Free · Thermodynamics and heat calculators 🌡️

Cooling Capacity: BTU/h, Watts and Refrigeration Tons

Convert positive heat-removal capacity between International Table BTUs per hour, watts with metric prefixes, and refrigeration tons using exact unit relationships.

  • Formula & worked example
  • Private in your browser
  • No signup
Go to tool

Calculator inputs

Loading calculator…

How to use this calculator

  1. Enter the known values in the units shown. Results update as you type.
  2. Where results are editable, change one to solve backwards. Lock a value to hold it fixed.
  3. Use the worked example to check the method. Reset restores the starting fields.

Private by default

Inputs and results stay in this browser tab. Bookify does not upload or store the values you enter.

Formula and method

One refrigeration ton is exactly 12,000 BTU (IT)/h, equal to about 3,516.852842 W or 3.516852842 kW of heat-removal capacity.

TR = Q_BTU(IT)/h / 12000; Q_W = Q_BTU(IT)/h × 1055.05585262 / 3600.

Worked example

Enter these known values and leave the other values blank.

Heat-removal rate in BTU (IT)/h
12000 BTU (IT)/h
Refrigeration capacity in tons
1 TR
Heat-removal rate in watts
3516.85 W

Assumptions and limitations

  • The BTU convention is International Table (IT): one BTU (IT) is 1055.05585262 J. One hour is 3600 seconds and one refrigeration ton is 12000 BTU (IT)/h. Thermochemical or temperature-specific BTU definitions are different.
  • These are heat-transfer power units. BTU alone is energy, BTU/h is power and a refrigeration ton is a cooling-capacity unit rather than equipment mass.
  • Cooling capacity is heat-removal rate, not compressor or whole-system electrical input. Electrical input requires an efficiency/performance model and operating conditions.
  • This retained captured model requires positive capacities. Zero/off-state and negative signed heat flow are outside its input domain. Every linear inverse is available by entering one known capacity and clearing other knowns.
  • This conversion does not size an air conditioner, estimate a building heat load, assign efficiency, or determine a unit’s real output at a particular ambient temperature. Actual capacity depends on equipment and rating conditions.

Common questions

Is one refrigeration ton a ton of equipment weight?

No. It is a heat-removal power unit defined as 12000 BTU (IT) per hour.

Is cooling kilowatt capacity the electrical consumption?

No. Cooling capacity measures removed heat per second. Electrical input depends on system performance and operating conditions.

Can I convert a BTU energy total directly?

This tool expects a rate in BTU per hour. To convert total energy to power, first specify the time over which it is transferred.

References

A refrigeration ton is defined as 12000 International Table BTUs per hour. Replace the captured rounded ton and watt ratios with this definition and the exact IT BTU of 1055.05585262 J divided by 3600 seconds/hour. Correct all four linear variants together; no dividing unknown or nonunique inverse is introduced. The power unit uses the International Table BTU per hour consistently with the reviewed energy convention.

Explore thermodynamics and heat calculators 🌡️ or browse all physics calculators.