The hot season of each year makes more and more people decide to buy an air conditioner or replace their old units with a more powerful one that cools a room and avoids the discomfort of sweating.
Air conditioners use the British Thermal Unit (BTU) as a measure of their level of cooling., which defines the power and size of the equipment. The number of BTUs needed to guarantee room cooling depends on the area of the room, the number of people using it, the type of ceiling insulation, and the maximum ambient temperatures, among other factors.
If you are planning to buy an air conditioner, you should know how to choose the ideal equipment for your space.
Guide to buy your air conditioner
The first thing you should do is calculate the area of the room What do you want to cool? To calculate the area you must measure the width and length of the room in meters and multiply that value. This formula can help you: Area = width x length.
Later, You multiply the value of the area by 600 (if it is a residential environment) or by 800 (if it is a commercial environment). This distinction is made because commercial environments have a higher influx of people, which means more power is needed.
This is how you get the BTU of the air conditioner you need:
- BTU = Ar x 600. (Residential environment).
- BTU = Ar x 800 (Commercial environment).
You can consult the referential table to know how many BTUs you need depending on the area of your room. This table does not take into account the number of windows, outside temperatures or ceiling height.
| Area in square meters | residential environment | commercial environment |
|---|---|---|
| 9 m2 | 5,400 BTUs | 7,200 BTUs |
| 12 m2 | 7,200 BTUs | 9,600 BTUs |
| 15 m2 | 9,000 BTUs | 12,000 BTUs |
| 20 m2 | 12,000 BTUs | 16,000 BTUs |
| 25 m2 | 15,000 BTUs | 20,000 BTUs |
| 30 m2 | 18,000 BTUs | 24,000 BTUs |
| 35 m2 | 21,000 BTUs | 28,000 BTUs |
| 40 m2 | 24,000 BTUs | 32,000 BTUs |
| 45 m2 | 27,000 BTUs | 36,000 BTUs |
| 50 m2 | 30,000 BTUs | 40,000 BTUs |
| 60 m2 | 36,000 BTUs | 48,000 BTUs |
| 70 m2 | 42,000 BTUs | 56,000 BTUs |
| 80 m2 | 48,000 BTUs | 64,000 BTUs |
| 90 m2 | 54,000 BTUs | 72,000 BTUs |
| 100 m2 | 60,000 BTUs | 80,000 BTUs |
Remember that the values in the table are an approximation of the amount of BTUs that would be ideal for your space, but before making your purchase, the air conditioning professional will ask you other factors about the room in which you are going to place it.
Factors to take into account:
- Sun exposure (number and size) of windows
- space structure
- Number of people using the room
- Number of people entering and leaving the room
- Appliances that generate heat
- Weather
(YO)
Source: Eluniverso
Mabel is a talented author and journalist with a passion for all things technology. As an experienced writer for the 247 News Agency, she has established a reputation for her in-depth reporting and expert analysis on the latest developments in the tech industry.
