How to Find Out How Many BTUs it Takes to Heat a Room

Are your room heaters right for the room?

BTU (British Thermal Unit) is a measurement of the energy used in heating and air conditioning. Knowing the BTUs a unit can produce is key when heating and cooling a room. Purchasing units or room heaters that are the improper size are insufficient room heaters. Equally important when making room heating calculations is the ability to decipher the number of BTUs needed for a particular room of a particular size.

Instructions

1. Measure the room. You will need to know the square footage of the room as well as the height of the ceiling before you begin determining the BTU required for room heaters.

2. Find the room's volume in cubic feet. Multiply the room's square footage by the height of the ceiling. The total is the room's volume in cubic feet.

3. Rate the room's insulation. Use numbers 2, 3 or 4. Very good insulation is rated 2, average is 3, and 4 represents poor insulation.

4. Multiply the room's insulation rating by the room's volume. This will give you the total number of BTUs it takes to heat a room.

Tips & Warnings

• You can easily find s BTU calculator online (see Resources below).

• Some heaters are measured in watts. To convert a heater measured in watts to BTU, multiply the number of watts by 3.4 to find the total number of BTUs.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• BTU Calculator