Convert Tons of refrigeration to Horsepower
1 ton of refrigeration is 4.72 hp. One ton of refrigeration is exactly 4.71617734707 horsepower.
One ton of refrigeration is 4.7161773 horsepower. To convert tons of refrigeration to horsepower, multiply by 4.7161773; to go the other way, divide by 4.7161773 or multiply by 0.21203613. The relation is exact but the figure is not: it is a rounding of a number that does not terminate, and it follows from NIST Special Publication 811.
Factor checked against the defining standard · How we check
- Tons of refrigeration × 4.7161773
1 * 4.71617734.716 hp
1 ton of refrigeration in every power unit
| Unit | Value | Exact factor |
|---|---|---|
| horsepower | 4.716177347 hp | × 4.71617734707 |
| metric horsepower | 4.781589149 PS | × 4.78158914895 |
| watts | 3,516.852842 W | × 3,516.85284207 |
| kilowatts | 3.516852842 kW | × 3.51685284207 |
| milliwatts | 3,516,852.842 mW | × 3,516,852.84207 |
| megawatts | 0.003516852842 MW | × 0.00351685284207 |
| tons of refrigeration (as entered) | 1 TR | — |
| BTU per hour | 12,000 BTU/h | × 12,000 |
Factors are entered by hand from NIST Special Publication 811 rather than derived from a units library, so the ones that terminate are exact rather than rounded.
How do you convert tons of refrigeration to horsepower? The converter and the working
- 1.Take the measurement in tons of refrigeration.
- 2.Multiply by 4.7161773 — that is how many horsepower fit in one ton of refrigeration.
- 3.To go back the other way, divide by 4.7161773, or multiply by 0.21203613.
Worked example: 25 tons of refrigeration to horsepower
- Formula
- TR × 4.7161773 = hp
- Arithmetic
- 25 × 4.7161773 = 117.9 hp
- Answer
- 25 TR = 117.9 hp
The factor is rounded for display; the figure above is computed from the full value.
Tons of refrigeration to horsepower conversion table
| Tons of refrigeration | Horsepower |
|---|---|
| 1 TR | 4.72 hp |
| 2 TR | 9.43 hp |
| 3 TR | 14.15 hp |
| 4 TR | 18.86 hp |
| 5 TR | 23.58 hp |
| 6 TR | 28.3 hp |
| 7 TR | 33.01 hp |
| 8 TR | 37.73 hp |
| 9 TR | 42.45 hp |
| 10 TR | 47.16 hp |
| 12 TR | 56.59 hp |
| 15 TR | 70.74 hp |
| 20 TR | 94.32 hp |
| 25 TR | 117.9 hp |
| 50 TR | 235.81 hp |
| 100 TR | 471.62 hp |
| 200 TR | 943.24 hp |
| 300 TR | 1,414.85 hp |
| 500 TR | 2,358.09 hp |
| 1000 TR | 4,716.18 hp |
| 2000 TR | 9,432.35 hp |
| 5000 TR | 23,580.89 hp |
| 10000 TR | 47,161.77 hp |
What is a ton of refrigeration?
Exactly 12,000 BTU an hour — the rate at which a short ton of ice melts over a day, which is what air conditioning was measured against before it was made electrically. A three-ton domestic unit is 36,000 BTU/h, or 10.5 kW.
What is a horsepower?
Mechanical horsepower: exactly 550 foot-pounds of work every second, the figure James Watt settled on to sell engines against pit ponies. US vehicle and motor ratings use it.
How many horsepower are in a ton of refrigeration?
One ton of refrigeration is 4.7161773 horsepower. Going the other way, one horsepower is 0.21203613 tons of refrigeration. Both figures come from the same defined relation rather than from a measurement, which is why they are the same today as they were in 1959.
Every power unit here
The whole group — 8 units with their symbols and the size of each one in watts — is on the conversion index, along with every pair it makes. The table above already gives each of them relative to a ton of refrigeration.
Source: NIST Special Publication 811 — mechanical horsepower is 550 ft·lbf/s exactly
Cite this page
- APA
- Rule Calculator. (2026). Convert Tons of refrigeration to horsepower. Rule Calculator. https://rulecalculators.com/convert/ton-of-refrigeration-to-horsepower
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- Chicago
- Rule Calculator. "Convert Tons of refrigeration to horsepower." Rule Calculator. Last reviewed August 16, 2026. https://rulecalculators.com/convert/ton-of-refrigeration-to-horsepower.
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Questions people actually ask
- How many horsepower are in a ton of refrigeration?
- 4.7161773. Mechanical horsepower: exactly 550 foot-pounds of work every second, the figure James Watt settled on to sell engines against pit ponies. US vehicle and motor ratings use it.
- How do I convert horsepower back to tons of refrigeration?
- Divide by 4.7161773, or multiply by 0.21203613 — they are the same operation.
Other power conversions
Horsepower to tons of refrigeration — the same conversion the other way.