Difference between revisions of "Calculate BTU Per Square Foot"
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# Determine the necessary heating or cooling capacity. The capacity of furnaces and air conditioners is given in BTUs per hour. You need to establish the correct number of BTUs per square foot for your house needed to either heat or cool it. The methods differ for heating and cooling and are described below. | # Determine the necessary heating or cooling capacity. The capacity of furnaces and air conditioners is given in BTUs per hour. You need to establish the correct number of BTUs per square foot for your house needed to either heat or cool it. The methods differ for heating and cooling and are described below. | ||
#*Many furnaces and air conditioners will be labeled "BTU," but this is actually shorthand for "BTU per hour" (BTU/h). | #*Many furnaces and air conditioners will be labeled "BTU," but this is actually shorthand for "BTU per hour" (BTU/h). | ||
| − | #* At a bare minimum, you can use a figure of 20 BTUs per hour per square foot and multiply this by the total square footage to be heated or cooled, but this does not take into account climate, the amount of insulation you have, or the way you live. | + | #* At a bare minimum, you can use a figure of 20 BTUs per hour per square foot and multiply this by the total square footage to be heated or cooled, but this does not take into account climate, the amount of insulation you have, or the way you live. |
=== Determining the Correct Cooling Capacity === | === Determining the Correct Cooling Capacity === | ||
# Figure the total square footage to be cooled. If you're buying a room air conditioner, you only need to figure the room whose window the air conditioner will be installed in; if you're buying a central air conditioner or heat pump, you need to figure the entire square footage of the house served by ductwork, as described under "Determining How Much to Heat or Cool." | # Figure the total square footage to be cooled. If you're buying a room air conditioner, you only need to figure the room whose window the air conditioner will be installed in; if you're buying a central air conditioner or heat pump, you need to figure the entire square footage of the house served by ductwork, as described under "Determining How Much to Heat or Cool." | ||
| − | # Determine the necessary capacity. One method for determining capacity is refer to the estimates on this index.<ref>http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=roomac.pr_properly_sized</ref> Note that air conditioners are rated in BTUs per hour, but the label may abbreviate this to just "BTU." | + | # Determine the necessary capacity. One method for determining capacity is refer to the estimates on this index.<ref name="rf5798">http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=roomac.pr_properly_sized</ref> Note that air conditioners are rated in BTUs per hour, but the label may abbreviate this to just "BTU." |
#*To cool 100–150 ft<sup>2</sup>, you need ~5,000 BTUs per hour. | #*To cool 100–150 ft<sup>2</sup>, you need ~5,000 BTUs per hour. | ||
#*To cool 150–250 ft<sup>2</sup>, you need ~6,000 BTUs per hour. | #*To cool 150–250 ft<sup>2</sup>, you need ~6,000 BTUs per hour. | ||
