Winter has already hit the Hudson Valley pretty hard. We’re all doing our best to stay warm and comfortable. Have you ever given thought to some of the terms that get used with your HVAC equipment? One such term is BTU. That’s a term you’ve probably heard before, but do you know what it means?
BTU is an acronym. It stands for British thermal unit. What is a British thermal unit? It’s a means for measuring the heat content of fuels and energy sources. One British thermal unit represents the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit when the water is at its most dense (and at sea level). Water has its greatest density at about 39 degrees Fahrenheit. So, said another way, one BTU is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water from 39 degrees Fahrenheit to 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s roughly the amount of energy released when you burn one match.
BTUs allow us to compare different fuels and energy sources on an equal basis. Here are some common fuels and energy sources and their approximate BTU conversion factors as offered by the EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration).
When you are comparing heating equipment like a heat pump, furnace, or boiler, BTUs matter. The higher the appliance’s BTU number, the more heat it is capable of producing to heat your home. What BTU number is right for your home will depends on a variety of factors like the size of your home, how well insulated your home is, the height of your ceilings, and the climate where you live. Things like the types of windows in your home and the shape of your home will also affect your BTU needs.
If you’re having trouble with your oil heating system or your gas heating system, Bottini Fuel is here to help. We can help you troubleshoot before you call in one of our specialists. And if you’re in the market for new equipment, we also handle furnace installation as well as boilers, water heaters, and more. You can trust your comfort to us all winter long (and the rest of the year as well)! With one of the new, high-efficiency furnaces and boilers we install running in your home, you could save as much as 30% on your energy bills without sacrificing your comfort.
Bottini Fuel provides expert fuel delivery and service to our Hudson Valley customers. All our work is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee, and it shows. For multiple years, we’re received the Readers’ Choice Award from the Times Herald Record as a top fuel company in the area.
Contact us today to learn more or to join our family of satisfied customers. We’ve got you covered.
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