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BTU per Hour to Tons of Refrigeration

Enter a power figure in BTUs per hour and read back the same power expressed in tons of refrigeration. A refrigeration ton is defined as 12000 BTU per hour, so the whole conversion is one division.

How to convert BTU per hour to refrigeration tons

BTUs per hour and refrigeration tons are both units of power, the rate at which heat is moved, and they differ only by a fixed scale factor. One refrigeration ton is defined as 12000 BTU/hr, written 1 RT = 12000 BTU/hr.

Flip that definition around and one BTU per hour is worth 1/12000 of a refrigeration ton, or about 0.0000833333 RT. Because the relationship is a plain ratio, doubling the BTU/hr figure doubles the tonnage and a tenth of it takes the tonnage to a tenth.

To go the other way, from tons back to BTU/hr, multiply by 12000 instead of dividing. A unit rated at 1 RT moves 12000 BTU of heat every hour.

BTU/hr to refrigeration tons formula

Divide the power in BTUs per hour by 12000 to get the power in refrigeration tons: P(RT) = P(BTU/hr) / 12000.

Worked example: convert 10000 BTU/hr. P(RT) = 10000 / 12000 ≈ 0.833333 RT.

Same formula, small input: 1 BTU/hr / 12000 ≈ 0.0000833333 RT, and 12000 BTU/hr / 12000 = 1 RT.