jchambers28
join:2007-05-12
Alma, AR | which is cheaoer
Is a 220 window air conditioner cheaper to run than a 110 air conditioner |
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rockotman
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| The cost of running either is not necessarily related to the voltage. It is related to the wattage. Typically, a 220V appliance is able to handle more watts than a 110 appliance, so it is likely that the 220V unit will have a higher wattage (or BTU) rating, and thus will cost more to use.
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SandShark
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What rockotman  says regarding a 220V unit being typically more capable of a higher BTU capacity, thus costing more to operate than a 110V unit with less BTU capacity is true. However, all things being equal, except the voltage, they will use the same amount of energy, with some differences depending on the SEER rating.
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jchambers28
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| thanks for the input. just trying to go the cheep est way for the price of the unit and the electricity use age everyone's electric rates are going to be going up eventually trying to keep the usage low and the bills reasonable the price of fuels is making me sick. the price of coal is going up because of diesel fuel prices |
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joako
Premium
join:2000-09-07
/dev/null | reply to jchambers28
I think you will waste less energy if you get a unit a little more powerful than you need and not running it constantly vs running a smaller unit constantly.
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HRM
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1 edit | Re: which is cheaper
said by joako :I think you will waste less energy if you get a unit a little more powerful than you need and not running it constantly vs running a smaller unit constantly. While I agree with the general thought, don't forget that a major function of AC is to remove humidity and a unit that is too large will cool and stop running before the humidity is lowered. Best to get a correct sized AC making sure it isn't too small. Once the humidity is lowered, you can actually set the temp higher and be comfortable.
On a side note, when we first moved here, I would leave the windows open in spring/summer as it got warmer and then finally when it was too hot, I would start the AC. If it cooled I opened them at night. The humidity of the house would be in the 70% range and slowly over the summer it would lower.
A couple years ago I started closing all the windows and running the AC early in the year (like as soon as it started getting humid.) This kept the humidity in the 40% range from the winter (forced air heat). My bills are much lower since the humidity is low, we are more comfortable and I can raise the temperature setting. Over the summer with all the in and out the humidity goes to the 50% range and stays there.
Opening windows, letting in the humidity is more expensive for me than running AC all summer from June to September. Even if it was 60 outside, I would never open the windows if it was humid. It works for me and my energy usage is not that bad (Costs $120 in July for AC) but the temp is 72 the entire time. |
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tschmidt
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Re: which is cheaoer
As others have posted using a 220 Volt AC means mains are able to deliver more power allowing installation of a larger. All else being equal a 220 Volt unit will be slightly more efficient because supply current is lower, meaning less power wasted in the wiring.
Much more important then wiring loss is efficiently of the unit, Energy Efficiency Ratio. EER is the amount of power it takes the produce a giving amount of cooling. Cheap units tend to have poor EER, more expensive ones higher.
/tom |
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KrK
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1 edit | reply to joako
In my research on A/C units I found that it is better to have a unit that will run for steady period before shutting off then a oversized unit that comes on, cools fast, then shuts off, and then cycles back on, off, on, off.
The explanation is that an air conditioner consumes energy at a rate that is determined by both the temperature and relative humidity.
You air conditioner reduces the air temperature and also reduces the relative humidity in your home. The unit it at it's most in-efficient in the time immediately after cycling on-- and because it takes a few mins for the evaporator coil to be come cold enough for the water to begin condensing on it.... extracting humidity from the air.
If the unit cycles off too quickly it won't remove humidity well and the house will feel warmer to the occupants, leading people to turn the unit down to a lower temperature--- resulting in more power use.... also, when it is cold, it can feel "clammy" due to the humidity being too high. This can also promote mold and mildew growth.
Many homes in the USA suffer from oversized A/C units that contrary to popular belief are actually wasting energy and costing their owners more money then a smaller unit would have. |
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