When buying an air conditioner, you may see indicators like 9000 BTU, 12000 BTU. So What is BTU?, and what is the capacity of 9000 BTU, 12000 BTU air conditioner? How to choose an air conditioner with BTU capacity suitable for your room size and volume? This article, Tan Long will help you answer those questions.

Find out what BTU is?
What is BTU?, BTU (British Thermal Unit) is the unit of energy used to measure power in the United States. BTU indicates the amount of energy required to heat 1 pound (454 grams) of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. This unit is commonly used to indicate the power of appliances such as heaters, dryers, ovens, and air conditioners.
Meaning of BTU parameters on air conditioner
BTU Index on the air conditioner indicates the cooling capacity of the machine. The higher the BTU index, the greater the cooling energy in an hour. However, this index does not reflect the amount of electricity consumed.
The convention for calculating BTU is as follows:
- 1 BTU ≈ 1055 J = 0.293 kW
- 1 W = 3.41214 BTU/h (1 kW = 3412.14 BTU/h)
- 1 HP (1 horse) ~ 9000 BTU
For example, an air conditioner with a capacity of 9000 BTU/h produces 2637 kW of energy in one hour (9000 * 0.293).
Formula for calculating air conditioner energy capacity
How to calculate BTU by area
The required air conditioning capacity for a room is calculated using the formula: room area (m²) x 600 BTU.
For example: For a room with an area of 15 m², the air conditioner needs a capacity of 15 m² x 600 BTU = 9,000 BTU.
BTU by volume
The air conditioning capacity required for a room based on volume is calculated using the formula: area (m²) x height (m) x 200 BTU.
For example: For a room with an area of 20 m² and a ceiling height of 3 m, the required air conditioning capacity is 20 m² x 3 m x 200 BTU = 12,000 BTU.

What is the BTU convention?
1 BTU is approximately equal to 1055 J or 0.293 kW.
1 W of power is equivalent to 3.41214 BTU/h, and 1 kW is equal to 3412.14 BTU/h.
A 1 horse power (HP) air conditioner corresponds to a capacity of about 9000 BTU.
Therefore, an air conditioner with a capacity of 9000 BTU/h will generate about 2637 kW of energy in one hour (9000 x 0.293).
Applying BTU unit to common air conditioning equipment
BTU parameter lookup table according to air conditioner area
Acreage | Room in home or household | Dormitory |
Less than 15 m2 | 9,000 BTU | 12,000 BTU |
From 15m2 to 20m2 | 12,000 BTU | 18,000 BTU |
From 20m2 to 30m2 | 18,000 BTU | 24,000 BTU |
From 30m2 to 40m2 | 24,000 BTU | 28,000 BTU |
From 40m2 to 45m2 | 28,000 BTU | 30,000 BTU |
From 45m2 to 50m2 | 30,000 BTU | 36,000 BTU |
From 50m2 to 55m2 | 36,000 BTU | 42,000 BTU |
From 55m2 to 60m2 | 42,000 BTU | 48,000 BTU |
From 60m2 to 70m2 | 48,000 BTU | 60,000 BTU |
BTU parameter lookup table according to room volume for air conditioning
Capacity | Family | Cafe/Restaurant | Hotel | Office |
1 HP | 45 m3 | 30 m3 | 35 m3 | 45 m3 |
1.5 HP | 60 m3 | 45 m3 | 55 m3 | 60 m3 |
2 HP | 80 m3 | 60 m3 | 70 m3 | 80 m3 |
2.5 HP | 120 m3 | 80 m3 | 100 m3 | 120 m3 |
How to convert BTU to power consumption
Formula to convert from BTU to electrical power
To convert BTU to kW, we can use the following formulas:
- 1 W = 3.412142 BTU/h
- 1 kW = 3412,142 BTU/h
- 1 BTU = 0.00029307107 kW
Summary: 1 BTU = 0.000293 kW = 0.2931 W
For example: An air conditioner has a capacity of 24000 BTU. Using the above formula, we calculate 24000 BTU = 7.004 kW, with 1 kW = 3412.14 BTU/h.

Formula for calculating electrical power according to consumption time
The formula for calculating the amount of electricity consumed by electrical appliances in the home is:
A = P × t
In there:
- A is the amount of electricity consumed (kWh)
- P is the equipment power (kW)
- t is usage time (hours)
For example, a refrigerator with a capacity of 120 W (equivalent to 0.12 kW) used continuously for one day (24 hours) will consume about 2.88 kWh (0.12 kW × 24 hours).
Answering questions about what is BTU?
How many BTU is 01 HP?
To convert from 1 HP (Horsepower) to BTU, we use the ratio:
1 HP ≈ 2544 BTU/h
This means that a 1 HP unit will be approximately 2544 BTU/h, meaning that the unit can produce 2544 BTU of energy in one hour.
How many BTU units is 01 kw?
1 kW = 3412.14 BTU/h
For example:
If the air conditioner has a capacity of 5141 W but does not have BTU/h information, you can convert as follows:
With 1 W = 3.41214 BTU/h, 5141 W would be equivalent to 17542 BTU/h.
Or, if the air conditioner has a capacity of 2.5 kW, we can calculate:
1 kW = 3412.14 BTU/h, so 2.5 kW will equal 8530 BTU/h, equivalent to a 1 horse power (1 HP) air conditioner.
How many BTU/h is 01 W equivalent to?
The conversion formula from BTU to W for air conditioners is: 1 W = 3.41214 BTU, so 1000 BTU is equivalent to 293 W.

What is Btu/h?
BTU/h and What is BTU?? Or cooling speed What is BTU? ? This is a measure of the energy required to melt 1 pound of ice.
The unit BTU per hour (BTU/h) describes the power of appliances such as furnaces, ovens, and air conditioners. It indicates how much energy these appliances consume or produce.
Conclude
Here is the information to answer your questions. What is BTU? on air conditioners and how to choose the right capacity for the area and volume of the room. Hopefully this information will help you easily choose the most suitable air conditioner for your family!