How Much Power Does A Window Ac Unit Use

How Many Watts Does A Window AC Utilize?

If y'all're shopping for a window air conditioner, there's an official standard for efficiency you should understand: the combined energy efficiency ratio, or CEER, which represents the number of BTUs of estrus per hr an air conditioner removes for every watt of electricity it consumes. The Section of Energy "Energy Star" rating is given to window air conditioners that rate improve than 11. That works out to the following figures for popular sizes:

For a small bedroom, a five,000 BTU window unit of measurement should only use 450 watts
A mid-size 8,000 BTU Air-conditioning should utilise fewer than 715 watts
A big 14,000 BTU air conditioner should only utilise i,250 watts

Fifty-fifty the least-expensive units we researched for our review of the best window air conditioners got a score of 11, and all of our picks were rated 12 or 12.1.

When nosotros tested 8,000 BTU window air conditioners, nosotros also tested the power draw on every cooling and fan setting with an electricity usage monitor. As you tin see, there is some divergence, only it's not very big.

Setting	Frigidaire	Friedrich	LG	Average
Idle (Watts)	1	0.6	i.5	i
Fan - Low (Watts)	88.viii	64.4	116	ninety
Fan - Hi (Watts)	114	75.2	129	106
AC - Low (Watts)	573	520	530	541
AC - Hi (Watts)	574	538	543	552
Efficiency Ratio (CEER)	12.1	12.two	12.1	12.1

The latest and most efficient variable-speed window units like this bigger model from LG or the make-new Midea U-shaped unit of measurement rate as loftier as 14.7 and 15, but you'll pay actress up-forepart to squeeze out that extra efficiency.

Window vs portable air conditioner efficiency

Compared to portable air conditioners, window units are engineering marvels: Most portable designs can't fifty-fifty striking an efficiency rating of better than 7 or 8 in real-world atmospheric condition, and so a rating is rarely listed. Y'all'll use about 50% more electricity to get the same corporeality of cooling, and that'due south assuming only moderate outdoor estrus — on the hottest days, even the best portable air conditioners tin't keep upwardly.

Window Ac watts vs. central systems

Comparing window units to central air conditioning is trickier, though, since the efficiency rating organization most often advertised is different.

Window unit of measurement CEER is based on the BTUs per hour removed when information technology's 95 degrees outside, as defined past the Air Workout, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute standard 210/240. That same standard defines another adding called the "Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio" (SEER) to average out efficiency over an unabridged year, including a standardized number of days out of the year an air conditioner is non running.

That means the SEER rating for a primal air conditioner is always college than the CEER of a window unit, even sometimes if the central system is really less efficient. If you lot can observe a non-"seasonal" EER rating for a central organization, that is a number you tin can more closely compare with the CEER of a window unit.

Free energy Star lists the virtually-efficient central air conditioning systems, among which nosotros found a Lennox unit that striking a grade-leading EER of xvi (SEER of 26) for a small 24000-BTU key organization. It'll use about 1400 watts to cool about 1200 square feet of a business firm in average summer atmospheric condition, and fifty-fifty less if y'all simply need a piddling bit of cooling. A less-efficient Mr. Cool model from Home Depot with the same chapters but a SEER of 14.5 will use virtually 1,000 watts more, and only runs at i speed.

Call back, though, that even if the efficiencies are comparable the style yous use a fundamental air conditioner is different from a central system. Y'all're spending less on electricity because you lot're only cooling off one room when you're in it, but you take to settle for more than dissonance and an obstructed window.

Watts vs amps

If you already own an air conditioner (or other electric appliance) it will have a characterization that tells you how many amperes ("amps") of current they can draw. You may not accept a listing for watts at all.

The rating for maximum amps is the most of import number to know for electric appliances, since it'south this cistron that moves y'all closer to the limit of your excursion billow.

To figure out your peak power describe in watts, you can just multiply amps by the voltage of your electrical organization. If yous're using this number for informal calculations and comparisons, you tin presume 120 volts for standard wall-mount outlets in North American homes, but a 5% change higher or lower isn't unusual.

Newer homes should take 20-amp breakers dedicated to each room, and hopefully more than one in a room you'd put an air conditioner in. Sadly, many of u.s. are stuck with older homes or apartments that accept xv-amp breakers shared between multiple rooms.

If y'all're putting in an appliance that will run constantly like an air conditioner, information technology's well worth finding out which outlets and lights are on which breakers to avoid overloading a circuit. Every bit a dominion of thumb, anything with an electric heater in it — a pilus dryer, a kettle, or even a keurig — can describe enough amps to trip a breaker if you lot've already got some other small appliance running.

How many BTUs do you need?

If you're not sure what size of air conditioner you should await for, nosotros've taken the size recommendations from the Department of Energy and made a calculator to help yous find the BTU capacity you lot need.

What is the size of the room y'all need cooled in foursquare anxiety?

Is your room heavily shaded?

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Does your room get direct sunlight?

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How many people regularly occupy the room?

Is the unit used in a kitchen?

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Daniel Jackson, Author

Daniel is a Canadian farm boy who grew up to be a nerd with a literature degree and too many hobbies to count. He emigrated from Canada to California in 2013, and now writes for Your Best Digs full-time. Daniel remains unapologetic virtually Canadian spelling, serial commas, and the destruction of expensive travel mugs.