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how many btu is a fireplace

by Amanda Haley III Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

How to calculate BTUs for fireplaces?

How to Calculate BTUs for Fireplaces. 1. Measure the length of the room with the measuring tape. 2. Measure the width of the room. 3. Measure the height of the ceiling. 4. Multiply all three figures. 5. Read your monthly gas bill to find gas usage in cubic feet per hour.

How many BTUs do you need in your fireplace?

  • Up to 400sqft – Conventional fan heater electric fireplace
  • Up to 800sqft – Built-in electric fireplace that is hard-wired into 240V
  • Up to 1000sqft – Infrared electric fireplaces

How many BTU per hour does a fireplace use?

How many BTU does a gas fireplace use? Gas Fireplaces Log sets may use anywhere from 60,000 to 90,000 BTUs per hour and are very inefficient for heating, since most of the heat goes right up the chimney.

How many BTU do I need to heat a house?

In warmer climates, multiply this number by 10 - 15. In more moderate climates, multiply by 20 - 30. And in cold climates multiply the square foot number by 30 - 40. For example, if you’re trying to heat 1000 square feet in a cold climate, 30,000 - 40,000 BTU’s will add significant warm air to your home.

How many BTUs is a typical gas fireplace?

Gas Fireplaces Log sets may use anywhere from 60,000 to 90,000 BTUs per hour and are very inefficient for heating, since most of the heat goes right up the chimney. Gas fireplaces come in a much larger range of BTU outputs, from about 10,000 to 70,000 BTUs, and they heat more effectively.

How do I know the BTU of my gas fireplace is?

Go over your monthly gas bill, looking for gas usage in cubic feet per hour. Divide total cubic feet of gas by the number of hours of fireplace operation during that month – some find that tracking fireplace usage helps here. Multiply the figure you get by 1,000, and you have your BTU rating.

What is the heat of a fireplace?

A fireplace typically has three settings: low, medium and high. A low setting generates less than 400 degrees Fahrenheit of heat; a medium setting generates more than 400 but less than 750 degrees Fahrenheit of heat; and a high setting generates more than 750 degrees Fahrenheit of heat.

How many square feet will a 30000 BTU gas fireplace heat?

How Many Square Feet Will 1,000 – 30,000 BTU Heat?Heating Output:Square Footage (Standard Climate)Square Footage (Very Hot Climate)15,000 BTU333,3 sq ft500 sq ft20,000 BTU444,4 sq ft666,6 sq ft25,000 BTU555,5 sq ft833,3 sq ft30,000 BTU666,6 sq ft1000 sq ft4 more rows

Is 50 000 BTU good for a fire pit?

While you need a fire pit with a heat output of 50000 – 60000 BTU to warm up a larger area. The pit with 70000 BTU (or above) is considered the most powerful that effectively work to heat up the area quickly, but they are a bit hard to use.

Is 40 000 BTU good for a fire pit?

A BTU of between 40,000 and 150,000 BTUs is ideal for a fire pit.

Does a fireplace really heat a room?

Fireplaces won't be able to heat a room as well as a wood stove is able to, but you'll still feel warmth sitting nearer to an open fire. Wood burning fireplaces aren't known for their ability to generate large amounts of heat for a room.

Can fireplace heat whole house?

Absolutely! And many houses already have a fireplace. It's just a matter of using it to bring some much-desired warmth into your home. That said, unlike central air, no fireplace is going to be able to properly heat your entire home at once.

How much heat does a wood fireplace produce?

How hot does a wood fireplace get? The amount of heat produced by a wood fireplace from Regency varies greatly, however, typical units produce between 38,000 and 80,000 BTU's, enough to heat any sized room.

What size room will a 20000 BTU heater heat?

To determine the number of BTUs per square foot that you need to heat a room, simply multiply the square footage by 20 BTUs per square foot. For example, if a room has 1,000 square feet, you would require 20,000 BTUs to heat it.

How many BTU do I need to heat a 20x20 room?

How many btu do I need to heat 3,000 square feet?Room/Area SizeHeating Capacity(BTU)Examples300 sq ft12,000-16,000 BTUEfficiency apartment. 12x24 garage400 sq ft18,000-22,000 BTU20x20 room or garage500 sq ft22,000-27,000 BTUStudio/1-bedroom apartment, Tiny house600 sq ft27,000-33,000 BTU20x30 room, 24x24 garage19 more rows•Apr 21, 2022

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.

How Many BTUs Is An Electric Fireplace?

For most homes (and most spaces inside the home) you’ll want to look at units with between 5000 and 9000 BTUs per hour.

How are BTUs measured for electric fireplaces?

Electric fireplace BTUs are measured in British Thermal Units just like gas fireplaces and all other types of heaters . If you're looking to replace a traditional wood-burning or gas-fueled device then be sure to check out the size recommendations provided by your dealer before making any final decisions, but if it's already been determined that an insert will provide sufficient heating capabilities for your needs without being too powerful either way from the get-go then simply compare its cubic footage volume with existing products to determine whether or not it'll fit correctly into the desired location. Be careful because some manufacturers may use different measurements such as heat coverage which should also be taken into consideration when comparing prices between various models designed for similar-sized rooms even though they might look very different from the outside.

Why is a high BTU rating important?

A high BTU rating ensures that your unit will produce quick results in heating small or medium-sized rooms without being too overly intense once it reaches its optimal level. This means that you’ll feel comfortable sitting next to the fireplace even after it’s been running for several minutes. However, electric fireplaces are not designed to replace central heating during cold winter months; they’re best suited as supplemental heaters meant mainly for decoration purposes but which also provide additional warmth when needed most (for example; on chilly evenings).

How do fireplace inserts work?

Fireplace inserts are designed specifically to fit into existing fireplaces and can provide a more realistic flame display by using an electric heating element to warm the surrounding air. The combination of heated air rising up through the chimney flue with cool outside air moving in from its surroundings provides a gentle breeze effect which makes these inserts feel much more authentic than other types of electric fireplaces that require no ventilation for operation.

What is the purpose of BTU?

The primary role of BTU is to measure the amount of heat that an appliance can generate, and it’s useful for determining which electric fireplace you should purchase . The question now becomes: How do you determine how many BTUs are necessary? It will depend on a variety of factors including space size, room function/purpose (living room or bedroom), overall energy efficiency desired, etc…

How long does an electric fireplace last?

If properly cared for, most electric fireplaces will last over 20 years before they need replacing which is more than many of their gas-burning counterparts due to the extremely hot temperatures reached during operation.

How does an electric fireplace save energy?

By using infrared heat technology electric fireplaces can make your home more energy-efficient because they directly provide warmth in the area where it's needed most without wasting electricity on powering up cold spots that are further away from its location. Most modern models use only about one-sixth as much power compared to space heaters without sacrificing too much range either, thus allowing you to enjoy substantial savings throughout winter months when used correctly. In addition, these units are designed with built-in timers so you don't have to worry about them running for extended periods at night or while you're at work during the day which also contributes towards energy savings.

How Many BTUs Is An Electric Fireplace?

BTU, which stands for British Thermal Unit, is a standard of measurement used to represent the power of an electric fireplace and therefore the heat output.

How much heat does an electric fireplace generate?

However, most electric fireplaces can only generate the maximum amount of heat from a 120V supply, which can be around 5000BTUs based on a plug-in connection to a nearby electrical outlet.

How many BTUs does a Dimplex fireplace produce?

This can be seen in the example that we used earlier, where if the Dimplex Revillusion Built-In Electric Fireplace is hard-wired into your home electrics then it can produce up to 8794B TUs and heat up to 800sqft of area, from 240V.

What is BTU rating?

BTUs are the standard measurement of heat output from an electric fireplace. The higher the BTU rating the more heat an electric fireplace can produce. The heater technology will have a larger impact on the size of room an electric fireplace is able to heat compared to the BTUs. For heating larger rooms up to 1000sqft look to buy an infrared ...

What type of heater does an infrared fireplace use?

Infrared electric fireplaces use an infrared heater instead of a fan heater.

How much space does a fan forced electric fireplace heat?

Conventional fan forced electric fireplaces will typically be able to heat spaces up to 400sqft, while those that can be hard-wired in may be able to heat up to 800sqft.

Is an infrared fireplace better than a fan?

Infrared electric fireplaces are therefore more ideal when it comes to heating larger areas compared to fan forced electric fireplaces, even though the BTUs are shown to be only slightly more.

Why is it important to check the BTU of an appliance?

It's important to check the BTU of an appliance to ensure that it’s in the proper BTU range for what you need. An insufficient fireplace BTU rating, for example, will operate all the time and still leave you cold. However, you don't want to spend too much money on a unit that produces far more BTU than what your home needs.

What is BTU in cooling?

Cooling – Since BTUs are used to measure the amount of energy required to heat a pound of water , you’re probably wondering how this works as a form of measurement for cooling devices. The BTU number on cooling devices measures the amount of energy used to remove heat from the air rather than the amount of heat output.

What is the purpose of BTU?

For hundreds of years, BTUs have been used to measure energy and it’s the most widely used thermal measurement for determining heating and cooling capacity. The BTU rating of an appliance indicates how powerful it is. This is referred to as the BTU per hour rating. A heater that has 12,000 BTU on the label can produce 12,000 BTUs per hour.

How to compare energy sources?

For instance, you can compare energy sources by converting electricity, propane, natural gas, or wood into BTUs. Wood burning fireplaces, heaters, outdoor grills, ovens & stoves, and other common home appliances all measure their energy output in BTUs, as well as refrigerators and other cooling devices like window air conditioners, portable air conditioners, central air conditioners.

What is the difference between a 9 foot ceiling and a high ceiling?

High ceilings add to the room's overall volume and use more energy to heat or cool the air than standard 9-foot ceilings.

Do you need more BTU for insulation?

Depending on the type and quality of insulation you have, you may require more or less than the standard BTU suggestion. Here’s a little truth bomb: If your home is very drafty or poorly insulated, it's as if you're paying to heat the outside of your house as well.

How Much Will It Cost To Run An Electric Fireplace?

On average, an electric fireplaces uses 1.5 kW per hour, which comes down to a total cost of $0,21 per hour. When turned on for 8 hours on end, it costs $1,68.

Are Electric Fireplaces Dangerous?

An electric fireplace, in and of itself, is not dangerous. Although, there are some user errors that could potentially make it a hazard. You would not want to plug in an 240v fireplace into your 120v outlet. Also, the portion of the unit where the heat comes out can become very hot to touch and could cause injury to small children, if left unattended.

Can An Electric Fireplace Heat A Room?

A standard electric fireplace that can be plugged into a standard outlet gives off about 5000 BTUs, which is enough to heat a room. Electric fireplaces are great heating units.

What does BTU mean on a fireplace?

Most fireplaces and stoves do have a BTU rating. That rating is the BTU input. It means that the fireplace is taking in an amount of fuel (wood, gas, pellet, ethanol) to produce fire. The efficiency percentage will tell you the net output you will be getting inside the room. For instance, let’s use the Ambiance Intrigue Fireplace:

How many BTU per hour is a room?

The output for your room will then be 28,005 BTU per hour (39,500 x 0.709) when running on high.

What is the net output of a room?

The net output to your room would be 26,344 BTU.

Do you need to heat your home in every climate zone?

In every climate zone of the United States and Canada, you do need to heat your homes. Even the warm climate zone will need to turn on the heater for a few cool nights. What factors should you consider that do have an impact on how many BTUs are needed?

Do you want to warm up a single room or the entire house?

Do you want to warm up a single room or the entire home? If the goal is to supplement heat in our living room or family room, it will require less BTU than if you are aiming at the entire house. The size of the room is important, not only the length and width but also the height of the ceilings. If your house is an open concept, it would be ideal to include the whole open area for the dimensions of the room. Cathedral ceilings will also require as much as double the heat compared to a regular 8-foot ceiling.

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How Many BTUs Is An Electric fireplace?

How Many BTUs Do I Need For An Electric fireplace?

  • The higher the BTUs the more heat an electricfireplace is typically able to generate. However, most electric fireplaces can only generatethe maximum amount of heat from a 120V supply, which can be around 5000BTUsbased on a plug-in connection to a nearby electrical outlet. The difference of a couple of hundred BTUswill be fairly unnoticeable in real...
See more on fireplaceuniverse.com

Conclusion

  • BTUs are the standard measurement of heatoutput from an electric fireplace. The higher the BTU rating the more heat anelectric fireplace can produce. The heater technology will have a largerimpact on the size of room an electric fireplace is able to heat compared tothe BTUs For heating larger rooms up to 1000sqftlook to buy an infrared electric fireplace. Conventional fan f…
See more on fireplaceuniverse.com

Further Reading

  • The Ultimate Electric Fireplace Buying Guide Electric Fireplace Buying Guides For Each Type How Electric Fireplaces Work How Big Of A Room Will An Electric Fireplace Heat? How Long You Can Run An Electric Fireplace For Electric Fireplace Outlet Requirements
See more on fireplaceuniverse.com

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