AIR CONDITIONER

BTU to HP | BTU to Ton

| BTU to kW |
Conversion Tables
By Yu Chang Zhen

Updated on 14 August 2024

Many people get confused about BTU, Ton,

HP, and kW used in air conditioning. What
are they and what are their differences?

BTU, Ton, HP, and kW are the different

units of measurement for the cooling
capacity of an air conditioner. Most
people refer to the cooling capacity of an
air conditioner as BTU and Ton while
some people prefer to use HP and kW
when referring to the cooling capacity of
an air conditioner.

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Although all 4 units of measurement are

referring to the same thing, each unit has a
different number and they are all
interchangeable through conversion. You
also can use the below calculator to find the
air conditioning horsepower for a given BTU
or kW.

BTU to HP Calculator
Enter the cooling capacity of your air
conditioner in BTU (or btu/hr) to
calculate the equivalent air
conditioning horsepower:

Cooling Capacity

Enter the BTU BTU (or btu/hr)

Calculate Clear

Note: One air conditioning horsepower

is approximately 9,000 BTU. However,
horsepower is not an accurate
representation of the cooling capacity.
Read the explanation here.

kW to HP Calculator
Enter the cooling capacity of your air
conditioner in kilowatt (kW) to
calculate the equivalent air
conditioning horsepower:

Cooling Capacity

Enter the kW kW

Calculate Clear

Note: The kW used here is not the

power consumption of the air
conditioner. In some places, the
cooling capacity of air conditioners is
expressed in kW. One kW is
equivalent to 3412 BTU and one
horsepower is equivalent to 9000
BTU. That makes one kW equal to
0.379 HP.

BTU to Ton
Calculator
Enter the cooling capacity of your air
conditioner in BTU (or btu/hr) to
calculate the equivalent air
conditioning tonnage (refrigeration
ton):

Cooling Capacity

Enter the BTU BTU (or btu/hr)

Calculate Clear

Note: One ton of refrigeration is

equivalent to 12,000 BTU of cooling
capacity. Learn what is Ton or
refrigeration tonnage here.

Cooling Capacity
Conversion Tables
Air conditioners come in standard capacity.
The following tables show the unit
conversions from BTU and HP to Ton and
kW. The figure in the main unit column is the
typical cooling capacity in air conditioner
while the subsequent figures in the
equivalent unit columns are based on
mathematical conversions.

1 kW = 3,412 BTU
12,000 BTU = 1 Ton

Learn more

Main
Equival Equival Equival
Unit
ent HP ent Ton ent kW
(BTU)

9,000
1.0 HP 0.75 Ton 2.63 kW
BTU

12,000
1.5 HP 1 Ton 3.51 kW
BTU

18,000
2.0 HP 1.5 Ton 5.27 kW
BTU

24,000
2.5 HP 2. Ton 7.03 kW
BTU

30,000
3.0 HP 2.5 Ton 8.79 kW
BTU

36,000 10.55
3.5 HP 3 Ton
BTU kW

From BTU to Other Units

Main
Equivalent Equival Equival
Unit
BTU ent Ton ent kW
(HP)

0.70 –
8,500 – 2.49 –
1.0 HP 0.79
9,500 BTU 2.78 kW
Ton

11,500 – 0.95 –
3.37 –
1.5 HP 12,500 1.04
3.66 kW
BTU Ton

17,500 – 1.45 –
5.12 –
2.0 HP 18,500 1.54
5.42 kW
BTU Ton

20,500 – 1.70 –
6.00 –
2.5 HP 22,500 1.87
6.59 kW
BTU Ton

24,000 –
2 – 2.5 7.03 –
3.0 HP 30,000
Ton 8.79 kW
BTU

32,000 – 9.38 –
2.67 – 3
3.5 HP 36,000 10.55
Ton
BTU kW

From HP to Other Units

Main
Equivale Equival Equival
Unit
nt BTU ent HP ent kW
(Ton)

12,000
1 Ton 1.5 HP 3.51 kW
BTU

18,000
1.5 Ton 2.0 HP 5.27 kW
BTU

24,000
2 Ton 2.5 HP 7.03 kW
BTU

30,000
2.5 Ton 3.0 HP 8.79 kW
BTU

36,000 10.55
3 Ton 3.5 HP
BTU kW

48,000
4 Ton 5.0 HP 14.1 kW
BTU

60,000
5 Ton 6.5 HP 17.6 kW
BTU

From Ton to Other Units

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Main
Equivale Equival Equival
Unit
nt BTU ent HP ent Ton
(kW)

8,530
2.5 kW 1.0 HP 0.71 Ton
BTU

11,942
3.5 kW 1.5 HP 0.99 Ton
BTU

17,060
5.0 kW 2.0 HP 1.42 Ton
BTU

24,225
7.1 kW 2.5 HP 2.01 Ton
BTU

30,708
9.0 kW 3.0 HP 2.56 Ton
BTU

From kW to Other Units

As you can see, a standard 9000 BTU air

conditioner is equivalent (not mathematically)
to a 1.0 horsepower air conditioner which is
also equal to a 2.5 kW and a 0.75-ton air
conditioner.

Common BTU
Conversions
BTU is a widely used unit of measurement for
the cooling/heating capacity of air
conditioners. Although there is a fixed
conversion rate, BTU conversions often
meant for the conversion between the
capacity of air conditioners.

So, the conversion result is more useful when

present in terms of air conditioner capacity as
follow:

BTU to kW Conversion
9000 BTU is equivalent to 2.5 kW
12000 BTU is equivalent to 3.5 kW
18000 BTU is equivalent to 5.0 kW
24000 BTU is equivalent to 7.1 kW

BTU to Ton Conversion

9000 BTU is equivalent to 0.75 Ton
12000 BTU is equivalent to 1 Ton
18000 BTU is equivalent to 1.5 Tons
24000 BTU is equivalent to 2 Tons
30000 BTU is equivalent to 2.5 Tons

BTU to HP Conversion
9000 BTU is equivalent to 1 HP
12000 BTU is equivalent to 1.5 HP
18000 BTU is equivalent to 2 HP
24000 BTU is equivalent to 2.5 HP
30000 BTU is equivalent to 3 HP

In Malaysia, we use all 4 units of

measurements all the time and I find myself
keep pressing on my calculator when I’m
working on cooling capacity related work. So,
what are they?

How to Convert BTU to

HP?
BTU is the most common unit of
measurement for the capacity of air
conditioners. On the other hand, HP or
horsepower is a common unit of
measurement for the capacity of air
conditioners in certain regions.

To convert BTU to HP, divide BTU by

9000.

Generally, BTU divided by 9000 equals HP.

9000 BTU divided by 9000 is 1 HP. When
converting 12000 BTU to HP, round the
resulted HP to 1.5 as it is the standard HP
capacity for 12000 BTU air conditioners.
Similarly, a 24000 BTU air conditioner is
equivalent to a 2.5 HP air conditioner.

For compressor horsepower, we can divide

BTU by about 8500-9000 to estimate the
equivalent.

How to Convert BTU to

Ton?
BTU and Ton are two commonly used units of
measurement for the capacity of air
conditioners depending on the regions. Ton is
short form for refrigeration tonnage.

To convert BTU to Ton, divide BTU by

12000.

Mathematically, BTU divided by 12000

equals Ton. Hence 12000 BTU is equivalent
to 1 Ton. Similarly, a 9000 BTU air
conditioner is equivalent to a 0.75 Ton air
conditioner. Meanwhile, a 3 Ton air
conditioner is equivalent to a 36000 BTU air
conditioner.

In the meantime, I would like to inform you

that you can learn quicker by getting my
HVAC Begin (eBook) if you’re a beginner.
But, if you have a year or two of experience,
then I would suggest you consider my HVAC
Basics (eBook). Nonetheless, I encourage
you enroll in my HVAC Beginner Course: 10
Days to Become Competent in HVAC if you
want to equipped yourself with a complete
set of basic HVAC skills.

HVAC Beginner
Course
Learn the most basics and foundational
HVAC skills including cooling capacity
calculation, equipment selection, duct
sizing, pipe sizing, exhaust fan sizing,
controls, electrical and more.

Enroll Now

Btu/hr/sqft to W/sqm
Conversion
Most of the time, btu/hr/sqft is the easier
method used to estimate air conditioner size.
Many of the HVAC resources are spelled in
btu/hr. It posses a problem for SI unit users.

Take 60 btu/hr/sqft as an example. Here’s

how to convert it into W/sqm:

Recalling that 1 kW = 3412 btu/hr. So,

60 btu/hr/sqft ÷ 3412 = 0.0176 kW/sqft

Since 1 kW = 1000 W,
0.0176 kW/sqft x 1000 = 17.6 W/sqft

Now, 1 m = 10.76 sqft. So,

17.6 W/sqft x 10.76 = 189.38 W/sqm.

If we divide 189.39 by 60, we get a

conversion factor of 3.156. So now,
whenever we multiply 3.156 by a number in
btu/hr/sqft, we’ll convert it into W/sqm. For
example:

60 btu/hr/sqft x 3.156 = 189.36 W/sqm

80 btu/hr/sqft x 3.156 = 252.48 W/sqm
120 btu/hr/sqft x 3.156 = 378.72 W/sqm

With 3.156 being the conversion factor from

btu/hr/sqft to W/sqm, you can now switch
between the two at ease.

What is BTU in Air

Conditioning?
BTU stands for British Thermal Unit. BTU is a
measurement of heat energy. BTU is defined
as the amount of heat required to raise the
temperature of 1 lb of water by 1°F.

When using BTU to estimate the cooling

capacity of an air conditioner, time must be
factored in. For instance, one hour. In
another word, how much heat energy needs
to be released to reduce the temperature of 1
lb of water by 1°F in one hour?

Hence, BTU per hour or BTU/HR is the

precise unit to use when referring to the
cooling capacity of an air conditioner.
However, most people use BTU or BTU/HR
interchangeably when referring to the cooling
capacity of an air conditioner.

In my opinion, BTU is the best measurement

unit to use when comparing and calculating
the cooling capacity required. BTU can be
converted into both kW and Ton scientifically.
Besides, BTU is the most commonly used
measurement unit and thus, communication
with other people is easier.

What is Ton in Air

Conditioning?
Ton in air conditioning is an acronym for
refrigeration ton (RT). Here, ton is not
referring to weight when used to describe the
cooling capacity of an air conditioner.
Another variant of this is TR which stands for
tons of refrigeration.

Refrigeration ton is defined as the rate of

heat transfer required to melt 1 ton of pure
ice at 0°C in 24 hours. The ton of pure ice is
referring to the weight of the ice. Before
people have modern air conditioners, they
use ice to cool their houses and store their
foods. Thus, refrigeration ton was used to
measure the consumption of 1 ton of ice in
one day.

Nowadays, refrigeration ton is still preferred

by many people and it is mostly used in
commercial air conditioning systems.

I use refrigeration ton (RT) for a large cooling

capacity because BTU will be too long. For
example, a 400RT chiller is equivalent to
4,800,000 BTU. Also, people are more
difficult to understand long numbers.

What is HP or
Horsepower in Air
Conditioning?
HP or horsepower is a unit of measurement
of power. Power is the amount of work done
over a certain period of time. Horsepower is
most commonly used to describe the power
of an engine.

Initially, horsepower in air conditioning was

referring to the rotational power of the motor
in an air conditioner whereas back then it
was a fairly good estimation of the resulting
cooling capacity of the air conditioner.

Nowadays, horsepower is no longer a correct

indication of the cooling capacity of an air
conditioner. However, some people still use
horsepower to refer to the range of cooling
capacity of an air conditioner.

I think horsepower (HP) is the best when

referring to residential air conditioners. Most
people use home air conditioners and they
don’t necessarily understand BTU and Ton.

Furthermore, they are often confused the kW

for cooling capacity with the kW for power
consumption. Horsepower is the simplest
way to call the size of their air conditioners.

Why 1.0 HP is Equivalent to a

Range of BTU?
Back then, air conditioner manufacturers use
the rotational horsepower of the compressor
motor as the indication of the cooling
capacity of their air conditioners. Nowadays,
this method is not applicable because it does
not account for the efficiency of each
component inside an air conditioner.

For example, two air conditioners with the

same compressor motor can result in one air
conditioner having a higher cooling capacity
than the other due to better controls.

However, it doesn’t mean that if the same

1HP air conditioner but one has 8,500 BTU
and the other has 9,500 BTU, the former one
has poor efficiency. We need to compare
them using the coefficient of performance
(COP).

Nowadays, people still use horsepower as

the indication of air conditioner cooling
capacity probably because it is easier for
most people to understand. However, BTU or
kW or both are always included in the
specification of an air conditioner even
though the horsepower is stated.

What is kW or Kilowatt in
Air Conditioning?
kW or kilowatt in air conditioning refers to two
metrics: a) cooling capacity and b) power
consumption. Kilowatt used for the cooling
capacity of an air conditioner is derived from
the heat transfer equation as follow:

Using kilowatt as the unit of measurement for

the cooling capacity of an air conditioner is a
convenient indicator of the efficiency of the
air conditioner as it is the same unit of
measurement as the input electrical power.
However, don’t get confused with their unit of
measurement as they are two very different
metrics.

Whenever I calculate the efficiency of an air

conditioner, I’ll convert BTU to kW because
the coefficient of performance (COP) is
calculated by dividing the output by the input
(cooling capacity/power consumption). In
another word, it’s kW/kW.

If you are new to air conditioning and you’re

not sure what are some of the other
parameters written in the spec sheet, you can
understand them from my article: How to
Read Air Conditioner Specifications (12
Specs!).

Preference of
Measurement Units for
Cooling Capacity around
the World
The unit of measurement used for the cooling
capacity of an air conditioner is based on the
preferences and practices of people in a
particular region.

Based on the data that I’ve gathered, it

seems like most of the countries prefer to use
BTU and Ton when indicating the cooling
capacity of an air conditioner. Some
countries prefer to use HP and a few
countries used kW to refer to the cooling
capacity of an air conditioner.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t matter which

measurement units we used as long as we
can understand it.

Lastly, consider my HVAC Begin (eBook) if

you’re a beginner and you want to have a
foundational knowledge in HVAC. But, if you
have a year or two of experience, then I
would suggest you consider my HVAC Basics
(eBook). Nonetheless, I encourage you enroll
in my HVAC Beginner Course: 10 Days to
Become Competent in HVAC if you want to
equipped yourself with a complete set of
basic HVAC skills.

HVAC Beginner
Course
Learn the most basics and foundational
HVAC skills including cooling capacity
calculation, equipment selection, duct
sizing, pipe sizing, exhaust fan sizing,
controls, electrical and more.

Enroll Now

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Yu Chang Zhen
Mechanical Engineer (HVAC)

Yu is a mechanical engineer specializing in

heating, ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) from Malaysia. He enjoy sharing his
knowledge and experience here.

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One Comment
Adeyankinnu adebowale
Joshua says:
13 August 2024 at 10:44 am

I found this writeup very useful. Thank you so

much.

Reply

About

Welcome! I'm the owner of this website and my

name is Yu Chang Zhen. I'm a mechanical
engineer specialized in heating, ventilation and
air conditioning (HVAC). I've worked in the
HVAC industry for about 10 years. I've been a
contractor, a project manager and a system
designer. I share all my knowledge and
experiences here and through my online
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