Ton in AC means cooling capacity and not weight. Actually, it is a measure of how much heat the AC can remove from the room in an hour. 1 Ton AC means that it can remove about 12,000 BTU (British Thermal Units) heat in an hour. BTU is a unit that tells how much energy is required to increase or decrease the temperature of something.
The word Ton originated from the old-fashioned ice cooling method. In earlier times, when there were no ACs, ice cubes were kept in big rooms or theaters for cooling. Then scientists measured that if one ton of ice melts in 24 hours, then the amount of coldness it gives is equal to 1 ton. Even today, this same parameter is used to describe the cooling capacity of a modern AC.
The ton of AC directly depends on the size of the room. If your room is small and you install a 2 Ton AC in it, then there will be wastage of electricity. There is a big room and a 1 Ton AC is installed in it, so it will not be able to provide proper cooling.
1 Ton AC is sufficient for a room of 100–120 square feet. 1.5 Ton AC will be suitable for a room of 150–180 square feet. 2 Ton AC would be best for a room larger than 200 square feet. Additionally, the number of windows in the room, direct sunlight and floor (like top floor or ground floor) also affect the efficiency of the AC.
AC with higher tonnage consumes more electricity. This is because the greater the cooling capacity, the greater will be the power consumption. But today’s inverter ACs save energy and increase or decrease the speed of the compressor according to the room temperature, which reduces the electricity bill.
Now whenever you go to buy a new AC, pay attention not only to the brand or appearance but also to its Ton i.e. its cooling capacity. This will decide how quickly your AC will cool the room and how much the electricity bill will be.
Published at : 02 Nov 2025 11:16 AM (IST)