Q&A Figuring BTU needs of a house

Question:

I need a formula for figuring the BTU needed to heat a home. Can you help?



Answer:

Rough Rule of thumb (depends on lots of factors) For maximum heat load of house in Mid-Atlantic area Take cubic feet of house (say a 2000 sf house with 8 foot ceilings) 16-000 CF Multiply time 4.5 === 72-000 BTU Out A poorly insulated home could lose double this heat- and a super tight one 1/2 the heat--but there's a start. Hope it helps...

There is a calculator which figures the heat needed for average rooms at the link below.

Link: Link to calculator which figures the heat needed f