Posted by Harold Kestenholz - Hydronic Network on September 28, 2001 at 09:16:59:
In Reply to: How to figure out btu's needed posted by brian on September 28, 2001 at 05:03:44:
Some people learned a rule of thumb called the "cube times 5 method of heat loss" that worked as a rough estimate for home heat estimates back in the 1960's. Houses are more highly insulated than before, as is yours, so that rule of thumb is twice as high as necessary and causes poor appliance performance today. You can do a complete heat estimate with full instructions for free at http://www.hydronic.net
Using your dimensions and specifications, without knowing the losses of windows or doors, the heat loss of your basement will be about 7000 btuh, so 12 feet of baseboard would do. It is best to check this rough estimate with the actual heat loss procedure that includes glass loss and air change.