{"id":1845,"date":"2014-03-29T12:50:42","date_gmt":"2014-03-29T19:50:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.portablefireplace.com\/blog\/?p=1845"},"modified":"2022-11-16T17:24:10","modified_gmt":"2022-11-17T00:24:10","slug":"determining-how-many-btus-home-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.portablefireplace.com\/blog\/determining-how-many-btus-home-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"Determining How Many BTU\u2019s Your Home Needs"},"content":{"rendered":"

A common question that many homeowners have is \u201cHow many BTU\u2019s do I need to heat my home?\u201d<\/em> The answer depends on 3 variables; size, insulation, and exterior temperatures. Most homeowners fail to consider the latter two variables when deciding how many BTU\u2019s their heater needs. As you might imagine, doing so can leave your out in the cold!<\/p>\n

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How Many BTU\u2019s Do I Need: 3 Variables<\/h2>\n

What the heck is a BTU?<\/em> You\u2019re not alone. We\u2019ve created a post to explain what a BTU is<\/a>. We recommend reading it before continuing with this article.<\/p>\n

1. Size<\/h3>\n

The first thing you need to know is the size of the space you wish to heat. When we say size, this really means VOLUME<\/strong>! Most people only calculate the size of a room based on the formula Length X Width. You have to consider the height of your ceiling. Take for instance a living room with a 15 foot vaulted ceiling. Will this space heat similarly to a room with standard 8 foot ceilings? Probably not.<\/p>\n

2. Insulation<\/h3>\n

Before you even begin working on your home heating solutions, make sure that your house is properly insulated. Older homes tend to have dated insulation between walls. This can lead to decreased energy efficiency and ultimately cost you more money to heat the same space.<\/p>\n

Check insulation surrounding windows and doors in your home. If you have a chimney vent, make sure that the vent is closed and purchase a chimney cap to ensure that no hot air is escaping. You can read this article for more Home Insulation Tips<\/a>. How well your home is insulated will determine how well your home retains the heat generated by your heater.<\/p>\n

3. Exterior Temperatures<\/h3>\n

If you live in an area that experiences sub-zero temperatures, your home will require more BTU\u2019s to keep things nice and toasty. Depending on the amount of degrees you would like to increase the inside temperature of your home, your BTU\u2019s will fluctuate accordingly.<\/p>\n

BTU\u2019s Per Square Foot<\/h2>\n

A BTU is actually a mathematic formula that defines the amount of heat necessary to raise 1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit. Don\u2019t worry, we promise we won\u2019t give you flash back of calculus! K.I.S.S \u2013 Keep It Simple\u2026Silly!<\/p>\n

20 BTU x Area (ft2<\/sup>)<\/strong><\/p>\n

BTU Calculator<\/h2>\n

Check out this cool BTU Calculator<\/strong> we found on BestHeating.com. You can plug in the dimensions of your home to see how many BTU\u2019s you need!<\/p>\n

UPDATE: 4\/8\/2014 The BTU calculator is currently unavailable. Please check back when calculator has been restored. We apologize for any inconveniences!<\/p>\n

Examples<\/h2>\n

1. How Many BTUs to heat a 2000 sq ft house<\/h3>\n

According to our handy dandy BTU formula, you could figure this out by calculating:<\/p>\n

20 BTU x 2000 ft2 = 40,000 BTU\u2019s<\/p>\n

To heat a 2,000 square foot home, you will need approximately 40,000 BTU\u2019s of heating power. To find ways to lower this number, read the Alternative Home Heating Solutions section below!<\/p>\n

2. How Many BTU Do I need to Heat My Garage<\/h3>\n

A standard garage in an American home measures 20 x 20 ft2 = 400ft2. Let\u2019s do some math people!<\/p>\n

20 BTU X 400 ft2 = 8,000 BTU\u2019s<\/p>\n

It takes approximately 8,000 BTU\u2019s to heat the standard American garage! This can be done with a space heater like an electric fireplace! Who runs a heating duct into their garage anyway?<\/p>\n

Alternative Home Heating Solutions<\/h2>\n

We have tons of alternative heating solutions posted on Our Blog<\/a>. You can browse through many topics to learn how to increase mercury levels without cringing at your utility bills. For a heating comparison, check out this efficiency comparison<\/a> between wood burning, gel, and electric fireplaces.<\/p>\n

Electric fireplaces can be a great solution for homes big and small. Think about it. Why waste money heating rooms in your house that aren\u2019t even occupied.<\/strong> Electric fireplaces are space heaters that can amply warm your living room, master bedroom, and garage. Simply plug into a standard electrical outlet and enjoy the heat.<\/p>\n

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Electric fireplaces emit anywhere from 4,000-10,000 BTU\u2019s of heat. If you do the math, that\u2019s enough to heat a 500 square foot room! Remember, these are supplemental heating solutions and should not be compared to central home heating solutions. They are alternative ways to stay warm inside the home!<\/p>\n

Portable Fireplace.com<\/em><\/a> is the web\u2019s #1 e-tailer of Brand Name electric fireplaces! Browse free-standing, wall-mounted, and media center units from the comfort of your home!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A common question that many homeowners have is \u201cHow many BTU\u2019s do I need to heat my home?\u201d The answer depends on 3 variables; size, insulation, and exterior temperatures. Most homeowners fail to consider the latter two variables when deciding … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1845","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-how-to-and-diy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portablefireplace.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portablefireplace.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portablefireplace.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portablefireplace.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portablefireplace.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1845"}],"version-history":[{"count":48,"href":"https:\/\/www.portablefireplace.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3916,"href":"https:\/\/www.portablefireplace.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1845\/revisions\/3916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.portablefireplace.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1845"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portablefireplace.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1845"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.portablefireplace.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1845"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}