Shopping for a new air conditioner can be a daunting process. After all, it's a big-ticket item that costs a couple of thousand dollars at the very least. If you've already started researching and comparing the top air conditioning units out in the market, you've more than likely come across the abbreviation "BTU", which stands for British Thermal Units. BTU is unarguably one of the most crucial pieces of information to know when shopping for air conditioners. So, what does it mean and how do you use it to make an informed consumer decision?
What Is BTU?
BTU, or British Thermal Unit, is a unit of measurement that indicates how much energy is being consumed by the air conditioning unit to raise the temperature of a pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. While BTUs are not necessarily reserved for just HVAC systems and can be used in other industries and products, it is typically used when referring to heating and air conditioning systems.
You can find a BTU rating for every air conditioner, and this rating essentially provides information on how efficient that unit is at conditioning air inside your home. Because BTUs are primarily used to measure how much energy it takes to heat a pound of water by a degree, they make more sense when used with heating systems. When used in the context of air conditioners, however, BTUs pertain to the amount of heat that the unit removes from your home. In both cases, you'll want an HVAC unit that has a higher BTU rating.
How Many BTUs Is Enough?
When shopping for a new air conditioner, it's important to pick a unit that is sized accordingly to whatever space you put the unit in. This doesn't mean that your air conditioner should physically fit in a space or come with specific measurements. Instead, appropriate sizing of an air conditioner means picking a unit that comes with the correct BTU rating. There are different factors to consider when figuring out how much BTUs you need. These include your home's square footage, property dimensions, and how well insulated it is.
Final Thoughts
Note that while higher BTUs means higher efficiency, you should not just go for the air conditioner or heater with the highest BTU rating on the shelf. An unnecessary amount of BTUs can cool a space too quickly, which removes moisture. It also entails your air conditioner over-cycling in order to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures, which means higher costs over time. Use the aforementioned tips to figure out which air conditioner/heater you need.