Carrier-family budget line; PA prefix. Paste your model number for an instant decode.
Always confirm against the data plate's rated capacity line — model ranges occasionally reuse digits for non-capacity codes, and the plate is authoritative.
| Capacity code | BTU/hr | Tons |
|---|---|---|
| 09 | 9,000 | 0.75 |
| 12 | 12,000 | 1.0 |
| 18 | 18,000 | 1.5 |
| 24 | 24,000 | 2.0 |
| 30 | 30,000 | 2.5 |
| 36 | 36,000 | 3.0 |
| 42 | 42,000 | 3.5 |
| 48 | 48,000 | 4.0 |
| 60 | 60,000 | 5.0 |
Amana American Standard Blue Star Bryant Carrier Daikin Goodman Heil Hitachi Lennox LG Lloyd O General Panasonic Rheem Ruud Samsung Trane Voltas Whirlpool York
On the data plate — a metal or foil sticker on the side or back of the outdoor unit (or behind the front panel on indoor split units). Use the model number, not the serial number, which encodes the manufacture date rather than capacity.
Carrier-family budget line; PA prefix. Divide the BTU code by 12 to get tons.
Paste the model number from the outdoor unit's data plate into the decoder above — it applies Payne's nomenclature automatically. Example: PA16NA036 = 3.0 tons.
Payne shares platforms with Carrier and Bryant under Carrier Global; its cooling code is a two-digit multiple of 12,000 BTU/hr.
Modern 12-character models begin with the brand family: PA is a split-system air conditioner, PH a split-system heat pump. SEER digits follow (14 = 14 SEER), then the capacity in the size window — so PA14NA036 reads 36 → 3.0 tons.
Older assets map to classic Carrier layouts introduced with 38 or other prefixes (e.g. 38BYA036, PF1MNA024) and carry a zero-padded three-digit capacity that the decoder de-pads before mapping.
The decoder above applies this nomenclature automatically. Capacity codes are nominal — always confirm against the rated-capacity line on the unit’s data plate.
Capacity decoding on this page follows Payne’s published model-number nomenclature. To confirm a unit’s actual rated capacity and efficiency, cross-check the authoritative references below.
Tonnage is derived from nominal cooling capacity: 1 ton of refrigeration = 12,000 BTU/hr.
Model-number conventions and standards evolve, and manufacturers occasionally reuse digits for non-capacity codes — the rated-capacity line on the unit’s data plate is always authoritative. Figures here are for identification and planning, not a substitute for a professional load calculation.
Different brand? Back to the full 22-brand decoder. Sizing a replacement? Check what your space really needs with the AC tonnage calculator first — the old unit may have been mis-sized.