How To Determine The Tonnage Of A Trane Air Conditioning Unit

If you possess a Trane air conditioning unit that needs replacement and you want to determine its tonnage to find a suitable replacement, you’ve come to the right place. We have thoroughly investigated this matter and have the solution for you.

Follow the step-by-step instructions below to determine the tonnage of your Trane air conditioning unit:

1. Find the model number of your Trane air conditioning unit.
2. Identify the seventh and eighth digits and treat them as a two-digit number.
3. Divide this number by 12 to get the capacity of your Trane air conditioner in tons.

Unfortunately, understanding the format of model numbers can be confusing, especially when it comes to counting characters or digits involved. To gain further understanding of this method for determining the tonnage of your Trane air conditioner, as well as other information you can extract from the model number, continue reading.

Where To Find The Model Number Of My Trane Air Conditioner?

Before using the aforementioned method, it’s crucial to know where to locate the model number of your Trane air conditioner.

Typically, air conditioner user manuals contain the model number to indicate the compatible model. However, multiple air conditioner models from the same manufacturer often share the same user manual. Additionally, only the first model associated with that user manual is usually printed on it.

This can lead to confusion since multiple models using the same user manual may be identical in all aspects except for the tonnage, which is what we need to determine. Therefore, relying on the user manual to find the model number of your Trane air conditioner is not recommended.

Trane Air Conditioner Outdoor Unit

The outdoor unit or compressor of your Trane air conditioner has a sticker near the electrical panel. This white sticker bears black markings.

At the top section of the sticker, just below the word “Trane,” you will find the model number. This sticker contains numbers and uppercase letters, providing the unique and authentic model number for each Trane air conditioner model.

Decoding/Reading A Trane Air Conditioner Model Number

Some model numbers may begin with a hash symbol, which should be disregarded when viewing the model number or counting the number of characters, as it is not part of the model number.

First Digit of the Model Number
The first digit of the model number is usually ‘2’ or ‘4,’ with ‘4’ being more common for newer units. This digit indicates the type of refrigerant used by your air conditioner, saving you the trouble of searching through manuals for this information.

A ‘2’ in the first digit indicates that the air conditioner uses an R-22 refrigerant, while a ‘4’ indicates the usage of an R410A refrigerant.

Second Character of the Model Number
The second character is always an uppercase ‘T,’ representing Trane, the manufacturer of your AC.

Third Character of the Model Number
The third character is often an uppercase ‘T’ or an uppercase ‘W.’ These characters indicate the product type based on commercial classification.

An uppercase ‘T’ indicates a split cooling type product, while an uppercase ‘W’ indicates a split heat pump. This information is helpful if you need to replace your Trane air conditioner with a similar model and product type.

Fourth Character of the Model Number
The fourth character reveals the product family, which is typically a Trane-specific classification indicating the product family to which your air conditioner belongs.

This information may vary depending on the product families in existence at the time of your air conditioner’s manufacturing.

Fifth Character of the Model Number
The fifth character holds significant information as it represents the SEER rating of your air conditioner.

SEER stands for Season Energy Efficiency Ratio and is a modified form of EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) based on a 95-degree Fahrenheit outdoor temperature. SEER utilizes seasonal averages instead of a constant 95-degree temperature to accurately measure energy efficiency.

A ‘0’ indicates a SEER rating of 10, ‘1’ represents a SEER rating of 11, ‘2’ signifies SEER 12, ‘3’ corresponds to SEER 13, ‘4’ represents SEER 14, and so on. The highest SEER rating indicated here is ‘9,’ indicating a SEER rating of 19 for your air conditioner.

The current industry minimum for SEER is 14. Therefore, you should aim for a ‘4’ or higher for efficient AC models.

Sixth Character of the Model Number
The sixth character is primarily used by HVAC professionals during maintenance or repair work on your unit. Typically, this character is ‘0,’ indicating that the connections within your air conditioner are soldered, brazed, or a combination of both.

Seventh and Eighth Characters of the Model Number
These two characters are always interpreted as two-digit numbers, representing the unit’s capacity to produce a certain number of thousand BTUs per hour.

For example, ’30’ indicates a cooling capacity of 30,000 BTUs per hour, while ’24’ denotes the ability to cool 24,000 BTUs per hour.

Since one ton of cooling capacity in air conditioner terminology is equivalent to 12,000 BTUs per hour, you can simply divide the total BTU based on this number by 12,000. Alternatively, you can eliminate the three zeros and directly divide the whole numbers.

Therefore, in our example, ’30’ for the seventh and eighth characters of the model number signifies a 2.5-ton unit, while ’24’ indicates a 2-ton AC model.

Ninth Character of the Model Number
The ninth character of the model number represents any modifications made to the specific model since its initial launch. Thus, if the model has been on the market for a few years, there may be several revisions or improvements, with any major changes indicated here.

Tenth Character of the Model Number
The tenth character also provides essential information by indicating the voltage used by your air conditioner’s power supply. This information is valuable to HVAC professionals when conducting maintenance or repairs on your AC.

A ‘1’ here signifies a voltage configuration of 200-230/1/60 or 208-230/1/60.

A ‘3’ indicates a voltage configuration of 200-230/3/60, while ‘4’ denotes a voltage configuration of 460/3/60.

Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Characters of the Model Number
These characters indicate any secondary functions of the air conditioner. If these three characters consist of three zeros, it implies that the air conditioner lacks noteworthy secondary functions.

Fourteenth Character of the Model Number
Similar to the ninth character, the fourteenth character signifies minor design modifications. It specifically highlights minor changes made to the model.

Fifteenth Character of the Model Number
The fifteenth character represents a part identification number that is primarily significant to HVAC professionals when conducting repairs on the air conditioner. This character helps them identify specific parts required for replacing defective components.

What Does “Ton” Mean In Air Conditioners?

In HVAC, one ton represents 12,000 BTU/h (BTUs per hour). On the other hand, BTU (British Thermal Unit) measures the amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

Note that the amount of heat required to increase water temperature by one degree Fahrenheit slightly varies based on the initial temperature of the water when heat is applied. The temperature difference can vary by up to 0.5%.

Why Is It Called “Ton”?

If you continuously remove 12,000 BTUs of heat per hour from one short ton of water (1999.59 pounds), the water will turn into ice within 24 hours. This cooling power is represented by 1 ton of air conditioning.

Conclusion

While incorporating the capacity of a Trane air conditioner into a coded two-digit portion of the model number may not be the most efficient method for residential owners, this system ensures that knowing the model number provides a wealth of information about the air conditioner. This information proves useful when searching for a matching air conditioner for replacement. All you need to do is understand the meaning of the different characters in the model number.