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Mechanical / HVACaka: British Thermal Unitaka: MBHaka: BTUH

BTU

In Plain English

The standard unit for measuring heating and cooling energy in HVAC systems.

Definition

British Thermal Unit, the standard unit of heat energy used in the United States HVAC industry. One BTU is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit. HVAC equipment capacity is rated in BTUs per hour (BTU/h) or thousands of BTUs per hour (MBH), and cooling capacity is often expressed in tons (1 ton = 12,000 BTU/h).

Example

The apartment's 2-ton mini-split provides 24,000 BTU/h of cooling capacity for the 1,200 square foot unit.

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