You might have come across radiators and heated towel rails with a BTU rating and found yourself wondering what it means. The answer is pretty simple: BTU is a unit of measurement used throughout the heating, air conditioning and plumbing industry that tells you how much heat a device provides.
What Does BTU Stand For?
BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. 1 BTU is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1ºF. It’s about the same amount of energy as you get from a single matchstick. 1 BTU is approximately equal to 1055 joules. You might be used to thinking in kilowatts, but you can’t directly convert BTU to kW. Instead, you could say that 1 kW is equal to 3412 BTUs per hour.
It's not really important to know the precise mathematical formula behind the British Thermal Unit, though. The more important question is, "What is the BTU output of my heating device?"
Every heating device and air conditioner has a BTU rating. On our website, you can find out what the rating is for any radiator or towel rail by taking a quick look at the Product Details section. Once you have this number, it doesn’t take long to find out if your heater is powerful enough for the room you want to put it in.
How To Work Out The BTU I Need
You can get a rough idea of the right BTU for your room size by using a simple calculation:(Length x Width x Height) x 90.
So first, find out the cubic area of your room by multiplying length x width x height. Then multiply that figure by 90.
For example, if your bathroom is 5m long, 5m wide and 2m tall then you need a heater with an output of around 4,500 BTUs.
Alternatively, we have our trusty BTU Calculator that will do all the hard work for you - just simply input the measurements.
If you want to be completely safe and absolutely sure, the best way would be to consult your plumber, who can give you an expert estimate by factoring in the number of windows, what the walls are made of and other important information too
Our customer service team is also here to help. We want the process of buying any of our items to be as easy as possible, so we’ll always do our best to help you find the product that’s perfect for you.
FAQs About BTU
How Do I Know What BTU My Radiator Is?
We list the BTU of all our radiators and towel rails in the product description. If you’re wondering what the BTU rating of your existing radiator at home is, the best way would be to find out the exact make and model and search it online or contact the manufacturer.
What Is A Good BTU?
A good BTU rating is the one that matches the size of your room. The highest rating isn’t automatically the best, as it is possible to overheat a room as well. Use the formula above or our calculator to find out the right BTU rating for your needs.
Now that you have an insight into how BTU ratings are calculated, explore our collection of radiators or towel rails to find the perfect heating solution for your bathroom.
Our Promise To You
Here at Bathroom Takeaway, we want to give you peace of mind when buying from us. That’s why all our radiators come with a 10-year fit and forget product guarantee and a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not completely satisfied. It's also probably why so many of our customers have rated us as 'Excellent' on Trustpilot! Check out our varied range of heating here!
