Ton of Refrigeration to BTU Converter

One ton of refrigeration (TR) equals exactly 12,000 BTU/hr. This is a fixed definition, not a measurement, so to convert tons to BTU/hr you multiply by 12,000, and to go the other way you divide BTU/hr by 12,000. For example, a 2 ton system is 24,000 BTU/hr.

A ton of refrigeration is the rate of cooling needed to freeze one short ton (2,000 lb) of water at 0 degrees Celsius into ice in 24 hours. It dates back to ice-making and is now the standard HVAC unit for chiller and large air conditioner capacity. By definition it equals 12,000 BTU/hr, which is the cooling rate, not the energy used to run the equipment.

Multiply tons by about 3.51685 to get kilowatts of cooling. One ton of refrigeration is defined as exactly 12,000 BTU/hr, but the kW result depends on the BTU-to-joule convention and displayed precision. Using the International Table BTU gives approximately 3.51685 kW per ton, so a 5 ton unit removes about 17.58 kW of heat.

No. The kW from this converter is cooling capacity (heat removed), not the electrical input the compressor pulls from the wall. A real unit draws less electrical power than its cooling output because of its efficiency rating (SEER or COP), so a 3.5 kW cooling system might only consume around 1 kW of electricity.

It uses the International Table BTU, defined as 1,055.05585262 joules. The refrigeration-ton definition is exactly 12,000 BTU/hr, while the displayed kW equivalent is approximate and depends on the selected BTU-to-joule convention and rounding.

Divide the BTU/hr rating by 12,000 to get tons. A 18,000 BTU/hr unit is 1.5 tons, 24,000 BTU/hr is 2 tons, and 36,000 BTU/hr is 3 tons. Residential central systems are typically sold in half-ton steps from 1.5 to 5 tons, which matches 18,000 to 60,000 BTU/hr.