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BTU/h
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What is a btu per hour?

The US HVAC and air-conditioner unit — 0.293 W

Definition

BTU per hour equals 0.293 watts. It is the standard power unit for US HVAC — air conditioners, heaters and boilers. A 24,000 BTU/h AC provides 7 kW of cooling.

Common uses

  • US air conditioners and heat pumps
  • US furnace and boiler ratings
  • Some industrial heat-exchanger specs

🌍 Real-world scale

Small window AC: 5000 BTU/h. Central AC: 24,000 BTU/h. Home furnace: 80,000 BTU/h.

Convert from BTU per hour

7 conversions
BTU per Hour to Watt1 BTU/h = 0.2931 WBTU per Hour to Kilowatt1 BTU/h = 0.0002931 kWBTU per Hour to Megawatt1 BTU/h = 2.9307e-7 MWBTU per Hour to Mechanical Horsepower1 BTU/h = 0.000393 hpBTU per Hour to Metric Horsepower1 BTU/h = 0.0003985 PSBTU per Hour to Foot-Pound per Second1 BTU/h = 0.2162 ft·lbf/sBTU per Hour to Volt-Ampere1 BTU/h = 0.2931 VA

Convert to BTU per hour

7 conversions
Watt to BTU per Hour1 W = 3.41214 BTU/hKilowatt to BTU per Hour1 kW = 3,412.14 BTU/hMegawatt to BTU per Hour1 MW = 3,412,141.64 BTU/hMechanical Horsepower to BTU per Hour1 hp = 2,544.43 BTU/hMetric Horsepower to BTU per Hour1 PS = 2,509.63 BTU/hFoot-Pound per Second to BTU per Hour1 ft·lbf/s = 4.62624 BTU/hVolt-Ampere to BTU per Hour1 VA = 3.41214 BTU/h

Tips

  • 1 BTU/h = 0.293 W; 3412 BTU/h = 1 kW.
  • 12,000 BTU/h = 1 ton of refrigeration.
  • Tons of AC rating: divide BTU/h by 12,000.

Common mistakes

  • Confusing BTU (energy) with BTU/h (power) — same abbreviation in ads.
  • Mixing tons of AC and tons of weight — different concepts.
  • Using BTU/h for non-HVAC contexts.

FAQ about the btu per hour

What is a btu per hour?
BTU per hour equals 0.293 watts. It is the standard power unit for US HVAC — air conditioners, heaters and boilers. A 24,000 BTU/h AC provides 7 kW of cooling.
Where is the btu per hour used?
The btu per hour is commonly used for: US air conditioners and heat pumps; US furnace and boiler ratings; Some industrial heat-exchanger specs.
What is an example of a btu per hour in real life?
Small window AC: 5000 BTU/h. Central AC: 24,000 BTU/h. Home furnace: 80,000 BTU/h.
What category does the btu per hour belong to?
The btu per hour is a unit of power, part of the 8-unit power category on UnitConv.
How accurate are btu per hour conversions?
All conversion factors follow NIST and BIPM international standards to 8 significant figures — the highest practical accuracy.
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