Aircon BTU, HP, Ton and kW Conversion Chart
Air conditioners are sold in four different units depending on the market. This chart lines all of them up against each other.
The same air conditioner is quoted four different ways depending on where it is sold. A machine listed as 12,000 BTU in an online spec sheet is a 1.5 HP unit in Manila, a 1 ton unit in Delhi, and a 3.5 kW unit in Sydney. Nothing about the hardware changes — only the yardstick.
Master Conversion Chart
Room-size figures assume a 2.7 m ceiling with moderate sun, using the 500 BTU/hr per square metre planning rule.
| BTU/hr | Aircon HP | Tons (TR) | Cooling kW | Room size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | 0.5 HP | 0.42 | 1.47 | 10 m² |
| 7,000 | 0.75 HP | 0.58 | 2.05 | 14 m² |
| 9,000 | 1 HP | 0.75 | 2.64 | 18 m² |
| 12,000 | 1.5 HP | 1.00 | 3.52 | 24 m² |
| 18,000 | 2 HP | 1.50 | 5.28 | 36 m² |
| 24,000 | 2.5 HP | 2.00 | 7.03 | 48 m² |
| 30,000 | 3 HP | 2.50 | 8.79 | 60 m² |
| 36,000 | 4 HP | 3.00 | 10.55 | 72 m² |
| 48,000 | 5.5 HP | 4.00 | 14.07 | 96 m² |
| 60,000 | 6.5 HP | 5.00 | 17.58 | 120 m² |
Which Market Uses Which Unit
| Unit | Where it is standard | Typical phrasing |
|---|---|---|
| Horsepower | Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia | "1.5 HP split type" |
| Tons / TR | India, Middle East, North America | "1.5 ton inverter AC" |
| BTU/hr | Spec plates worldwide | "12,000 BTU/hr cooling" |
| Cooling kW | Europe, Australia, Japan | "3.5 kW reverse cycle" |
BTU/hr is the safest common denominator when cross-shopping, because virtually every manufacturer publishes it regardless of how the unit is marketed locally.
The Catch With Horsepower
Three of these four units are exact. Tons, BTU and kW convert between each other with fixed factors and no ambiguity. Horsepower is the odd one out — it is a market convention, not a defined unit, and it does not divide cleanly into the others.
The rough rule is 9,000 BTU per horsepower, but manufacturers build to a fixed ladder of model sizes rather than to that arithmetic. So 12,000 BTU calculates to 1.33 HP yet sells as 1.5 HP, and 24,000 BTU calculates to 2.67 HP yet sells as 2.5 HP. The chart above shows the sizes actually sold, which is what you need when buying.
A second trap: generic unit converters will tell you 12,000 BTU is 4.72 horsepower. That is the thermodynamic conversion using 2,544 BTU/hr per mechanical horsepower, and it is correct physics — but no air conditioner on earth is sold that way. Our BTU to HP calculator shows both figures side by side and explains the difference.
Going Deeper on Each Conversion
For a single conversion in a specific direction, these are the dedicated tools: BTU to HP, ton to HP, tonner to HP, cooling kW to HP and HP to ton. To size a unit against an actual room rather than a chart, use the aircon HP by room size calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Exactly 12,000 BTU/hr. This is a defined conversion, derived from the heat needed to melt one short ton of ice over 24 hours.
A 1.5 HP unit is about 12,000 BTU/hr, which is roughly 3.52 kW of cooling. That is output, not electricity consumed.
No. One ton is 12,000 BTU/hr; one aircon HP is about 9,000 BTU/hr. One ton is roughly 1.33 HP by arithmetic and sells as 1.5 HP.
Two different scales share the name. The aircon convention is ~9,000 BTU/hr per HP; the thermodynamic conversion is 2,544 BTU/hr per mechanical HP. The first is what appliances are sold on.
Around 500 BTU/hr per m² for a residential room with a 2.7 m ceiling and moderate sun. High heat-gain rooms need more.
About 11,900 BTU/hr — just under 1 ton, sold as a 1.5 HP unit, suiting roughly 24 m² under average conditions.
No. Cooling kW is heat removed; electrical kW is power drawn, typically three to four times smaller because an air conditioner moves heat rather than creating it.