws of energy. Also in Units and calculators explained Units and calculators Energy conversion calculators British thermal units Btu Degree days. Also in U. Also in Use of energy explained Use of energy Energy use in industry Energy use for transportation Energy use in homes Energy use in commercial buildings Energy efficiency and conservation.

Also in Energy and the environment explained Energy and the environment Greenhouse gases Greenhouse gases and the climate Where greenhouse gases come from Outlook for future emissions Recycling and energy. Nonrenewable sources. Oil and petroleum products. Dual Zone Wine Fridges. Black Stainless Steel Fridges. Freestanding Fridges. Outdoor Beverage Fridges. High Velocity Fans. Outdoor Misting Fans. BTUs Defined. Consider these other factors to adjust your BTU total before you shop for an air conditioner: Ceiling Height: Technically, it's the total volume of air to cool and not just the floor area of the room that you should take into account when sizing your unit.

When BTU recommendations are given based on square footage, they assume a standard, 8-foot ceilings. If you have high ceilings, however, your volume of air will be greatly increased and require a bigger BTU rating. You can avoid this by using a BTU calculator that factors in ceiling height.

Climate: If you live in a warmer climate, the difference in the ambient air and your desired temperature will be greater, which means you'll need your air conditioner to work harder. When it comes to air conditioner size, your region matters.

Unit Location: Direct sunlight will cause your unit to work harder, as will having it on a hotter second or third story of your house. Likewise, an air conditioner in a kitchen filled with appliances will be dealing with a larger heat load and will therefore need to be bigger — typically by about 4, extra BTUs. Insulation: Insulation is crucial to the cooling process.

If you live in a well-insulated house — usually a newer home — you may be able to get by with lower BTUs than a house with average insulation. Instead of heating, air conditioners remove heat from the air and circulates cool air back in. BTUs still work as a form of measurement in this case.

Instead of measuring the amount of heat added to the air in your home, however, they measure how much heat is removed. Just like with heaters, the higher the BTU rating of an air conditioner, the more powerful it is. When choosing a new air conditioner for your home, it is crucial that it be sized correctly. Instead, sizing the air conditioner means choosing one with the right BTU rating.

There are several different factors that go into making sure that you get the right air conditioner. The primary factor in determining how many BTUs you need is the square footage of your home. You can easily find a chart online that will let you know how many BTUs are required to keep that amount of space cool. The height of your ceilings matter, too. While the number of BTUs recommended is based on square footage, these recommendations typically assume that your home has ceilings that are 8-feet high.

If you have higher or lower ceilings, this will affect the power of the air conditioner you need. The location of your home and the type of floor plan you have will play into how many BTUs are needed. Homes in hotter climates will require more power than those located in colder climates. It also serves as a measure of how much of the heat produced by the equipment makes it into your home. A high-efficiency furnace with an AFUE of 90 will convert 90 percent of the input into usable heat, while the other 10 percent will be wasted through exhaust, ventilation, and other factors.

When it comes to air conditioners, the BTU rating indicates how much energy is used to remove heat from the air. BTUs are an important element of cooling equipment tonnage, which is another measure of heat removal. The use of ton to measure heat removal is thought to have originated when buildings were cooled by ice. It takes , BTUs to melt a literal ton of ice 2, pounds.