Tonnage usually printed directly in the Indian model name. 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 Payne Rheem Ruud Samsung Trane Voltas 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.
Tonnage usually printed directly in the Indian model name. 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 Whirlpool's nomenclature automatically. Example: Magicool 1.5T = 1.5 tons.
Whirlpool splits its families between global inverter split systems (shorthand keys) and US-style unitary window/portable units (BTU code ÷ 12).
Modern splits such as 4S315YLU or 5S312DBT open with a star-rating digit (4 = 4-star, 5 = 5-star) then S for a split chassis. The size sits at positions 4–5: 4S315 → 15 → 1.5 tons, 5S312 → 12 → 1.2 tons.
Unitary units lead with an operational key — WAC = window AC, WP = portable AC — and carry a thousands-of-BTU code, so WAC090 → 09 → 0.75 ton and WP120 → 12 → 1.0 ton.
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 Whirlpool’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 = 12,000 BTU/hr ≈ 3.5 kW. Indian shorthand codes (e.g. 12, 18, 24) and metric kW classes both map to these nominal tonnages.
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.