{"id":1672,"date":"2022-08-15T08:10:05","date_gmt":"2022-08-15T15:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.appliancepartspros.com\/b\/?p=1672"},"modified":"2026-07-14T07:51:52","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T14:51:52","slug":"choosing-an-air-conditioner-how-many-btus-do-i-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.appliancepartspros.com\/b\/choosing-an-air-conditioner-how-many-btus-do-i-need\/","title":{"rendered":"Choosing An Air Conditioner: How Many BTUs Do I Need?"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve been looking at air conditioners, you\u2019ve probably encountered something called a BTU rating. When talking about air conditioners, the BTU rating corresponds to how much space an air conditioner can adequately cool. Getting an AC unit with an adequate BTU rating is important \u2013 too little power, and your AC unit won\u2019t cool your room, too much, and you run into other problems like inefficiency and feature failure \u2013 but figuring out how much you need might be a bit of a head scratcher. In this guide, learn about BTUs, what they are, why the right rating is important, and how to figure out what BTU rating you need for your home. By the end, you should be well on your way to purchasing an air conditioner that\u2019s right for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":22490,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":"BTU's","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_aviaLayoutBuilderCleanData":"[av_image src='https:\/\/www.appliancepartspros.com\/b\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/172_choosing-an-air-conditioner-how-many-btus-do-i_middle-1500x630.png' attachment='22490' attachment_size='featured_large' copyright='' caption='' styling='' align='center' font_size='' overlay_opacity='0.4' overlay_color='#000000' overlay_text_color='#ffffff' animation='no-animation' hover='' appearance='' link='' target='' title_attr='' alt_attr='' lazy_loading='disabled' id='' custom_class='' av_element_hidden_in_editor='0' av_uid='av-l6uvw3nl' admin_preview_bg=''][\/av_image]\r\n\r\n[av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-l6uvxrl5' admin_preview_bg='']\r\nIf you\u2019ve been looking at air conditioners, you\u2019ve probably encountered something called a BTU rating. While defining what a BTU rating is gets a bit complicated, in short, when talking about air conditioners, the BTU rating corresponds to how much space an air conditioner can adequately cool.\r\n\r\nGetting an AC unit with an adequate BTU rating is important \u2013 too little power, and your AC unit won\u2019t cool your room, too much, and you run into other problems like inefficiency and feature failure \u2013 but figuring out how much you need might be a bit of a head scratcher. Luckily, AppliancePartsPros.com is here with another great guide. In this tutorial, we\u2019re teaching you about BTUs, what they are, why the right rating is important, and how to figure out what BTU rating you need for your home. By the end, you should be well on your way to purchasing an air conditioner that\u2019s right for you.\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s get started!\r\n[\/av_textblock]\r\n\r\n[av_hr class='default' icon_select='yes' icon='ue808' position='center' shadow='no-shadow' height='50' custom_border='av-border-thin' custom_width='50px' custom_margin_top='30px' custom_margin_bottom='30px' custom_border_color='' custom_icon_color='' av-desktop-hide='' av-medium-hide='' av-small-hide='' av-mini-hide='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-3mklyw']\r\n\r\n[av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-l6uw6krx' admin_preview_bg='']\r\n<div style=\"border-left:4px solid #E89805;background:#FFF8EC;padding:9px 14px;margin:14px 0;font-size:14.5px;line-height:1.5;color:#1A1A1A;font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,sans-serif\">\u26a0\ufe0f <b>Smell gas?<\/b> Stop \u2014 get outside, then call your gas utility (or 911) from there. <a href=\"#app-safety-notes\">Full safety notes below<\/a>.<\/div>\n\n<h2>What Are BTUs?<\/h2>\r\nThe British thermal unit (BTU) is a measure of energy required to produce a certain amount of heat. You may have seen the value before, represented either as a full number (14,000 BTU) or an abbreviated number (14k BTU); BTU ratings are assigned to appliances like ranges, solar water heaters, fire pits, furnaces, and, of course, air conditioners. The actual definition of BTU is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit \u2013 but what does that mean for air conditioners?\r\n\r\nSimply put, the BTU rating of an air conditioner tells you how much heat a unit can remove from nearby air per hour. The higher the BTU rating, the more space an air conditioning unit is capable of cooling. That may sound like a case of bigger is better, but don\u2019t rush out to buy the highest BTU rating AC unit you can find. In the next sections, we\u2019ll review why you should purchase an AC unit with a BTU rating appropriate for your home\u2019s size.\r\n<h2>Why It's Important To Have The Right BTU Rating<\/h2>\r\nAt first glance, it may seem like going with an AC unit with a high BTU rating is the way to go, but that isn\u2019t the case. An AC unit that\u2019s too powerful for the room it's in can be more of an annoyance than a benefit.\r\n\r\n<strong>If your AC unit\u2019s BTU rating is higher than what is needed:<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">It will cycle on and off more quickly. That doesn\u2019t just mean more annoying noise \u2013 the process will tax the unit\u2019s components more quickly, shortening the AC unit\u2019s lifespan.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">That increased cycling frequency also lowers efficiency, which means a higher electric bill.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">It may also interfere with features like humidity control and air filtering \u2013 that quick cycling means those features won\u2019t run as long as they need to to work.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">The higher the BTU rating, the more expensive the AC unit, so you may have paid way more than you needed for something that may end up costing you more in the long run.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>And what if you\u2019ve got an AC unit with an insufficient BTU rating?<\/strong>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">First and foremost, it likely won\u2019t adequately cool the room it\u2019s in, in general.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">If your AC unit has humidity control or air filter features, it likely will fail to completely filter or remove humidity from the air, resulting in a cooler but still musty\/humid room.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">You\u2019ll likely see a higher electric bill than you should. AC units are big power eaters in general, but an AC unit with an inadequate BTU rating will run constantly to try and reach an appropriate temperature, resulting in more electricity consumed.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">The AC unit will wear out faster, because it\u2019s working harder to cool the room.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h2>How Many BTUs Does My Air Conditioner Need?<\/h2>\r\nTo figure out the BTU rating you need, you\u2019re going to need to do some math, so it\u2019s time to grab that calculator. Here\u2019s what you need to know about calculating the BTU rating you\u2019ll need for your AC unit:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">To start, you\u2019re going to need the total square footage (length, width, and height) of the room you want to cool\u00a0 \u2013 that includes things like closet space. If you don\u2019t have this information readily available, grab a measuring tape.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"2\">Measure the length and width of the room in feet and inches, then multiply those two numbers together to get your square footage.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"2\">If you\u2019re working with a triangular room, multiply the length and width, then divide that number by two.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"2\">For more complex room shapes, like circular or rhomboid rooms, divide the room into smaller squares and triangles, then use the above methods to get your total.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">BTU calculations put out by Energy Star and the EPA assume that you have 8ft between floor and ceiling. If your ceilings are lower or higher, you may need to use an online BTU calculator to get a more appropriate rating for your needs.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">The EPA estimates that 20 BTU are needed for every 1 square foot of space, however, this estimate is a bit conservative. Instead, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energystar.gov\/products\/room_air_conditioners\">the Energy Star estimates<\/a>:<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><b>Square Footage<\/b><\/td>\r\n<td><b>BTU\/hr needed<\/b><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>100 - 150<\/td>\r\n<td>5,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>150 - 250<\/td>\r\n<td>6,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>250 - 300<\/td>\r\n<td>7,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>300 - 350<\/td>\r\n<td>8,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>350 - 400<\/td>\r\n<td>9,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>400 - 450<\/td>\r\n<td>10,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>450 - 550<\/td>\r\n<td>12,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>550 - 700<\/td>\r\n<td>14,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>700 - 1,000<\/td>\r\n<td>18,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>1,000 - 1,200<\/td>\r\n<td>21,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>1,200 - 1,400<\/td>\r\n<td>23,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>1,400 - 1,500<\/td>\r\n<td>24,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>1,500 - 2,000<\/td>\r\n<td>30,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>2,000 - 2,500<\/td>\r\n<td>34,000<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nOnce you\u2019ve got your number, you\u2019ll need to make some adjustments based on certain circumstances:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">If you\u2019re cooling your kitchen, increase the number by 4,000 BTUs to account for the appliances running in there.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">If more than two people regularly occupy a room, add 600 BTUs for each additional person.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">If the room is heavily shaded (doesn\u2019t get a lot of sun exposure or has few windows), reduce the number by 10%.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">If the room is frequently in direct sunlight, increase the number by 10%.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">How well insulated is the room you want to cool? If there are gaps under doors or around windows or cracks in the wall, this will affect how hard your AC unit needs to work to cool the room. We can\u2019t give a specific number to account for these issues \u2013 it\u2019s best to try your best to fix any issues with insulation before installing an air conditioner in a room, but if that isn\u2019t an option, a slightly higher BTU rating should help to account for the difference.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nNow, after all this math, you should be left with the appropriate BTU\/hr rating for the space you want to cool. Next up \u2013 which AC unit to buy!\r\n<h2>How to Find An AC Unit That Fits My Needs<\/h2>\r\nNow that you know what BTU rating to shoot for, you can start shopping around for air conditioning options. Let\u2019s take a look at air conditioner BTU ranges.<b><\/b>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Portable air conditioners <\/b>can run from between 8,000 BTU to 14,000 BTU. Definitely more than adequate for cooling most average-sized rooms, potentially tipping into overkill.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Window AC Units <\/b>typically have a capacity between 5,000 and 12,500 BTU, making them appropriate for most average-sized rooms.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ductless mini-splits<\/b> come in a wide range, from as little as 9,000 BTU for a single room, more whole-house options that have ratings up to 48,000 BTU.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Central air<\/b> will cool your whole home. For residential properties, you can expect to see between 20,000 and 50,000 BTUs.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nWith an idea of what type of AC unit you need, you can now consider other features, like SEER ratio (higher is better, sort of like how many mpg your car gets), how quiet a unit runs, and extra features like timers, air filtering, and humidity control.\r\n\r\nWe recommend these four ductless split MRCOOL units to our customers, based on their square footage. They are easy to install yourself and cool\/heat your home the whole year round. The BTU units are expressed in thousands, 12 BTU = 12,000 BTU units as referenced above.\r\n\r\nThe 12 BTU can cool and heat 500 square feet : <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appliancepartspros.com\/mrcool-energy-star-diy-12-hp-115b25-ap7192776.html\">https:\/\/www.appliancepartspros.com\/mrcool-energy-star-diy-12-hp-115b25-ap7192776.html<\/a>\r\n\r\nThe 18 BTU can cool and heat 750 square feet: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appliancepartspros.com\/mrcool-energy-star-diy-18-hp-230b25-ap7192779.html\">https:\/\/www.appliancepartspros.com\/mrcool-energy-star-diy-18-hp-230b25-ap7192779.html<\/a>\r\n\r\nThe 24 BTU can cool and heat\u00a0 1000 square feet: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appliancepartspros.com\/mrcool-energy-star-diy-24-hp-230b25-ap7192782.html\">https:\/\/www.appliancepartspros.com\/mrcool-energy-star-diy-24-hp-230b25-ap7192782.html<\/a>\r\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-1\">\r\n\r\nThe 36 BTU can cool and heat 1500 square feet: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appliancepartspros.com\/mrcool-energy-star-diy-36-hp-230b25-ap7192785.html\">https:\/\/www.appliancepartspros.com\/mrcool-energy-star-diy-36-hp-230b25-ap7192785.html<\/a>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<h2>Getting The Most Out Of Your Cooling System<\/h2>\r\nBefore we wrap up, here are a few extra tips to get the most efficiency out of your cooling system, whatever you use:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Make sure your AC unit is venting in an appropriate way \u2013 vents should be pointed in the direction of the area you want to cool and should be kept clean and free of anything that might block them. If installing your AC unit in a corner, make sure it is able to direct airflow out into the room.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Keep condenser coils clear of dust and debris! This can drastically increase efficiency and lower your electric bill.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">If you can, make sure your thermostat is installed in a place where it isn\u2019t exposed to appliances or lamps that produce excess heat. It will misread the temperature in the room.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Check for gaps in windows, doors, and walls, and seal them up to ensure your room is properly insulated.<\/li>\r\n \t<li aria-level=\"1\">Keep curtains and blinds closed to keep heat from the sun out.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<strong>We hope this guide has made BTU ratings a bit easier to understand. Once you\u2019ve got yourself set up with the perfect cooling system for your home, why not head back our way to see how else <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appliancepartspros.com\/\">AppliancePartsPros.com<\/a> can help? Whether you\u2019re in search of cleaning tips, DIY tutorials, or the replacement parts you need to keep your appliances in tip-top shape, you can find it here!<\/strong>\r\n[\/av_textblock]\r\n\r\n[av_textblock size='' av-medium-font-size='' av-small-font-size='' av-mini-font-size='' font_color='' color='' av-desktop-hide='' av-medium-hide='' av-small-hide='' av-mini-hide='' id='' custom_class='' av_uid='av-2myoa0']\r\nClick here to add your own text\n\n<div id=\"app-safety-notes\" style=\"border:1px solid #E6E6E6;border-radius:8px;overflow:hidden;margin:22px 0;font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,sans-serif\"><div style=\"background:#E89805;color:#fff;padding:9px 16px;font-weight:700;font-size:15px\">\ud83d\udd25&nbsp;Gas safety \u2014 before you start<\/div><ul style=\"margin:0;padding:14px 20px 14px 38px;font-size:15px;line-height:1.6;color:#1A1A1A;background:#fff\"><li style=\"margin:6px 0\"><b>Shut off the gas supply<\/b> before you start.<\/li><li style=\"margin:6px 0\">Follow your <b>local codes<\/b>.<\/li><li style=\"margin:6px 0\">Keep a <b>working carbon monoxide detector<\/b> nearby.<\/li><li style=\"margin:6px 0\">A <b>yellow or flickering flame<\/b> means incomplete combustion \u2014 fix it, don't ignore it.<\/li><li style=\"margin:6px 0\">If you smell a <b>strong, persistent gas odor<\/b>: get everyone outside, don't touch any switches or create a spark, and <b>call your gas utility or 911 from outside<\/b>.<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n[\/av_textblock]\r\n\r\n","_aviaLayoutBuilder_active":"active","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,8],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\r\n<title>Choosing An Air Conditioner: How Many BTUs Do I Need? - AppliancePartsPros Blog<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you\u2019ve been looking at air conditioners, you\u2019ve probably encountered something called a BTU rating. When talking about air conditioners, the BTU rating corresponds to how much space an air conditioner can adequately cool. Getting an AC unit with an adequate BTU rating is important \u2013 too little power, and your AC unit won\u2019t cool your room, too much, and you run into other problems like inefficiency and feature failure \u2013 but figuring out how much you need might be a bit of a head scratcher. In this guide, learn about BTUs, what they are, why the right rating is important, and how to figure out what BTU rating you need for your home. 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Getting an AC unit with an adequate BTU rating is important \u2013 too little power, and your AC unit won\u2019t cool your room, too much, and you run into other problems like inefficiency and feature failure \u2013 but figuring out how much you need might be a bit of a head scratcher. In this guide, learn about BTUs, what they are, why the right rating is important, and how to figure out what BTU rating you need for your home. 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When talking about air conditioners, the BTU rating corresponds to how much space an air conditioner can adequately cool. Getting an AC unit with an adequate BTU rating is important \u2013 too little power, and your AC unit won\u2019t cool your room, too much, and you run into other problems like inefficiency and feature failure \u2013 but figuring out how much you need might be a bit of a head scratcher. In this guide, learn about BTUs, what they are, why the right rating is important, and how to figure out what BTU rating you need for your home. 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