Electricity usage of a Central Air Conditioner A central air conditioner is used in a home to provide cooling by circulating cool air through ducts from an air conditioner unit typically situated outside the house. The energy use of a central air conditioner highly depends on the climate of the region, a central air conditioner will run 3 to 7 months of the year depending on the outside temperature. An average central ac will use 3000 to 5000 watts of power every hour for around 9 hours a day during the hotter months. Click calculate to find the energy consumption of a central air conditioner using 3500 Watts for 3 hours a day @ $0.10 per kWh. Running 3 hours a day is the same as running 9 hours a day for 4 of the warmer months. Hours Used Per Day: Hours Used Per Day: Enter how many hours the device is being used on average per day, if the power consumption is lower than 1 hour per day enter as a decimal. (For example: 30 minutes per day is 0.5) Power Use (Watts): Enter the average power consumption of the device in watts.

Price (kWh): Enter the cost you are paying on average per kilowatt hour, our caculators use the default value of 0.10 or 10 cents. To find an exact price check your electricity bill or take a look at Global Electricity Prices.ac unit and heater To save energy with air conditioning the only real method is to increase temperature of your home, in hotter climates this may not be ideal. cost for new furnace and installationStaying cool by taking cold showers or using small portable fans can help. 3 ton vs 4 ton ac unitIf you live in a hot climate your cooling costs can be significant, around 70% of your electricity bill. Investing in an energy efficient central conditioner unit fit precisely for the size of your home would be ideal. To improve performance of your ac make sure to clear any debris, leaves or obstructions around your ac unit, so that you get better and more efficient air flow.

Watts Volts Amps Ohms Gift Template - Free Gift CertificatesAir Conditioning • Comfort Pro • HVAC Cooling off in the summer and early fall is a constant thought. No matter what your plans are for the day, you must figure out a way to stay cool to avoid heat strokes, sunburns, and other nasty problems that can occur. We want our neighbors to stay comfortable year-round. One of the primary concerns in terms of cooling a home is the cost. Heating and air conditioning accounted for 47.7% of the average U.S. household’s energy bill in 2009. In more recent years, electronic devices are taking over as the majority, but the cost of heating and cooling is continuing to rise as oil prices rise. Air Conditioning Unit Energy Consumption Air conditioning (AC) units are constantly running through the hot seasons to keep your home and offices cool. So just how much energy does it take to keep your home cool? Well, let’s take a look at the big picture first. The average U.S. household consumes about 700kW of energy each year, according to the .

Keep in mind this energy is spread across the seasons, not the seasons. Now let’s jump into the specifics for AC consumption. In reality, there is no guaranteed number. You’ll just have to look at the specifications for your unit, specifically. The energy usage per unit truly varies a lot; however, we can give average estimates and examples of popular units that are installed. Here are some specifics: As the sizes of central ACs vary, the wattage will vary. The more tons you have, the more usage you’ll use. The 3500W average estimate is based on averages from 2.5 ton units. If you’re interested in installing a 2.5 ton unit, or already have one installed, then you’ll use anywhere between 3200W-3800W. What Does “Large” or “Medium” Mean, Specifically? The real difference between small, medium, and large window units is the BTU. If you notice, when purchasing an AC they give you the square footage covered, which is based directly off of the BTU. Here are some estimates on large, medium, and small units in terms of their BTU for your reference:

These numbers are all variants, as there are smaller units that go down to 3000 BTU and sometimes even lower. In fact, there are some window units that use up to 25000 BTU. These units use about 2600 Watts of energy to run. Central AC units can use a whole lot more than 3500 Watts of energy, but they can also use a whole lot less. It all depends on how efficiently you manage the system. Some of the factors affecting the energy usage of all air conditioners, which prevent specific estimations, include: What’s it going to Cost Me? Cooling your home can be costly if you don’t pay think it through. The cost to run an AC unit depends on the size of the unit, as well as the factors listed above. However, the average costs for each size unit can be found below: The above estimates are based off of an energy rate of $0.14/kWh, and the unit is run for 16 hours/day. To lower your energy bill during the summer, take a look at some of and if you’re in need of AC maintenance, repairs, or installation!

"Most heat that accumulates inside a house comes directly from the sun shining on to the roof or through windows, and heating the house directly," says John Krigger, owner of Saturn Resource Management, which offers energy conservation training in Helena, Montana.Planting leafy trees around the building's exterior will stop the sun from shining inside your home. "Even for the cost of going to the nursery and buying a 15- to 20-foot-tall tree, trees are still the best value," Krigger says.If the trees or shrubs shade your air conditioner, you could increase your AC's efficiency by up to 10%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.RATE SEARCH: Shop today for a home equity line of credit.Solar screens, or mesh-like window screens, intercept up to 70% of solar energy before it gets into the house, Krigger says. Window screens are particularly effective on east- and west-facing windows, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.Window films are another option. They are transparent, metalized sheets that reflect heat before it can be transmitted through glass.

However, windows must be shut for window films to work, while solar screens do double duty, keeping sun and insects out -- even with windows open.RATE SEARCH: Make your home more livable. Shop today for a home equity loan.Go ahead, get comfortable. Lower your air conditioner's thermostat setting to 78 degrees Fahrenheit when you're at home. But let that number rise to a higher temperature at night or when you're not at home. You can save 5% to 15% on your air-conditioning bills by raising the temperature setting on your thermostat when you're away and don't need cooling, according to the Department of Energy.RATE SEARCH: Make your home more liveable. No need to invest in fancy fans. Krigger says the key is to circulate air inside the house. If possible, operate fans on your home's upper level and open the windows on a lower level. If you live in a one-story house or apartment, you should close windows near the fan and open windows in rooms far from the fan, preferably on your home's windward side, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.Moving air also helps evaporate the sweat from your skin, says Paul Scheckel, an energy-efficiency consultant in Calais, Vermont, and author of "The Home Energy Diet."

RATE SEARCH: Time for home improvements? Compare offers for home equity loans."Evaporational cooling is an incredibly efficient process for removing heat, and our bodies do it all by themselves. A little help can increase the cooling effect," Scheckel says.Perry Mastrovito / DesignPics/Getty ImagesCamp out in your basement, says Stan Cox, author of "Losing Our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths About Our Air-Conditioned World (and Finding New Ways to Get Through the Summer)." In your eco-cooled basement, a TV, couch or futon, and a cold drink may be all you need.However, Scheckel says don't open basement windows when outdoor air is heavy with humidity. "Warm, moist air will cause condensation on cool surfaces such as basement walls, ultimately increasing the humidity in your home," he says.RATE SEARCH: Need to replace the AC or the roof? Shop today for a home equity line of credit.Skip the stove-top boiling and oven baking during hot spells, Cox says. Reduce indoor heat by making microwave nachos or eating a cool salad.

If you must boil pasta for tomorrow's potluck, cook in the evening.After cooking, turn on the kitchen exhaust, and turn on the bathroom exhaust fan after a hot shower. "Remove heat and moisture at the source," Scheckel says. "Reducing humidity can help increase comfort."RATE SEARCH: Make your home better by getting a home equity loan today."AC efficiency is mostly a function of the technology," Scheckel says. "Keep the filter clean to allow for good air movement and keep the unit level so the condensation drains properly."If you swap your older air conditioner for a newer unit, you could reduce your energy costs by half, according to the Department of Energy. Look for a high-energy-efficiency ratio, or EER, or an Energy Star-qualified unit. Higher EER ratings mean a more efficient air conditioner. Energy Star refers to a system adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy to identify energy-efficient products.RATE SEARCH: Invest in improving your home today with a home equity line of credit.