A one (1) ton refrigeration system has the equivalent of how many BTU's?

A one (1) ton refrigeration system has the equivalent of how many BTU's?

• A. 6,000 BTU
• B. 12,000 BTU
• C. 24,000 BTU
• D. 36,000 BTU

Answer: (B)

A ton of refrigeration is a measure of cooling capacity as a rate of heat removal, not a total energy amount. It represents the amount of heat that must be removed per hour to melt ice at a standard rate. Specifically, one ton equals 12,000 BTU per hour. This comes from the latent heat of fusion of ice, about 144 BTU per pound. Melting 2,000 pounds (one ton) requires roughly 288,000 BTU. Over a 24-hour period, that works out to 288,000 ÷ 24 = 12,000 BTU per hour. So the correct value is 12,000 BTU per hour. The other options reflect numbers that don’t match this per-hour rate.

A ton of refrigeration is a measure of cooling capacity as a rate of heat removal, not a total energy amount. It represents the amount of heat that must be removed per hour to melt ice at a standard rate. Specifically, one ton equals 12,000 BTU per hour.

This comes from the latent heat of fusion of ice, about 144 BTU per pound. Melting 2,000 pounds (one ton) requires roughly 288,000 BTU. Over a 24-hour period, that works out to 288,000 ÷ 24 = 12,000 BTU per hour. So the correct value is 12,000 BTU per hour. The other options reflect numbers that don’t match this per-hour rate.