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Common Questions About Heating, Ventilation and Cooling
What is a BTU?
BTU is an acronym for British Thermal Unit. In purely scientific terms, it is the amount of heat necessary to increase the temperature of a pound of high-density water by one degree Fahrenheit. Water has the highest density when at 39 degrees Fahrenheit, which is just a few degrees above freezing conditions.
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The BTU is a standard energy unit among HVAC technicians in the United States. Usage of BTUs can also be found among service workers in the United Kingdom, (to a lesser extent).
How do BTUs relate to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems? Without BTUs, it would be difficult to compare the efficiencies between various energy sources because there would be different measurement units used for each fossil fuel. For instance, coal used for oil could be measured in tons while natural gas could be measured in cubic feet.
Consumers would end up having to bring their calculators and have a conversion chart handy just to go shopping for heat and cooling equipment. By converting the various measurement units for energy sources to comply with the standard BTU system, there is less confusion.
So, how does this information apply to your home’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems? When you’re out shopping one of the factors that should be important during your search for HVAC equipment is the amount of BTUs an energy system uses. Here are some common estimates:
- One Pound of Coal = 10,000 BTU
- One Gallon of Propane = 91,000 BTU
- One Gallon of Gasoline = 125,000 BTU
- One Gallon of Heating Oil = 139,000 BTU
- One Cubic Foot of Natural Gas = 1,021 BTU
- One Kilowatt-Hour of Electricity = 3,412 BTU
Compared to a single wooden match (at a measly one BTU), these are fairly large numbers. Keep in mind that, although BTU consumption is an important factor to look at when buying a HVAC system, it should not be the only thing you look at. A couple of other deciding factors include cost and environmental issues. Shaving off a few thousand BTUs won’t mean much if the machine costs a small fortune. Similarly, you shouldn't forgo compliance with the law or sacrifice your family’s health to save a few bucks.