What Are Air Conditioning BTU’s?

If you’ve been looking into new air conditioners, you’ve likely seen the term “BTU.” What exactly does it mean?

Defining BTU's

BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. It’s a way to describe energy. One BTU is required to increase the temperature of one pound of water by a single degree. The industry uses BTUs to refer to how much heat, or energy, an air conditioner can remove from the air. At this point, it’s important to remind people that AC units don’t just blow cold air. We know it seems that way, but in actuality, they remove heat from the air and cycle the air back through into the room.

A unit with more BTUs would do a better job of removing heat from a room. If you have a large space to cool, you’ll need an air conditioner with many BTUs. If you use an AC unit with too many BTUs, however, it’s not a good thing. First, you’d be paying too much for your air conditioner since having more BTUs usually translates into being more expensive. Also, your AC unit would cool the space so fast that it would turn on and off in short cycles, and this can reduce its lifespan.

A room of 100 square feet probably needs an AC unit with 5,000 BTUs. A room of 300 square feet could use 7,000–8,000 BTUs, while a room of 1,000 square feet could use about 20,000 BTUs. These are just general guidelines; a professional could give you specific guidance taking into account various factors.

Turn to Us

Real HVAC Services can help you with your AC installation if you live in the Delmarva area. Our company is locally owned and operated, and we’ve been serving the community since 2007. We take pride in what we do, and our employees are highly trained and held to exacting standards. In addition to AC installation, we offer AC repair and AC maintenance. Our services also include plumbing and heating repair, installation, and maintenance services. Call us today to schedule your appointment.

Published: September 01, 2022