Question: How many BTUs do I need to heat 1,500 sq ft? How many square feet will 30,000 BTU heat?
Example: To heat 1,500 sq ft home, you will need anywhere between 45,000 BTU and 90,000 BTU.
These kinds of questions are very common when planning your heating needs. Adequately estimating how many BTUs you need to heat up your home is essential. The purpose of the ‘Heating BTU Calculator’ below is to pinpoint how many BTUs of heat your need as precisely as possible.
BTU or ‘British Thermal Unit’ is a unit of heat. 1 BTU is enough heat to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water by 1°F. US households require anywhere from 20,000 BTU to 300,000 BTU of heating output in the winter.
To calculate how many BTU of heating output you need, you have to know only 3 factors:
- Total square footage of your home, or the place you want to heat up in winter. This can be anything from a 150 sq ft room to a 3,000+ sq ft house.
- Your climate zone. Heating a house in Miami, Florida will obviously require less heating BTUs than heating a house in Chicago, Illinois.
To use the heating BTU calculator, you will first need to measure the place you want to heat up. You need to know if you’re heating up a 1,000 sq ft, 1,500 sq ft, or a 3,000 sq ft home, or a 400 sq ft room, for example.
Secondly, you need to figure out what climate zone you live in. That will determine how many BTU per sq ft you need for heating (more on that later on). The United States is divided into 7 main climate zones or regions. Example: Miami, Florida, is in Climate Zone 2 and requires 35 BTU of heat per sq ft. Chicago, Illinois, is in Climate Zone 5 and requires 50 BTU of heat per sq ft.
To help you figure out which climate zone you should input into the heating BTU calculator, you can use this map by Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy:
With this information, you can use the Heating BTU Calculator to get a basic idea of how many BTUs you need to heat your home.
We will also explain how many square feet does a heater (furnace, space heater, etc.) with certain BTU output heat. On top of that, we will solve a few heating BTU examples below, and if you don’t find an answer, you can use the comment section and we’ll try to help you out.
Here is this handy and simple-to-use calculator for heating BTUs:
Heating BTU Calculator (Insert Sq Ft And Climate Zone)
Here is a short example of how this calculator works:
Let’s say you have a 1,200 sq ft home in Nashville, Tennessee. You’re trying to figure out how many BTU should a furnace or a central heating system produce to adequately keep your home warm during winter.
Before using the heating BTU calculator, you consult the climate zone map above and see that Nashville falls into the Climate Zone 4 region. With that, you can insert both 1,200 sq ft and ‘Climate Zone 4’ into the calculator and get the estimate of how many BTU you would need to keep your home adequately heated like this:
As you can see, the best estimate is that you will require 54,000 BTU of heating during the winter season.
Now, there are two kinds of questions people ask when calculating the heating BTU. These are:
- How many BTUs do I need to heat X square feet? X designates the size of a home; usually between 500 and 5,000 BTUs.
- How many square feet will X BTU heat? X here designated the numbers of BTUs (British Thermal Units). This is a very relevant question when deciding about the size of space heaters; not furnaces or central heating systems. Normally, we speak anywhere from 1,000 BTU to 30,000 BTU here.
To help you get some answers, we have calculated two heating BTUs tables for each question:
How Many BTUs Do I Need To Heat My Home? (Table 1)
Using the BTU heating calculator, we can estimate how much heating output you require to heat a home with certain square footage.
To help you out, we’ve gathered the heating BTU requirements for 500 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft homes.
These BTU requirements have, depending on where in the US you live, quite a large interval. Example: How many BTU do I need to heat 1,500 square feet?
Answer: 45,000 BTU – 90,000 BTU. The exact number depends on where you live. If you live in Climate Zone 1 (very hot climate), you will require 45,000 BTU. If you live near the Canadian border – Climate Zone 7 (very cold climate), you’ll need 90,000 BTU. Most people live somewhere in between and will require around 67,500 BTUs. We’ll designate that as the “standard climate” in the BTU heating table below:
Heating BTUs Table (Rough Estimates)
| Home Size (Heating): | Standard Climate | Very Cold Climate | Very Hot Climate |
| 500 square feet | 22,500 BTU | 30,000 BTU | 15,000 BTU |
| 1,000 square feet | 45,000 BTU | 60,000 BTU | 30,000 BTU |
| 1,500 square feet | 67,500 BTU | 90,000 BTU | 45,000 BTU |
| 2,000 square feet | 90,000 BTU | 120,000 BTU | 60,000 BTU |
| 2,500 square feet | 112,500 BTU | 150,000 BTU | 75,000 BTU |
| 3,000 square feet | 135,000 BTU | 180,000 BTU | 90,000 BTU |
| 3,500 square feet | 157,500 BTU | 210,000 BTU | 105,000 BTU |
| 4,000 square feet | 180,000 BTU | 240,000 BTU | 120,000 BTU |
| 4,500 square feet | 202,500 BTU | 270,000 BTU | 135,000 BTU |
| 5,000 square feet | 225,000 BTU | 300,000 BTU | 150,000 BTU |
How Many Square Feet Will 1,000 – 30,000 BTU Heat?
In much the same way, we can answer how many square feet will a heater with certain heating output (expressed in BTU) heat.
| Heating Output: | Square Footage (Standard Climate) | Square Footage (Very Cold Climate) | Square Footage (Very Hot Climate) |
| 1,000 BTU | 22,2 sq ft | 16,6 sq ft | 33,3 sq ft |
| 3,000 BTU | 66,6 sq ft | 33,3 sq ft | 100 sq ft |
| 5,000 BTU | 111,1 sq ft | 83,3 sq ft | 166,6 sq ft |
| 10,000 BTU | 222,2 sq ft | 166,6 sq ft | 333,3 sq ft |
| 15,000 BTU | 333,3 sq ft | 250 sq ft | 500 sq ft |
| 20,000 BTU | 444,4 sq ft | 333,3 sq ft | 666,6 sq ft |
| 25,000 BTU | 555,5 sq ft | 416,6 sq ft | 833,3 sq ft |
| 30,000 BTU | 666,6 sq ft | 500 sq ft | 1000 sq ft |
Now you can answer how many square feet will a 5,000 BTU heat. On average, it can heat about a 110 sq ft room. In the cold north, 5,000 BTU will be enough to heat 80 sq ft, and in the hot south, you will be able to heat a 170 sq ft room with such a space heater.
Let’s look at one example:
How Many Square Feet Will 40,000 BTU Heat? (Example)
Let’s say we have a 40,000 BTU heater (it could be a house heater or a 40,000 BTU patio heater).
Let’s also presume we live in a standard climate (Climate Zone 3). In this climate zone, you will need about 40 BTU to heat 1 sq ft of space.
Here’s how many square feet can a 40,000 BTU heat:
Area = 40,000 BTU / 40 BTU per sq ft = 1,000 sq ft
In a standard climate, 40,000 BTU is enough to heat a 1,000 sq ft area. Obviously, if you live in colder climate, a 40,000 BTU heater will heat an area below 1,000 sq ft. If you live in a warmer climate, 40,000 BTU will heat more than 1,000 sq ft area.
The key question, as you can see, is in which Climate Zone you live. Based on Climate Zone, you know how many BTU of heat you need per square foot.
Let’s have a look at how many BTU of heat you need in a specific Climate Zone:
How Many BTU Of Heat Do You Need Per Square Foot? (Depends On Climate Zone)
To create a heating BTU calculator, you need to know how many BTU of heat per square feet you need in a certain climate zone. Obviously, in the cold north, you will need more BTUs per square foot than in the warm south. How many BTUs exactly?
Here is a neat table with heating BTUs per square foot for all 7 Climate Zones (check the heating map above with Climate Zones for reference):
| Climate Zone | BTUs Per Sq Ft |
| Climate Zone 1 | 30 BTU per sq ft |
| Climate Zone 2 | 35 BTU per sq ft |
| Climate Zone 3 | 40 BTU per sq ft |
| Climate Zone 4 | 45 BTU per sq ft |
| Climate Zone 5 | 50 BTU per sq ft |
| Climate Zone 6 | 55 BTU per sq ft |
| Climate Zone 7 | 60 BTU per sq ft |
As you can see, in the north, you need about double the heating output to heat 1 square foot compared to the extreme south.
Example: With 35,000 BTU, you can heat a 1,000 sq ft home in Florida. If you’re from Chicago, a 35,000 BTU heater will adequately heat a 600 sq ft home.
You can also check a similar BTU calculator for air conditioning here.
If you need additional advice, you can give us some insight into how big a home you need to heat and where, and we’ll do our best to help you out with the heating BTU calculation.
Table of Contents
FAQs
How many heating BTUs do you need per square foot? ›
Warmer climates along the southern part of the United States - considered Zone 1 or 2 - require 30-40 BTU per square foot. The middle part of the country - Zone 3 and 4 - require between 40-45 BTU per square foot, while the northern areas of Zone 5 need up to 60 BTUs per square foot.
How many BTUs do I need to heat 1500 square feet? ›A 1,500-square-foot home will require between 45,000 to 90,000 BTUs. A 1,800-square-foot home will require between 55,000 to 110,000 BTUs. A 2,100-square-foot home will require between 65,000 to 125,000 BTUs. A 2,400-square-foot home will require between 75,000 to 145,000 BTUs.
How many BTUs do you need to heat 2000 square feet? ›How Many BTUs to heat a 2000 sq ft house. To heat a 2,000 square foot home, you will need approximately 40,000 BTU's of heating power.
How do I calculate what size heater I need? ›To calculate the size of unit heater required for your space, use the following formula: Calculate the cubic footage of the space to be heated by multiplying building length x width x ceiling height. A 30 x 40 pole barn with 14-foot average ceilings* will have (30x40x14=) 16,800 cubic feet of space to heat.
How do I calculate how much heat I need for my room? ›How is your room's BTU requirement calculated? A room's BTU requirement is based upon the cubic volume of the space – the height, length and the width of the room multiplied by four (done for you by our calculator) – and what is above, below and besides the room.
How many square feet will a 80000 BTU furnace heat? ›80 X 1,000 square feet = 80,000 BTUs.
What size furnace do I need for 2000 square feet? ›A mid-sized home of 2,000 square feet would need approximately 50,000 to 60,000 Btu to heat it properly. With a less efficient furnace operating at 80 percent efficiency this would require a 60,000- to 72,000-Btu furnace.
How many BTU do I need to heat a 12x12 room? ›Usually, a 12 x 12 room needs 5,000 BTU of cooling capacity when used by two people. If the space is not getting direct sunlight, you only need 4,500 BTU. However, depending on how many people use the room, it can take upwards of 6,000 BTU to cool a 12 x 12 space.
How many BTUs do I need for 1000 square feet? ›Area = 40,000 BTU / 40 BTU per sq ft = 1,000 sq ft
In a standard climate, 40,000 BTU is enough to heat a 1,000 sq ft area. Obviously, if you live in colder climate, a 40,000 BTU heater will heat an area below 1,000 sq ft. If you live in a warmer climate, 40,000 BTU will heat more than 1,000 sq ft area.
| Room/Area Size | Heating Capacity(BTU) |
|---|---|
| 1,300 sq ft | 59,000-71,000 BTU |
| 1,400 sq ft | 63,000-77,000 BTU |
| 1,500 sq ft | 68,000-82,000 BTU |
| 1,600 sq ft | 72,000-88,000 BTU |
What size furnace do I need for 1700 sq ft house? ›
If you have a 2,000-square-foot home, this rule of thumb suggests you need a 60,000 BTU heat pump.
How many BTU do I need for a 2500 square foot house? ›Determining the Square Footage
In colder climates, you'll want a furnace that generates 40 to 45 BTUs per square foot. At this amount, you'll need 100,000-112,500 BTU furnace to heat a home of 2,500 square feet.
But you can also determine size by considering an A/C needs 20 BTU per square foot. Another method calculates BTU capacity by multiplying square footage by 35, which would yield: 100 to 150 ft2: 3,500 to 5,250 BTUs. 300 to 350 ft2: 10,500 to 12,250 BTUs.
How many Btus do I need to heat a 24x24 garage? ›There is a basic rule of thumb for forced-air heaters, which is to heat a two- to 2-1/2 car garage and a three-car garage with 60,000 Btu.
How many BTU do I need for a 20x20 room? ›As a general rule, a 20×20 feet or 400 square feet room should use a 12,000 BTU or 1 Ton air conditioner. If your room is heavily shaded, you can save cost by using a 9,000 BTU or 0.75 Ton air conditioner.
What size electric furnace do I need for a 2000 square foot home? ›For a space of 800 to 900 square feet, such as a small home or two-bedroom townhouse, the recommendation is between 30,000 and 45,000 BTUs. An average 2,000-square foot home will need between 80,000 and 115,000 BTUs to heat efficiently.
What happens if your furnace is too big for your house? ›An Oversized Furnace Causes Your System To Short Cycle
When you have a heating system that is too large, your thermostat will read a higher temperature. Consequently, your furnace will turn off too soon to heat the rest of your house. This dilemma is referred to as short cycling.
It's better to be a little undersized than oversized, You'll get a little longer run time, but it's better than shortcycling.
How many square feet will a 80000 BTU furnace heat? ›80 X 1,000 square feet = 80,000 BTUs.
What size furnace do I need for 2000 square feet? ›
A mid-sized home of 2,000 square feet would need approximately 50,000 to 60,000 Btu to heat it properly. With a less efficient furnace operating at 80 percent efficiency this would require a 60,000- to 72,000-Btu furnace.
How many BTUs do I need for 1000 square feet? ›In a standard climate, 40,000 BTU is enough to heat a 1,000 sq ft area. Obviously, if you live in colder climate, a 40,000 BTU heater will heat an area below 1,000 sq ft. If you live in a warmer climate, 40,000 BTU will heat more than 1,000 sq ft area.
How many square feet will a 12000 BTU heat pump? ›12,000 BTU – ~550 sq. ft to ~800 sq.