In the phase preceding the purchase of an air conditioner there is, without a doubt, the moment when one wonders how to calculate the BTU and, above all, What does this value indicate?
As we will see, it is a unit of measurement that indicates the energy consumption of the device. This means that we are talking about an element that is far from secondary in the choice of air conditioner to buy and install at home, because the bill we will pay also depends on it.
For this reason, in addition to the energy class, the data sheet The technical specifications of an air conditioner also indicate its power in BTUs.
But which one to choose?
Let's see together what a BTU is, why it is so important, and how to calculate BTUs in relation to the square meters of the house.
BTU air conditioners: what they are
Let's start with definition provided by ENEA, the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development.
“The Btu is the unit of measurement for the quantity of heat in the British system of measurement, defined as the quantity of heat necessary to raise the temperature of 1 pound of pure water by 1°F; the average value between the melting point and the boiling point of water at one atmosphere of pressure is adopted.”
What does it mean?
The BTU - an acronym for British Thermal Unit (British thermal unit, in Italian) - is a unit of measurement used to indicate the amount of energy consumed to heat 1 pound of water, equal to about 450 g, by 1 degree Fahrenheit.
Someone might wonder why a unit of measurement based on the water heating process is used for an air conditioner, which is mainly used to cool rooms.
Well, it's a fair question, especially since at the international level The use of BTUs is now widespread, a standard, but there's a fairly simple reason.
In fact, power is usually indicated in terms of BTU , referring to the amount of heat the air conditioner is able to remove from the air in the rooms where it is installed.
How many BTUs do you need for your air conditioner?
As explained, the BTU indication in air conditioners is a standard, and represents an essential value to pay attention to.
Quite simply, if an air conditioner has a power in terms of BTUs lower than that needed to cool (or heat) the room, it could difficult to achieve the desired result, consuming energy unnecessarily.
Conversely, if we install a model with too much power, we end up wasting energy, consuming much more than necessary.
Therefore, when choosing an air conditioner, it is essential to relate the power in BTUs to various parameters, including:
- the size of the room;
- the exposure of the house and the room to the sun;
- the dispersion thermal;
- the quality of the windows;
- the amount of hours we spend in that environment;
- the number of family members;
- the outside temperatures.
In short, the right air conditioner must be chosen not only in terms of its functions, but also its consumption.
So let's see how to do it in The correct way to calculate BTU in order to purchase the product that best suits your needs.
BTU calculation: how many watts is a BTU worth?
The BTU indication helps us understand how much energy the device consumes, but we are still used to calculating electricity consumption in kW/h (our home meters, for example, can handle a maximum load of 3 kW/h).
So, How much does an air conditioner actually consume based on BTUs, taking into account that the label indicates the power in BTUs/h?
Let's start with a figure:
1 Kilowatt per hour = 3412.14 BTUs/h
So, how do you calculate BTUs to convert them to kW/h? It's enough to do a mathematical operation, and divide the number of BTUs by 3412.14.
It seems much more complex than it is. Let's look at an example:
Imagine we have an air conditioner with a power of 9000 BTU/hourand we want to convert it to kilowatt-hours. All we have to do is complete this mathematical operation.
9000 BTU/h / 3412.14 = 2.63764089398442 kW/h
So, a 9000 BTU air conditioner consumes approximately 2.63 kW/h.
How many BTUs per square meter do you need?
As mentioned before, The BTU indication must be correlated with some factors, in particular the size of the room, in order to avoid inefficient electricity consumption.
Let's take an example. Let's imagine we need to install an air conditioner in the living room, in a building with average exposure and thermal insulation, and an average of 3 people staying in this room.
With a living room of approximately 20 m2 and 3-meter ceilings, we recommend an air conditioner with a power of no less than 8000 BTU, while also taking into account the maximum temperatures reached in summer in the residential area; It's clear that the needs are different in Sicily and the Aosta Valley.
As the room's surface area increases, it's essential to choose progressively more powerful air conditioners.
Remember that the figure should be adjusted slightly based on the other variables mentioned above.
Conclusions
In short, Choosing an air conditioner doesn't just mean selecting the model from the catalog, perhaps attracted by a good offer on sale, because you risk purchasing a product that isn't suited to your needs.
If the power is not commensurate with the factors mentioned above - room size, thermal insulation, sun exposure, family members - the only result is a high bill for poor performance in terms of thermal comfort much sought-after.
Visit the air conditioning section on our online store, and don't hesitate to contact customer support for further information.