Refrigeration Tons

A refrigeration ton is a unit of cooling power, not weight: it represents the rate at which a system can remove heat. The formula TR = Q/12000 works because 1 ton of refrigeration is defined as 12,000 BTU per hour, so dividing a cooling load by 12,000 converts the load into tons. This makes it easy to compare refrigeration equipment sizes using a standard capacity unit.

Use this when you need to convert a cooling load in BTU/h into refrigeration tons for air conditioners, chillers, walk-in coolers, or other HVAC equipment. It is also useful when comparing required capacity to a system’s rated size.

• Using BTU instead of BTU/h, which changes the meaning of the load
• Forgetting that 1 refrigeration ton equals 12,000 BTU/h, not 2,000 lb or any mass unit
• Rounding too early before finishing the division