Tons of refrigeration (TR)

The ton of refrigeration is 12,000 BTU per hour, about 3.5 kW, the cooling power of melting one short ton of ice over 24 hours.

Convert tons of refrigeration to any power unit

1 ton of refrigeration = 3,516.852842 watts

Quick facts

Unit
Ton of refrigeration (plural: tons of refrigeration)
Symbol
TR
Measures
Power
System
Heat & refrigeration
Equals
3,516.85284207 watts
Definition
12,000 BTU/h (about 3.517 kW).
Also written
RT, refrigeration ton, AC ton

1 ton of refrigeration in other units

Watts3,516.852842 W
Kilowatts3.516852842 kW
Horsepower4.716177347 hp
BTUs per hour12,000 BTU/h
Megawatts0.003516852842 MW
Metric horsepower4.781589149 PS
Gigawatts0.000003516853 GW
Milliwatts3,516,852.842 mW

What is a ton of refrigeration?

The ton of refrigeration is 12,000 BTU per hour, about 3.5 kW, the cooling power of melting one short ton of ice over 24 hours. Central air conditioners in the US are sized in tons.

Where the ton of refrigeration sits among power units

The ton of refrigeration is number 25 of 32 on our scale of power units, ordered from smallest to largest.

Tons of refrigeration in real life

  • A typical US home needs a 2–5 ton central AC
  • One ton cools roughly 500–600 square feet

Top ton of refrigeration conversions

Common amounts of tons of refrigeration

Convert tons of refrigeration to all 31 other units

Metric (SI)

Horsepower

Heat & refrigeration

Mechanical & other

Convert to tons of refrigeration

Frequently asked questions

What is a ton of refrigeration?

The ton of refrigeration is 12,000 BTU per hour, about 3.5 kW, the cooling power of melting one short ton of ice over 24 hours.

How is the ton of refrigeration defined?

12,000 BTU/h (about 3.517 kW).

How many watts are in a ton of refrigeration?

One ton of refrigeration equals 3,516.852842 watts.

How many kilowatts are in a ton of refrigeration?

One ton of refrigeration equals 3.516852842 kilowatts.

How many horsepower are in a ton of refrigeration?

One ton of refrigeration equals 4.716177347 horsepower.