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How To Reduce Air Conditioner power Consumption

BySeema Gurnani 6.4.2019         Mail Now X   Post Comments

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Summer in India is about to start and, you must be worried about higher electric bill due to the power consumption of Air conditioner. It is also true that in the Indian summer it is very difficult to survive without the use of AC. So, if you are wondering how you can control the power consumptions then here's the help.

By following some of the general maintenance tips, you can reduce the power consumption of your AC and increase its efficiency as well. Here, we are with some important but easy-to-follow maintenance tips which can enhance the efficacy of your AC without burning your pockets with higher power consumption.

How Much Power Does An AC Use In A Day?

Before jumping to the solutions, it is very important to get a thorough knowledge about the problem. You must have a basic idea about the everyday power consumption of your AC with a simple calculation. You should buy an energy efficient best air conditioner with high BEE rating to reduce the energy consumption. It is seen that during the summers in India, an average central AC uses 3000-5000 watts of power each hour for around 9 hours a day. Depending on the outside temperature, a central AC runs 3-7 months of the year as per the climate of the region. Hence, it is very important to calculate power consumption by following a simple formula. You can also calculate the power consumption of each device you are using in your home as follows.

- Note the watts your AC uses in a day.

- Now convert the watts to kilowatts: 1 watt is equal to 0.001 kilowatts.

- Now calculate the usage of the kilowatts in a month.

- Multiply the wattage with the hours of consumption to figure out the cost.

- Remember 1000 watts per hour is equal to 1 unit.

- You can calculate by multiplying the number of watts with the cost of the unit in your area.

Tips To Reduce Power Consumption In Your AC

By following some easy steps, you can increase the efficacy of your AC with reducing the power consumption as well.

1. A Ceiling Fan Works Great

You will be astonished to know that use of a ceiling fan while the AC in on in your room can give you a wind-chill effect of 6-7 degrees more cooler feel. It helps disperse the cooled air more efficiently and circulate it throughout the room to make it cooler. By raising the thermostat of the ceiling fan, you can enhance the cooling capacity of your AC set in highest point.

2. Be Economical While Running Your AC

By setting the AC at a high temperature but as per your comfort can decrease your electricity bill by 10%. Always use a programmable thermostat to increase the temperature when you are out of the room or asleep. It is ideal to set the thermostat of your AC to 22-25 degrees instead of 16-18 degrees, and you could lop a minimum of 18% of your cooling cost in summer. Keep it in mind that turning the AC to a cooler than the normal setting won't cool your room faster.Higher BEE star rating AC consumes less amount of electricity.

Do not place the thermostat near the heat producing appliances like TV, Computers, and lamps. At night dial the thermostat up for some more degrees when the temperature is not so hot. By following these tips, you can cut off 3% of your AC bill in each raised degree.

3. Maintain Your ACs

Without taking the proper care of your AC, it is not possible to increase the efficiency of the system or to save power consumption. Only using an energy-efficient AC or installing a programmable thermostat is not enough to reduce your cooling costs. You must clean or replace the filters of your AC to lower the energy consumption by 5% to 15%. Blocked and dirty filters make the unit to work harder to cool the room. In the case of central AC, be sure that floor registers are not blocked with lots of furniture and dust.

It is also important to clean the condenser and evaporator coils of the unit which is located outside of the room. Keep the outside unit at least 2 feet away from the branches of the tree to keep it free from the fallen leaves, grass, and other debris.

4. Avoid The Heat-Generators During Day Time

It is one of the most useful suggestions to eschew the activities that generate a lot of heat inside when the outside temperature is highest. You can avoid the using of dishwashers, washing machines, computers, microwaves, stereos, and TV during the day time. Try to save these activities until dark when the temperature reduces. Always use the exhaust fan of your bathroom and kitchen sparingly to spot-ventilate and remove the excess heat and humidity when you are using them for a long time.

5. Prevent Your Room From The Solar Heat

By using light-colored curtains, reflective/insulated shades, and highly reflective blinds, you can reduce the heat gain by 45% in excess hot days. As a result, your system will not have to work harder to cool the room and simultaneously it will save the power consumption also. Close the window panes as much as possible and hang shades to enable them to block the solar heat to come inside. For shades plant the trees and shrubs around your house to keep the house cooler. You can paint your house in a lighter colour in summer days to reflect the sunlight away without giving pressure to your AC for more cooling.

6. Regular Servicing Of Your AC

To keep your AC up to date, you need some basic repairs and maintenance with regular servicing of the system at least twice in a year. It is not stressed enough but helps in finding out some little problems in your AC and can be fixed a minimal cost and repair. Regular servicing of your AC not only keeps the system running at maximum potential but saves the energy at highest levels also. It will ensure the AC does not consume excess power and can lead to the high efficiency of the system.

7. Perfect Lighting Is Also Important

Do you know an imperfect lighting system can increase the heat of your room? It is very important to choose the right lighting for your indoors. Using of LED bulbs are the most energy-efficient lighting option to keep your room the coolest. They use more than 75% less electricity than incandescent bulbs. Due to the absence of mercury in them, the LED lights last about 25 times longer than the traditional bulbs. It is better to switch the dimmer lights in the summer days and turn off the lights when not in use. Unplug the idle electronics as much as possible and eliminate the vampire power also. It is important to use a power strip to turn all the devices off at once to reduce the plug load.

8. Keep Your Computer Shutdown

You must shut down the computer when not in use because they are some of the biggest energy users both in offices and residential uses. Nowadays, computers can turn on and turn off as you need. So it is best to turn the monitor off at night. You can ditch the screensaver because using it does not affect the lifespan of your computer.

9. Carefully Reduce The Other Heat Gainers

Besides the sunlight and electronic devices, there are some other things, and activities also act as heat gainers in indoors. To vent off the warm moist air, use a shorter shower and open a window while showering. Avoid using the dryer set in your dishwasher. You can let it air dry. Let the clothes air dry instead of using the dryer set in a washing machine. It is important to reduce the surface temperature to help your cooling system. Properly insulate the air ducts and strange air leaking also.

10. Some Major Technical Points 

Use the inverter ACs for less consumption of power. Opt for a high-efficiency energy star rating AC to save energy up to 40%. It is very important to select the right size system to fit your room for a better cooling effect. Opt for Copper ACs instead of Aluminum ACs and replace the old central AC with the newest energy saving units. It is best to install an attic fan to pull the cool air into your room and helps to keep out the hot air. Replace your AC if you are using it for more than 10 years.

Final Talk

An Air conditioner in India works to cool air by 15 degrees at a time. It is ideal to maintain the room temperature at 24-26 degrees which help in two ways. It enhances the efficiency of your AC and lowers power consumption simultaneously. According to the Energy Department of India, setting your air conditioner in 26 degrees C allows you to stay cool in summer and avoid the high electricity bill. It is also recommended to run the fan if the heat exchanger is disabled.

Info graphics By: BEEINDIA

TAGS: Reduce Air Conditioner power Consumption,   AC maintenance tips,   Increase efficiency of AC,