what does horsepower mean in A/C unit?

Question

I don’t understand how an A/C’s power could be measured by horsepower. Is it the volume of air coming out? Is it how much colder the exhaust temperature is to the intake? What does it control exactly?

In: 33

Answer 1

Typical a/c units are measured in tons. Horespower is a term used when talking about boilers.

Both terms describe the BTUs of heat a system can either remove or generate per hour.

1 ton of cooling = 12,000 BTU/hr or 3.5kW.

1 horsepower of heat = 2,545 BTU/hr or ~ .75kW