How to Convert Cooling Tons to KiloWatts

The cooling ton, better known as the refrigeration ton or the TR, and often shortened simply to "ton" is a standard American unit of measurement that indicates the capacity of cooling equipment such as central air conditioners. One refrigeration ton is the amount of capacity that can freeze 2000 pounds of water in 24 hours. Many other countries express the cooling capacity in kilowatts, a metric unit that equals one thousand joules of cooling in one second. To convert TRs to kilowatts, you multiply by the number of kilowatts in a TR, or 3.52.

Things You'll Need

• Calculator

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Determine the rating of your central air conditioner or refrigerator in cooling tons by checking your owner's manual or the technical information that is usually affixed to the back of your unit near the electrical input.

   • 2

     Multiply the rating by 3.52 to determine the kilowatt rating. Or, use 3.516 if you need a more precise reading.

   • 3

     Note the result for future reference.