Tons to kW Calculator

One refrigeration ton equals approximately 3.516853 cooling kW.

Cooling capacity

Enter a value in refrigeration tons to see it in cooling kW.

Tons to kW formula

Multiply refrigeration tons by 12,000 to get BTU/hr, then multiply by 0.2930710701722222 and divide by 1,000 to get cooling kW.

In one step, multiply tons by about 3.516853.

2 refrigeration tons equal 7.0337 cooling kW.

2 × 12,000 = 24,000 BTU/hr; 24,000 × 0.2930710702 ÷ 1,000 = 7.0337 cooling kW

Nominal AC sizes from half a ton to 5 tons, in BTU/hr and cooling kW.

Common ratings
Tons	BTU/hr	Cooling kW	Size class
0.5	6,000	1.7584	0.5 ton
0.75	9,000	2.6376	0.75 ton
1	12,000	3.5169	1 ton
1.25	15,000	4.3961	1.25 ton
1.5	18,000	5.2753	1.5 ton
2	24,000	7.0337	2 ton
2.5	30,000	8.7921	2.5 ton
3	36,000	10.5506	3 ton
3.5	42,000	12.309	3.5 ton
4	48,000	14.0674	4 ton
5	60,000	17.5843	5 ton

Cooling kW is not the electricity the AC uses.

A 3-ton AC has about 10.55 kW of cooling capacity. That is not 10.55 kW of electrical input.

To estimate electrical input, you need an efficiency rating or measured input watts.