As you shop for a new air-conditioning system, you’ll come across the letters BTU. Buying a new air conditioner without considering its BTU rating could lead to considerable home-comfort challenges. Here’s what you should know about BTU and AC performance.
What Is BTU?
The British Thermal Unit is a measure of energy. It represents the amount of energy that an air conditioner uses to take heat away from your house within an hour. Your air conditioner removes heat from your home’s air and moves it outside. The BTU rating tells you the energy the system uses to do that.
If an air conditioner has 24,000 BTUs, it absorbs 24,000 British Thermal Units of heat every hour and moves it outside to produce cooling for the indoor environment. The higher an AC system’s BTU rating, the more powerful the system is.
Why BTU Is Crucial to AC Performance
You need to choose an air conditioner with the right BTUs for your home. A system that’s too powerful for your home will cool it too quickly, meaning it will shut off almost immediately and also initiate on/off cycles more frequently. Consequently, the AC unit will waste energy, not have enough time to remove moisture from your home’s air, and likely suffer more wear and tear.
If your air conditioner has too few BTUs, it will have to run constantly to cool your home. That may result in uneven temperatures in your home and higher energy bills.
Square footage is the primary factor in determining the BTU rating you need. A simple way to estimate the required BTUs is by multiplying the square footage of the space you want to cool by 20. For a more accurate calculation, you’ll need to consider other factors like ceiling height, your home’s location, its floor plan, and the size of doorways and windows.
HVAC professionals usually consider all the important factors when determining the BTUs needed. Therefore, if you want the best cooling results, consult a local HVAC professional. If you live in the Dayton area, contact Ace Hardware Home Services for all your heating and AC needs.
