Does setting an air conditioner at a lower temperature (like 16 degrees C) ensure faster cooling than setting it at higher temperatures (like 23-24 degrees C)?
Cooling rate of AC is constant. So the more the AC runs room is more cooled. There is a equipment fitted in AC which s called Thermostat. This thermostat has a temperature sensor through which it control the room temperature. Suppose the room temperature is 40 deg and you set the temperature to 24 deg the AC will run constantly till the room temperature reach 24 degrees. Once the room temperature reaches 24 degrees the thermostat will cut power to compressor. The compressor will stop but the fan in the AC will continue to run though it is not blowing cold air now. Once temperature rises the thermostat signals to compressor to start.Now if you set temperature to say 16 deg. The thermostat will allow compressor to run till the room temperature reaches 16 deg. As the AC has to cool the room to lower temperature this time, it will run for more time. So the AC cooling rate is constant but it will run longer if you set low cooling room temperature.
Do air conditioners use less electricity when they are set to a lower setting?
It depends.First, let's get literal. Lower can mean temperature setting or fan setting, or some combination of both depending on your AC. For temperature, "lower" means closer to room neutral (i.e. lower temp in winter and higher in summer). In most cases, lowering your temperature setting will result in less electricity. How much so depends on your AC. The compressor of a standard packaged wall AC is controlled by turning it on/off. When set in Auto (if available), the compressor will cycle on/off when the temp is met, which saves you some cost when it's off. This is the most common type of system, so I would say it's safe to say yes, lowering the setting will save you energy. Without the Auto feature, adjusting your setting has no effect. You can adjust your fan speed which will make the supply air colder/hotter in summer/winter, but the overall energy consumption is practically the same (unless it's a central AC system with potentially a lot of air).Now if you have a split Variable Refrigerant Flow system (such as Daikin, LG, Mitsubishi, Samsung, etc.), you'll have inverter-driven compressors. These bad boys actually slow the compressor down to actively match load. So, if you adjust your setting lower, the controller will send the compressor less electricity to slow down its rotation (simplified explanation, but that's the gist of it). Image from Daikin Reefer: Daikin Reefer Container Refrigeration " Technologies This method beats out the typical on/off control because every time the compressors turns on, it takes a significant amount of energy. Cycling can save money, but it's also expensive. Having a compressor that matching load without turning off is a win win. If the condensing unit outside is serving multiple indoor units, you can see some hefty savings by adjusting your temperature setting.Now go make a business case to your SO's and buy a fancy AC system! :-)PS. I'm not a AC salesman.
When I start my air conditioner at high, is it only the fan that is at high or it gives also more cold air?
The most obvious difference is that the fan runs at a high speed, so it's moving more air. The refrigeration system is thermostatically controlled, to keep the cold-side heat exchanger as cold as possible without icing up. The compressor pumps the refrigerant through the cycle at a constant rate, but then it shuts off entirely for some period of time. The fraction of "on-time" vs. total time is commonly known as a "duty cycle", from 0% to 100%.So, the refrigeration system is not directly varying with the "high" setting on the controls. But as more warm air is carried through the heat exchanger, its temperature does not drop as quickly, so the refrigeration system and compressor will run longer, at a higher duty cycle. In most cases there are other performance limits (e.g. compressor overheating) in the design preventing it from running at a 100% duty cycle, but the a high setting on the controls will indirectly make the refrigeration system run more as well.
Why is my oscillating fan running but not blowing air?
I have an oscillating fan that is running on the highest settings but even right up in front of it you can barely notice air moving. In fact if you put a piece of paper in front of the fan it almost seems to be sucking it in. But it's not blowing air out the other side either. I'm baffled.
Is it cheaper to run the air conditioner only at night, or to run it on a high temp all day?
These days, since I work a lot, I turn off the air conditioner all day (approximately 10 hours) and turn it on only when I am home. When I turn it on, for example, it may be 90 degrees in the apartment, it takes nearly an hour to cool my apartment down to 75 degrees. Would it be cheaper for me to run the AC on a moderately high temperature all day, say at 80 degrees, and then turn it down to 75 when I get home so it doesn't work as hard? Or is it cheaper to turn it off the whole day and have it work hard when I get home?
Which is more energy efficient: to run air conditioning at a relatively high temerature for a longer duration, or to set the temperature relatively low and turn it off in a shorter duration?
Normal ACs (non inverter) work in the following wayThe AC compressor runs continuously till set temperature is reached in the roomThe compressor then switches off, but the blower fan in the wall mounter unit keeps runningWhen temperature of room rises then compressor starts running againAnd the process is repeated.... as long as you keep AC runningSo if you keep a lower temp, the compressor will remain on for a longer time, If you switch off AC from time to time, well the result is same as setting a higher temperature and allowing the AC to run.Manual switching on and off is not recommended as the ac is not designed to work that way. Also this is very difficult to do at night having to wake up to switch off the AC.The best way to economize your usage is to follow these AC good practisesBuy a AC that is powered just right for your room. There are many factors like the size of the room , Direction of windows, no of doors, roof exposure to direct sunlight determine the type of AC you need. The calculator at the end of this webpage will help you make an informed decisionRun AC on 24 degree Celsius. If you are using sleep mode set it to rise from 23 to 25Ensure that the windows in the room are all having curtains or blinds. When using AC ensure that blinds and curtains are drawnEnsure minimal air leakages from gaps in doors windows. Seal edges with foam or other insulating materialIf you are on the top floor, a false ceiling (even a cheap thermocol one) will save a lot of power.Clean AC filter once a month . This ensures efficient and clean coolingEnsure that your AC is serviced at least thrice a year, especially after it has been idle for some time (like after monsoon , and winter)If your AC is more than 5 years old, do not repair it if the cost of repair will exceed 20 percent of the price of a similarly powered AC in the market. Buying a new one will save a lot of money within 4 years of purchase.Go for an Extended warranty cover whenever possible (if ac is newer than (3 years)Enjoy life...Be cool... Stay Cool !!
Which consumes less power, an air conditioner in fan mode or a ceiling fan?
Power Consumption: Fan Mode :Fan mode usually results to lower power consumption because the compressor is turned off. The AC is not producing cool air but you are getting improved ventilation which helps lower temperatures by some degree. An AC unit on Fan mode usually consumes about 150W with the fan running, while the AC unit consumes 1000W when on default or Cool mode. However, the difference in power consumption will largely depend on a few factors such as how cool the unit is set to. If the unit is set to cool quickly, you only get a relatively small difference in power consumption, although Fan mode would still utilize lesser power just the same.It is also important to consider the efficiency of running AC on Fan mode compared to running an ordinary fan. Using an ordinary stand fan is considerably more energy efficient compared to running AC on fan mode so consider using an ordinary fan and turning the AC off on days when the weather is relatively cool and you just want added ventilation. It is also important to consider the efficiency of ventilation provided by either a fan or AC on Fan mode. The latter draws just a little bit of air in, while an ordinary fan is more efficient in drawing air from the outside and circulating it inside. This allows you to cool a warm indoor space with cooler air from the outside for small, cramped spaces typical of Singapore high rise apartments.Most apartments in Singapore have AC units installed although you also have the choice of using regular fans during the hot summer months. If you want to lower power bills you can set the AC on fan mode since this utilizes lower power, although you have to make do with warmer temperatures. Putting the AC on default Cool mode will give you the comfort of cooler temperatures indoors but this usually consume about 80% more energy than outing it on AC mode. You always have the option of turning your AC off and using a regular fan instead, which has the added advantage of being able to draw more air indoors for better circulation.
What is more economical: leaving your home air conditioner system at a moderate level or turning it on and off to save money?
Answer to this question is subjective to different conditions.What is the capacity of unit with respect to cooling load?What is the period of ON and OFF you are talking aboutHow smoothly you will tolerate temperature upturn in re-start period.Case 1.AC compressor is more or less of same capacity of heat load. When the unit is ON, compressor is also ON to keep the temperature at set level. When you switch off, say for 1 hour, room regains some temperature. When starting again it will take some time to attain comfort level.Here you gain not only power but health for AC unit.Case 2.AC is sized for the smooth operation.It works for, say 60 minutes, attains comfort level, compressor goes off.It will gain temperature depends on room insulation and thermal inertia.Say it takes 30 minutes to restart based on Thermostat call.Indoor fan is running throughout the ON time.By switching off for 30 minutes. you gain fan power only.By switching off for 60 minutes you gain power for 30 minute compressor, but considering the extra power to put it back to comfort level, it wont be much.Yes, in absolute level there is a gain, however small it may be.