Power Converter

What this tool does

Power Converter translates engine, motor, heating and cooling ratings between SI and traditional units. It separates the three common horsepower definitions so car, pump and motor specifications compare correctly.

Power is the rate of using or delivering energy, and different industries rate it in different ways. Car makers quote PS or bhp, electric motors and pumps come in kW or hp, air conditioners are sold in tons or BTU per hour, and solar panels in watts. Even horsepower is ambiguous: metric, mechanical and electrical horsepower differ by up to 1.4%.

This tool converts through the watt (one joule per second). Mechanical horsepower is 550 foot-pounds-force per second, about 745.70 W; metric horsepower (PS) is 75 kilogram-force metres per second, exactly 735.49875 W; electrical horsepower is defined as 746 W. BTU per hour uses the International Table BTU, and one ton of refrigeration is 12,000 BTU/h, about 3.517 kW. Calculations happen instantly in your browser.

How to use Power Converter

1. Enter a power rating in the Value field.
2. Choose the From unit, picking the horsepower type stated in your source.
3. Choose the To unit and read the Result.
4. Swap the direction or adjust Decimal places if required.
5. Compare the rating across every unit in the table below.
6. Paste a list of ratings into Batch convert to convert a spec sheet at once.

Tips for better results

• A quick estimate: 1 kW is about 1.34 mechanical hp or 1.36 PS.
• A 1.5-ton air conditioner delivers about 5.3 kW of cooling, not 5.3 kW of electrical input.
• Watts measure rate; multiply by hours of use to get energy in watt-hours.

Common use cases

• Comparing car engine outputs quoted in PS, bhp and kW.
• Sizing pumps, motors and generators from catalogues in different units.
• Converting air-conditioner capacity between tons, BTU/h and kW.
• Checking appliance and inverter ratings in watts and kilowatts.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating PS and hp as identical; 100 PS is about 98.6 hp.
• Confusing cooling capacity with electrical power consumption in air conditioners.
• Mixing power (kW) with energy (kWh) in electricity calculations.