Frigories to BTU converter
One frigorie per hour is 3.97 BTU/h. Here are the rest.
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European spec sheets quote capacity in kW, not in BTU.
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 3,000 frigorie unit:
- In watts: 3,000 x 1.163 = 3,489 W
- In BTU/h: 3,489 x 3.412 = 11,905 BTU/h
- Commercial size: 12,000 BTU/h
Which is why 3,000-frigorie units are sold as 12,000 BTU: the difference is under 1 % and the round number sells better.
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 BTU is 3,000 frigories?
11,905 BTU/h, which is commercially rounded to 12,000 BTU/h. The exact conversion is multiplying frigories by 3.96832.
How many BTU is one frigorie?
3.96832 BTU/h. It is an exact constant, because both the frigorie (1 kcal/h = 1.163 W) and the BTU/h (0.29307107 W) are precisely defined.
Why do Spanish-speaking markets use frigories?
Because a frigorie is simply a kilocalorie per hour, a traditional metric unit that settled into the market before equipment was labelled in kW or BTU.
Is a frigorie the same as a negative calorie?
That is the colloquial explanation, but technically a frigorie per hour is just a kilocalorie per hour of cooling output.