Refrigeration Tonnage Converter
Convert cooling capacity between tons of refrigeration, kW, BTU/h, kcal/h and hp — 1 TR = 12 000 BTU/h = 3.517 kW — plus the input for a COP or EER.
The capacity in every unit, the COP used (from EER when given) and the electrical input power the capacity implies.
Example: 5 TR = 60 000 BTU/h = 17.58 kW = 15 120 kcal/h; with COP 3.2 the compressor input is about 5.5 kW. 10 kW at EER 11 (COP 3.22) draws 3.1 kW.
A ton of ice
a day.
Where the ton of refrigeration comes from, the exact factors, and what COP and EER mean.
The definition
A ton of refrigeration is the rate of heat removal that melts one short ton (2 000 lb) of ice at 0 °C in 24 hours: 2 000 × 144 BTU ÷ 24 h = 12 000 BTU/h. With the International Table BTU (1 055.056 J) that is 3 516.85 W. The page converts between TR, kW, BTU/h, kcal/h (1.163 W) and horsepower as a unit of power (745.7 W).
COP and EER
The coefficient of performance is cooling delivered ÷ electrical input, both in the same unit; EER is the same ratio with cooling in BTU/h and input in W, so EER = 3.412 × COP. Enter either and the page shows the input power the capacity implies at that rating.
Ratings and reality
COP and EER are measured at rating conditions; real input rises with ambient temperature and falls at part load (SEER and SCOP average over a season). A compressor’s shaft horsepower is not its cooling capacity — the hp here is just a unit. Nothing leaves the browser; the same four anonymous usage counts as the rest of the site apply.
SOURCES
- 1 TR = 12 000 BTU_IT/h = 3 516.85 W (BTU_IT = 1 055.056 J); 1 kcal_IT/h = 1.163 W; 1 hp = 745.7 W; EER (BTU/(W·h)) = 3.412 × COP
Last reviewed 21 September 2026. How results are checked: How we verify.