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BTU per Hour (BTU/h) - Unit Information & Conversion

Symbol:BTU/h
Plural:BTU/h
Category:Power

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What is a BTU per Hour?

BTU per hour (BTU/h) measures heat transfer rate, standard for HVAC and air conditioning capacity. 1 BTU/h = 0.293 W. Air conditioners rated in BTU/h (5,000-36,000 typical). 12,000 BTU/h = 1 ton of refrigeration.

History of the BTU per Hour

Became standard HVAC unit in early-to-mid 1900s with residential air conditioning. Still dominant in US HVAC industry despite global metric adoption. Critical for sizing heating and cooling systems.

Quick Answer

What is BTU/h? BTU per hour (BTU/h or BTUH) measures heating or cooling power. Standard for US air conditioners and furnaces. Window AC: 5,000-12,000 BTU/h. Central AC: 18,000-60,000 BTU/h. 12,000 BTU/h = 1 ton = 3.52 kW. Use our power converter for conversions.

Definition

1 BTU/h = 0.293 W = 0.000293 kW

Key equivalents:

  • 3,412 BTU/h = 1 kW
  • 12,000 BTU/h = 1 ton of refrigeration = 3.52 kW
  • 1 BTU/h = 0.2931 W

Common Uses

Air Conditioning: Window units (5,000-18,000 BTU/h), central systems (18,000-60,000 BTU/h). Furnaces: Home heating (40,000-150,000 BTU/h input). Water Heaters: Gas water heaters (30,000-50,000 BTU/h). HVAC Design: Load calculations, equipment sizing, ductwork design.

Real-World Examples

Air Conditioner Sizing

  • Small room (150 sq ft): 5,000 BTU/h
  • Medium room (300 sq ft): 8,000-10,000 BTU/h
  • Large room (500 sq ft): 12,000-14,000 BTU/h
  • Whole home (1,500 sq ft): 36,000 BTU/h (3 tons)
  • Whole home (2,500 sq ft): 60,000 BTU/h (5 tons)

Rule of thumb: 20-25 BTU/h per square foot (varies by climate, insulation, ceiling height)

Furnace Output

  • Small home: 40,000-60,000 BTU/h
  • Medium home (1,500 sq ft): 60,000-90,000 BTU/h
  • Large home (2,500 sq ft): 90,000-150,000 BTU/h
  • Note: Input BTU/h > output BTU/h due to efficiency losses

Water Heaters

  • Tank gas water heater: 30,000-50,000 BTU/h
  • Tankless gas: 150,000-200,000 BTU/h (higher power, on-demand)
  • Electric (for comparison): 4,500 W = 15,350 BTU/h

Appliance Heat Output

  • Gas range burner: 5,000-15,000 BTU/h per burner
  • Gas oven: 16,000-20,000 BTU/h
  • Gas fireplace: 20,000-40,000 BTU/h
  • Portable heater: 4,000-15,000 BTU/h

BTU per Hour Conversion Formulas

To Watt:

1 BTU/h = 0.293071 W
Example: 5 BTU/h = 1.465355 watts

To Milliwatt:

1 BTU/h = 293.07107 mW
Example: 5 BTU/h = 1465.355351 milliwatts

To Kilowatt:

1 BTU/h = 0.000293 kW
Example: 5 BTU/h = 0.001465 kilowatts

To Megawatt:

1 BTU/h = 2.9307e-7 MW
Example: 5 BTU/h = 0.000001 megawatts

To Gigawatt:

1 BTU/h = 2.9307e-10 GW
Example: 5 BTU/h = 1.4654e-9 gigawatts

To Horsepower:

1 BTU/h = 0.000393 hp
Example: 5 BTU/h = 0.001965 horsepower

To Metric Horsepower:

1 BTU/h = 0.000398 PS
Example: 5 BTU/h = 0.001992 PS

To Electric Horsepower:

1 BTU/h = 0.000393 hp(E)
Example: 5 BTU/h = 0.001964 hp(E)

To BTU per Minute:

1 BTU/h = 0.016667 BTU/min
Example: 5 BTU/h = 0.083333 BTU/min

To BTU per Second:

1 BTU/h = 0.000278 BTU/s
Example: 5 BTU/h = 0.001389 BTU/s

To Foot-pound per Second:

1 BTU/h = 0.216158 ft⋅lb/s
Example: 5 BTU/h = 1.080791 ft⋅lb/s

To Foot-pound per Minute:

1 BTU/h = 12.969488 ft⋅lb/min
Example: 5 BTU/h = 64.847439 ft⋅lb/min

To Calorie per Second:

1 BTU/h = 0.070046 cal/s
Example: 5 BTU/h = 0.350228 cal/s

To Kilocalorie per Hour:

1 BTU/h = 0.252164 kcal/h
Example: 5 BTU/h = 1.260822 kcal/h

To Ton of Refrigeration:

1 BTU/h = 0.000083 TR
Example: 5 BTU/h = 0.000417 TR

To Erg per Second:

1 BTU/h = 2930710.701722 erg/s
Example: 5 BTU/h = 14653553.50861 erg/s

To Joule per Second:

1 BTU/h = 0.293071 J/s
Example: 5 BTU/h = 1.465355 J/s

Frequently Asked Questions

Basic calculation: Room square footage × 20-25 BTU/h Adjustments:

  • Sunny room: Add 10%
  • Shaded room: Subtract 10%
  • Kitchen: Add 4,000 BTU/h
  • More than 2 people: Add 600 BTU/h per person
  • High ceilings (>8 ft): Add 10-20% Examples:
  • 200 sq ft bedroom: 4,000-5,000 BTU/h (5,000 BTU window unit)
  • 400 sq ft living room: 8,000-10,000 BTU/h (10,000 BTU window unit)
  • 1,500 sq ft home: 30,000-36,000 BTU/h (2.5-3 ton central AC) [BTU/h calculator for HVAC sizing]

Convert BTU per Hour

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BTU per Hour Quick Info

BTU/h
Symbol:BTU/h
Category:Power
System:Various
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