ton of refrigeration (TR)
1 ton of refrigeration = 3,516.85284 watts
What is ton of refrigeration?
A ton of refrigeration is a power unit measuring the heat removal capacity of cooling systems, equal to 12,000 BTU per hour. It is the standard capacity rating for commercial and industrial air conditioning units in the United States.
Notes: Cooling capacity
Real-world uses
The ton of refrigeration (TR) is used for rating commercial and industrial cooling systems, chillers, and large-scale HVAC equipment. A small commercial building might need a 20–100 TR chiller. Data centres measure cooling capacity in TR. One TR = 12,000 BTU/h = approximately 3.517 kW.
History
The ton of refrigeration originated in the 19th century ice trade, when mechanical refrigeration systems were judged by their ability to replace ice delivery. One ton was defined as the cooling equivalent of melting one ton of ice per day. As mechanical refrigeration displaced natural ice by the early 20th century, TR became a standard industrial cooling unit.
Common mistakes
Confusing refrigeration tons with metric tons of mass—they are completely unrelated. Also, the "ton" in TR originated from the cooling power needed to melt one short ton (2,000 lb) of ice in 24 hours, not from any mass being cooled.
When is this conversion used?
Converting between ton of refrigeration and watt is common when working across metric and imperial systems, such as international trade, travel between countries with different measurement standards, or following instructions from a different region.
How to convert ton of refrigeration to watt
To convert ton of refrigeration to watt, multiply the value by 3,516.85284.
Conversion formula (from base unit)
x * 3516.85284
Measurement standards
The watt is the SI derived unit of power, defined as one joule per second (kg·m²/s³). Horsepower remains in widespread informal use, particularly in the automotive industry, but has no single universal definition across regions.
Did you know?
The human body at rest produces about 80 watts of power — roughly enough to keep an incandescent light bulb glowing. During intense exercise, a trained cyclist can sustain over 400 watts, and elite sprinters briefly exceed 2,000 watts.
| tons of refrigeration | watts |
|---|---|
| 0.1 | 351.685284 |
| 0.5 | 1,758.42642 |
| 1 | 3,516.85284 |
| 2 | 7,033.70568 |
| 5 | 17,584.2642 |
| 10 | 35,168.5284 |
| 25 | 87,921.321 |
| 50 | 175,842.642 |
| 100 | 351,685.284 |
| 250 | 879,213.21 |
| 500 | 1,758,426.42 |
| 1,000 | 3,516,852.84 |
Common values
| tons of refrigeration | watts | |
|---|---|---|
| LED light bulb | 0.00284345 tons of refrigeration | 10 watts |
| Desktop computer | 0.08530354 tons of refrigeration | 300 watts |
| Microwave oven | 0.28434514 tons of refrigeration | 1,000 watts |
| Small car engine | 21.32588522 tons of refrigeration | 75,000 watts |
| Wind turbine (large) | 853.03540878 tons of refrigeration | 3,000,000 watts |
Full ton of refrigeration conversion table
| Unit | Value | Factor |
|---|---|---|
| watt | 1 TR = 3,516.85284 W | × 3,516.85284 |
| kilowatt | 1 TR = 3.51685284 kW | × 3.51685284 |
| horsepower (mechanical) | 1 TR = 4.71617734 hp | × 4.71617734 |
| megawatt | 1 TR = 0.00351685 MW | × 0.00351685 |
| gigawatt | 1 TR = 0.00000352 GW | × 0.00000352 |
| milliwatt | 1 TR = 3,516,852.84 mW | × 3,516,852.84 |
| microwatt | 1 TR = 3.516853e+09 µW | × 3.516853e+09 |
| BTU per hour | 1 TR = 12,000 BTU/h | × 12,000 |
| kilocalorie per hour | 1 TR = 3,023.94913156 kcal/h | × 3,023.94913156 |