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BTU to Tons

1 Ton to BTU Converter

1 refrigeration ton equals 12,000 BTU per hour. Multiply 1 by 12,000.

Enter the size in tons, like 1.5.

refrigeration tons
Cooling capacity

1 refrigeration ton equals 12,000 BTU per hour.

12,000BTU/hr

Sold as a 1 ton AC. Exact: 1 ton.

1 ton = the cooling of melting 2,000 lb of ice per day.
Cooling kW
3.5169

1 refrigeration ton = 12,000 BTU/hr. Cooling kW is cooling capacity, not electricity use.

  • Tons = BTU/hr ÷ 12,000
  • Cooling kW = BTU/hr × 0.2930710702 ÷ 1,000
Your numbers1 × 12,000 = 12,000
Decimal places

Common AC ratings

Choose a capacity to fill the calculator, or open its worked example.

Worked examples:6,0009,00012,00018,00024,00036,000

How the conversion works

Multiply 1 by 12,000 to calculate the capacity.

1 × 12,000 = 12,000 BTU/hr

Cooling capacity: 3.5169 cooling kW. Cooling kW is not the electricity the AC uses.

Compare 1 with 1.5 and 2 tons

Compare 1 with 1.5 and 2 tons
TonsBTU/hrCooling kWSize class
112,0003.51691 ton
1.518,0005.27531.5 ton
224,0007.03372 ton

Does 1 ton mean it fits my space?

A refrigeration ton is a capacity unit, equal to 12,000 BTU/hr; it is not the unit's weight.

There is no universal area-to-tonnage ratio. Room conditions, building design and climate affect the required capacity.

Whole-home systems require a separate load calculation.