Often times we have heard about 1 ton ac, 2 ton AC and many times we mistake the term “ton” as the weight of the air conditioner.
And yes “ton” as a weighing unit literally means 1000 kg but not in the case of AC.
If you are confused between what is the difference between 1 ton and 1.5 ton ac, which one to buy, etc,. then read further. You can also skip to the main section.
What is ton in ac?
“Ton” in AC refers to its power to cool a room similarly like “horsepower” in vehicle refers to its power to run. 1 Ton AC can remove 12,000 BTUS of heat per hour and 1.5 ton AC can remove 18,000 BTU of heat per hour.
BTU stands for British Thermal Unit.
To further simplify it a “1 ton” AC is equivalent to “1 ton of ice” that can cool a room for 24 hours without melting down completly.
Will 1.5 ton AC cool room faster?
1 Ton AC can remove 12,000 BTUs of heat per hour and 1. 5 ton AC can remove 18,000 BTUs of heat. 1.5 ton AC being more powerful in terms of cooling than a 1 ton AC will surely cool the same size room faster.
A 1.5 ton AC produces 50% more cooling than 1 a ton AC.
From the above analagy we can also see that 1.5 ton AC will remove more heat from a room and so will cool a room faster.
Read More: We have done thorough research on 3 star vs 5 star AC. Do read the bill difference section in it.
Which consumes more power?
Ofcourse a 1.5 ton AC will surely consume more power than a 1 ton AC as the former removes more heat per hour, that goes the same for electricity consumption.
An electronic device with higher wattage will surely consume more power that a lesser wattage device.
1 Ton = 3.5 kilo-watt
1.5 ton = 5.2 kolo-watt
But to correctly find that by how much both differ in electricity consumption we will also have to look at the “EER” or “ISEER” rating which gives us the energy efficiency of the appliance.
Below I have picked up few air conditioner randomly and calcualted the power consumption for each using a calculator.
| ISEER/EER Rating | Power (watts) | |
|---|---|---|
| Voltas 1 Ton Window AC (2018 model) | 3.31 | 797 |
| LG 1 Ton Split AC (2021 model) | 4.70 | 566 |
| Whirlpool 1.5 Ton 3 Star Split AC (2018 model) | 3.55 | 1100 |
| LG 1.5 Ton Split AC (2021 model) | 4.73 | 800 |
Observation from the above table
- Power consumption for every 1.5 ton AC is higher than every 1 ton AC.
- Power consumption for the first and the last entry is almost same even though one is 1 ton and another is 1.5 ton AC.
This is possible becasue we are comparing and older model to a newer model. Newer models are more energy efficient, thanks to inverter technology.
So only “tonnage” is not sufficient for judging power consumption we need EER/ISEER rating also.
Read More: Check our list of best low power consuming AC in India.
How to choose between 1 and 1.5 ton for my room
To choose the right capacity AC or the right tonnage AC, there are many things to consider like room size, number of people using a room, room facing direct sunlight or not, are you living on the top floor.
Room size is the first factor to look for when deciding the tonnage.
Use the below table (Here room size is Length X Breadth and height of ceiling must be around 10 feet).
| Room Size (sq. feet) | Ton |
|---|---|
| Size < 140 | 1 ton |
| Size > 140 & Size < 190 | 1.5 ton |
| Size > 190 & Size < 260 | 2 ton |
Once you have decided the “ton” using the above table.
Increase the tonnage if
- Your room gets direct sunlight
- You live on the top floor of your building
- Several people(4-6) sleep inside the room
This is because sunlight will heat up the room and so the AC will have to do more work to counter it.
Recommended ACs
- LG 1 Ton AC (Latest Innovations)
View Product - Lloyd 1 Ton AC (Budget Friendly)
View Product - Samsung 1.5 Ton AC
View Product
You can check the above links or our split ac under 30,000 list. Do make sure to check the servicing of brand in your region.
How much area 1 ton AC covers
1 Ton AC is suitable for room size of 100-140 square feet. Usually the height of ceiling in our rooms is around 10 feet, so a room with dimensions(LxB) like 10×10, 12×12, 14×10, 9×14 can be sufficiently cooled with a 1 ton AC.
Can I use 1.5 ton AC in small room
It is better to use the right capacity AC according to the room size. You can use a bigger capacity AC in a small room, this will result in faster cooling of the room but the AC will also consume more electricity.
But you should prevent yourself from using an undersized air conditioner as it will fail to cool the room to the desired temperature even after running for long.
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My room size is 12 by 16 ft
Which spilt ac should I buy and what capacity
If you need split AC then 1.5 ton would be good for 12×16 ft room. Placing the indoor unit in the middle of the 16 ft side would be better for getting even cooling in room.
Modern inverter split ACs are highly power efficient. You can go with any good brand like Daikin, Hitachi, LG. Best is to look for servicing of brands in your locality.
I have a small room 10*10 .I need budget ac for summer season to be used approx 6 to 10 hours per day.
I want to reduce the expenses of electricity.please recommend which brand to be used for durability, stability and best budget friendly
1 Ton will suffice for 10×10 size room. With low use of 6-10 hrs you can should go with 3 star AC.
Panasonic, Sanyo, Voltas is best in budget-friendly. I prefer LG, Hitachi for split AC but these are expensive.
You can also go with a window AC, it is cheap and ideal for low daily usage.
You can check the below links.
MY ROOM SIZE 7 X 10 =70SQ FT BUT ONE SIDE SUN FACE
WHICH AC IS BETTER 1 TON OR 1.5 TON.
ofcourse 1 Ton
My room size is 140sq ft , no side sun facing in ground floor , should I choose 1 TON or 1.5 ton?
You should go with 1 Ton AC.
My room size is 9x 14 including 2 feet Cup board area and flat is at sun side .
Which you will recommend
1 ton or 1.5 tom
If the sun facing side have too many windows then go with 1.5 Ton AC.
You can also go with 1 Ton but remember cooling will be slower and may fail to chill the room in your case.
My room size is 110 sq.ft with 2 wooden doors and 3 wooden windows, with little spaces in the sides and bottom of both doors.
Which AC should I opt for?
1 Ton will be ideal for 110 sq ft room. If sunlight comes from the windows side then cooling will be slower in the day time then you can go with 1.2 Ton or 1.5 Ton AC.
Remember to buy latest model.
My Room Size 12 ,12 ..which window AC you will recommend to me in 1 Ton or 1.5 and star wise..my budget is 30K..
Waiting your response.
You should go with 1.5 Ton AC.
If you daily usage is low(4-8 hours) then go with 3 star
If your daily usage is high(12-18 hours) go with 5 star
Daikin is my 1st choice in Window AC then Hitachi. My personal experience with Voltas is very bad in window ACs.
You may check this link
Hi, I have 12*10 ft of room where sunlight comes directly in the room for around 5-7 hr a day. So for that which AC type of AC to buy Invertor or Non Invetor? Also suggest AC for the same
1 Ton can suffice for 120 sq. ft but do note in day time sunlight will heat the room so cooling will be slower so it is recommended to go with 1.2 or 1.5 ton AC.
Inverter technology is now pushed by every brand so go with inverter AC.
LG, Hitachi, Daikin are best brand.
Voltas, Panasonic, Sanyo are budget brands.
My room size is 143 sq. Ft in first floor in my home. truss sheet roofing given above first floor. Sunlight does not comes directly to room.maximum atm temp during summer is35 to 36Celsius. Iam planning to purchase a 5star inverter split ac.Do I need 1.5 ton split ac?
1 Ton will be fine for your room.
I have a 140sqft room. Two walls facing sunlight, but both windows are covered with sunlight blocking blinds. So its safe to say no sunlight directly comes in during the day.
From your article I clearly understand I require a 1.5T AC.
I’m considering the latest realme AC. It would be very kind if you could let me know your opinion on that AC. And wouldn’t 4 stars be sufficient for 10-12H usage?
Also Shivam, given that this AC has modes in which we can choose whichever ton at any moment, if i find the room cools down in just 1T, would that only use the current of a 1T AC?
Go with 1.5 Ton AC for being on safe side. I have no idea about Realme AC. You can go with 4 star AC. You can read my 3 star vs 5 star article to get better insights. To your last question if the AC is cooling the room as 1 Ton then yes it would consume power as 1 Ton AC.
Shivam, I need to buy AC for a 150 sq. ft room on top floor in CHandigarh.
I run AC at 27-28 degrees Celsius. Would a 1 Ton AC suffice?
So even if I run AC at 20 degree or 28 degrees it makes no difference to tonnage required?
Can you throw some light as to why?
You should go with 1.5 Ton AC without any further doubts.
You room is on Top floor which will heat up in daytime due to sunlight
Tonnage is not dependent on what temperature you run your AC. Its mostly dependent on room size.
Hi my room is 12*14 and i lives on the upper portion of my house, which one is best either 1 ton or 1.5 ton
1.5 Ton is recommended