BTU to frigories converter
For comparing units advertised in different markets.
Your inputs
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- Enter your measurements.
- Check the units and the assumptions.
- Press Calculate, or load the example.
Rather see a worked case? Press “Load example” and change any value afterwards.
Next step
The third unit on the same label: the kW of the European catalogue.
Where each number comes from Conversion constants are exact; densities and coverage rates come from cited sources; everything else is an assumption you can change. Methodology · Sources and updates
How to use it
- Type the amount you want to convert.
- The result appears immediately, with every equivalent.
- Check the nearest commercial size too.
- If the unit is advertised in another unit, use the reverse conversion.
How it is calculated
This is an exact conversion between units of power. They all measure the same thing (energy per unit of time), only the scale changes:
The three units that meet in air conditioning are the watt (SI), the BTU/h (English-speaking markets) and the frigorie per hour (Spain and Latin America). The ton of refrigeration, used for larger equipment, is 12,000 BTU/h by definition.
Keep in mind that all of these describe cooling capacity, that is, heat removed. Electricity consumption is a different quantity.
Worked example
A 12,000 BTU/h unit:
- In watts: 12,000 x 0.29307107 = 3,517 W
- In frigories: 3,517 / 1.163 = 3,024 frigories/h
- In kW: 3.52 kW
A 12,000 BTU unit has slightly more than 3,000 frigories, not exactly 3,000.
Good to know
- Capacity is not consumption. The BTU/h, frigories or kW on a label measure the heat the unit removes from the room, not the electricity it uses. For that you need the efficiency rating or the rated input power.
- Commercial sizes come in steps. Domestic units are built at 9,000, 12,000, 18,000 and 24,000 BTU/h, so the exact figure rarely matches a real model.
- Watch the round marketing numbers. A unit advertised as "3,000 frigories" is actually 11,905 BTU/h, and is usually sold as a 12,000.
Frequently asked questions
How many frigories is 12,000 BTU?
3,024 frigories/h. The exact conversion is multiplying BTU/h by 0.2519958.
How many frigories is 9,000 BTU?
2,268 frigories/h, which the market usually calls a 2,250-frigorie unit.
And 18,000 BTU?
4,536 frigories/h, about 5.3 kW of cooling capacity.
Why do the commercial numbers not line up?
Because each market rounds to a round number in its own unit: 12,000 BTU in some places, 3,000 frigories in others, and both describe roughly the same machine.