Divide thermal kW by 3.517 to get tons. 7 kW ≈ 2 tons. Enter any value below for an instant conversion.
| BTU/hr | Tons | kW thermal |
|---|---|---|
| 9,000 | 0.75 | 2.64 |
| 12,000 | 1.0 | 3.52 |
| 18,000 | 1.5 | 5.28 |
| 24,000 | 2.0 | 7.03 |
| 36,000 | 3.0 | 10.55 |
| 48,000 | 4.0 | 14.07 |
| 60,000 | 5.0 | 17.58 |
AC capacity is written three ways depending on who is talking: US equipment and Manual J reports use BTU/hr, Indian and most international markets sell by tons, and engineering documents and European spec sheets quote thermal kilowatts. Spec sheets for the same unit frequently mix all three, which is why a 1.5-ton split, an 18,000 BTU window unit and a 5.3 kW cassette are the same amount of cooling. Keep thermal output separate from electrical draw: a unit's cooling kW is 3–5× its power consumption, with the ratio set by its SEER2 or ISEER rating — the bill calculator handles that side.
Divide thermal kW by 3.517 to get tons. 7 kW ≈ 2 tons.
5.28 KW equals 1.50 TONS for air-conditioning capacity. Use the live converter above for any other value.
Reverse the relationship: the converter on this page is bidirectional, so type into either field. For example, 1.50 TONS converts back to about 5.28 KW.
Converters: BTU → TONS TONS → BTU TONS → KW BTU → KW BTU → WATTS TONS → HP TONS → AMPS
BTU values: 5k 6k 8k 9k 10k 12k 14k 15k 18k 24k 30k 36k 42k 48k 60k
Tonnage values: 0.75T 1T 1.5T 2T 2.5T 3T 3.5T 4T 5T
Or skip the conversion and size the room directly with the AC tonnage calculator or BTU calculator.