Do you know the importance of understanding BTU’s when it comes to your home heating and cooling system? Did you even know what a BTU was before reading this article? Chances are, you probably have heard the term when you were either buying an HVAC system or heard a heating contractor in South Jersey use the term, but you might not know exactly what it is they’re talking about.
What Is A BTU?
A British Thermal Unit (BTU) is the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. A BTU can be abbreviated in different ways, but most commonly used is “BTU”. This unit of measurement is typically used for natural gas and oil furnaces, space heaters, boilers, fireplaces, room air conditioners and central air conditioners.
Understanding how many BTUs your HVAC system has will help you better understand how much power it has. The higher the number on your HVAC equipment does not necessarily mean that it will cool or heat your house better. If you have a large house, then having a high BTU unit can help save you money. You should also consider an HVAC professional to learn more about the different types of heating and cooling equipment available so that they can determine what size is best for your home.
Choosing The Right BTU Unit
For example: let’s say there are two homes and each has a 10,000 BTU unit installed in their home. One home is 3,000 square feet and the other is 1,500 square feet. The house with the larger square footage requires less energy to cool than the smaller home because it takes less power to cool such a space than it would take to cool such a small space. The same goes for heating, if you have a larger home then you will need less BTUs to keep it warm than someone with a smaller home.
There’s more than just the BTU to consider though when it comes time to purchase a new heating or cooling unit, but understanding this is a good place to start. The best way to determine the proper sized unit for your home is by having it properly measured and tested by a professional. Not only will you get an accurate measurement of what equipment you need, they can also give you recommendations on how you can save money each month with your new HVAC system and save you money on South Jersey heater repair services in the future.
HVAC professionals are trained in knowing how many BTUs are needed for your size space. For information on finding an HVAC professional near you, give us a call.