Skip to main content
BTU to Tons

MBH to BTU/hr Calculator

Multiply MBH by 1,000 to get BTU per hour (BTU/hr).

MBH means thousands of BTU per hour, as on a spec sheet or equipment schedule.

MBH (kBTU/hr)

Common values

Cooling capacity

Enter a value in MBH (kBTU/hr) to see it in BTU/hr.

What MBH means

MBH means thousand BTU per hour: 1 MBH = 1,000 BTU/hr. The M stands for thousand, not million. It is the same unit as kBTU/hr.

MMBTU/hr is a different unit: 1 MMBTU/hr is 1,000,000 BTU/hr, or 1,000 MBH.

Worked example

36 MBH equals 36,000 BTU/hr.

36 × 1,000 = 36,000 BTU/hr

Heating and cooling ratings

The conversion is the same for heating and cooling capacity: 1 MBH is always 1,000 BTU/hr.

A spec sheet can list more than one MBH figure. Check which one you're reading before you compare.

Refrigeration tons describe cooling capacity: 1 ton is 12,000 BTU/hr, so 36 MBH is 3 tons.