British Thermal Units Calculator

Introduction

Whether you’re moving into a new home or making well-needed home renovations, how to heat your home efficiently should be of primary consideration. Stylish interiors and great lighting just don’t feel the same when the room is cold or the heating bills are through the roof!

When you begin to research radiators, it’s important to remember to refer to the BTU output, which is usually indicated in the product specifications. Below we explain how to work out how much heat your required room will need to match with any desired radiator. Purchase something with inadequate BTU output and you’ll always feel chilly or alternatively, buy a radiator with excessive output and you may find your heating bills rising.

BTU Explained

BTU = British Thermal Unit and represents the amount of energy required to heat or cool one lb of water (around a UK pint) by one degree Fahrenheit. Simply put, a single BTU is around 1.06kj (kilojoules). This is sometimes hard to imagine, so you could compare it to the energy given off by a single burning match. If you’re still confused, you could refer to the more traditional Watt (1 Watt of energy = 3.41 BTU’s)

The BTU unit of classification can be found in heaters such as radiators, cooking devices, gas fire pits, and air conditioning systems. This measurement is common in the UK, used as a standard heat measurement tool, and it is commonly associated with energy, air-conditioning, power and steam. When purchasing an item such as a radiator, you should see a BTU specification featured within the product details. The BTU status of a radiator will let you know how much heat the item will emit, helping you to work out if it’s going to be enough or too much for your chosen space.

Heating A Room

When you are considering what you might need to effectively heat any room in your home, remember to refer to the BTU output. The higher the output, the hotter the appliance will be, whether that’s a heated towel rail or one of our designer radiators.

There are two elements to consider when working out ideal room temperature: firstly how warm you want the room and what heat loss might occur in the space.

The rate of heat loss in a room can be affected by:

• The overall size of the room
• What's above and below the room
• The windows; how many, double or single glazed, what type of window surround
• The number of walls (both internal and external)

As a general rule, the larger the space the more BTU output it will take to heat the room effectively. The BTU requirement of each room is calculated on the cubic volume of room space:

Height – Length – Width of the room x 4 (use our BTU calculator for this). Once we have this figure, we can easily work out the possible heat loss in each room and give a BTU output, which will show what you need to heat that space efficiently. This result will give you an effective solution with low fuel costs.

Choosing The Right Radiator

Of course, we all love sleek radiator designs, and styles to match our own tastes with complementary finishes, but the most important consideration when buying a new heating system should always be the BTU output. To feel comfortably warm and happy with your choice of radiator, it’s important to choose one with the right heat output for that space. Making the correct BTU calculation is important when choosing the right radiator for your home space because if you purchase a radiator with insufficient BTU output, your room won’t reach the optimum temperature. Alternatively, if you buy a radiator with a really high heat output, this could result in higher heating bills than necessary.

At Just Radiators, we specialise in a wide range of radiators to suit all home requirements, including modern vertical radiators and traditional horizontal radiators which work well in living and dining rooms, using materials such as stainless steel for a sleek finish, to cast-iron radiators with a Georgian appeal. Our towel radiators, with styles to suit all, are an effective heating choice for pristine bathrooms. Available in varying sizes and finishes for all home designs, we guarantee top quality, energy efficiency and premium style and design.

In most cases, a room might require between 1-2 radiators, unless the space is very large. The amount of BTUs will depend on the number of radiators in the room. When using our BTU Calculator, simply divide the room’s BTU output by the number of radiators which you intend on having within that room.

Why Use A BTU Calculator?

• Increase the heating efficiency in your home
• Lower unnecessary fuel bills
• Warm your home to optimum temperature

Let Just Radiators remove the hard working out with our BTU calculator. All we require are your room dimensions and what type of windows are installed. This is a good guide to what level of BTU output will heat each room effectively. Once calculated, you will be able to tell what size radiator you will need to ensure the room is warm and cosy.

Simply fill in the form to receive the BTU calculation for your room, then explore our tailored recommendations on which radiators may suit your own requirements.

Please Note: The BTU calculator is an estimated reading only. If you require a more accurate reading then we would suggest referring to a qualified plumber. Our calculations are based on the information provided by yourself..

Here To Help

If you’re having any issues choosing the perfect heating system for your abode, then simply get in touch and ask for our expert assistance before purchasing any radiators for your home. Our radiator specialists are on hand to help with any questions you may have simply contact us.