How does an air conditioner work?

For most people, air conditioner just throws cool air at the temperature one sets it at.
But does it really work that way? In fact air conditioner during cooling process, takes the
indoor air, cools it by passing it through evaporator coil and throws it back in the room.
It is quite opposite to how our good old air coolers used to work. Air coolers used to take
outside air, cool it with water and throw it in. But air conditioners just work on internal air.

How does the thermostat work?

If you set the thermostat at 18oC (64.5oF), does it mean that the air conditioner will cool
the room faster than if set at 25 oC (77oF)? No. The thermostat just checks the
temperature of the air inside the room and stops the compressor when the temperature
reaches the desired level. This means that the compressor will work longer if the
temperature is set to a lower level, i.e it will work more and use more electricity if
temperature is set to 18oC (64.5oF) than if it is set to 25 oC (77oF). This is because it will
take less time for air to reach to 25 oC (77oF) than 18oC (64.5oF) as the compressor is
working with the same power or wattage.

What happens when the compressor stops?

The air conditioner just blows the fan when the compressor stops and thermostat
reaches the desired temperature level. At this stage the electricity consumption is only
for the fan which is running and not for the compressor. The compressor will start again
when the thermostat detects that the temperature has increased again from the levels
that are set. Compressor is the most electricity consuming component of an air
conditioner.

What factors impacts electricity consumption of Air

Conditioner?
There are 4 factors that influence the electricity load:
1) Indoor air temperature

2) Outdoor temperature

3) Thermal insulation of the room

4) Temperature setting of the air conditioner.

If the difference between temperature desired and indoor/outdoor temperature is huge,

then the air conditioner will need lot more electricity to cool the indoor air to desired
temperature as the compressor will run for longer duration. If the temperature is set at
18oC (64.5oF) and the outdoor temperature is 38 oC (100oF) then the electricity required
will be lot more than when thermostat temperature is 24 oC (75oF) and outdoor
temperature is 38oC (100oF). As per study by ACEEE (American Council of Energy
Efficiency Economy), increase of each oC can save 3-5% of units consumed. This can
considerably bring down the units consumed per month in the electricity bill.

What is the ideal temperature that should be set on

thermostat?
Having said that, increase in temperature does not reduce the comfort level. In fact as
per ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning
Engineers), the ideal temperature for thermal comfort is between 23.5 oC (74.3oF) and
25.5oC (78oF) in summers (depends on several factors as listed on wikipedia). Thus
setting the temperature to 24 oC (75.2oF) saves on electricity bill and provides good
comfort. Using ceiling fans along with air conditioners can additionally help in increasing
the thermostat temperature.
Does Quick Cool option in Air Conditioners help?
Setting an air conditioner to quick cool sets its temperature to 18 or 16 oC (64.4oF or
60.8oF) . This means that the compressor stops only when indoor temperature reaches
this level. But while coming down from 35 or 40 oC (95oF or 104oF) it would have surely
crossed 24oC (75.2oF) which is a comfortable temperature. So using Quick Cool option
does not help because more electricity is used to get the temperature down to
18oC (64.5oF) whereas compressor would have stopped in between if the temperature
was set to 24oC (75.2oF) thereby consuming less electricity.

2. Efficient and great

Energy is neither created nor destroyed but it can go wasted. Energy efficiency is defined as
"using less energy to provide the same service" .
These days, you find stores selling energy efficient appliances with an energy star label. The
labels show potential savings of that particular appliance. Further, energy star labeled products
have lower standby loses. Eventually your energy consumption comes down.At present there are
energy labels on Frost Free (No-Frost) refrigerator, Tubular Fluorescent Lamps, Room Air
Conditioners, Direct Cool Refrigerator, Distribution Transformer, Induction Motors, Pump Sets,
Ceiling Fans, LPG, Electric Geysers and Colour TV. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) is
planning to provide labeling for laptops.
An energy calculator for Star rated AC. It is an amazing tool to find the electricity consumption
of star rated AC. Click here

Room Air Conditioners

1. Use ceiling or table fan as the first line of defense against summer heat. Ceiling fans, for
instance, cost about 30 paise an hour to operate - much less than air conditioners (Rs.10.00 per
hour).
2. You can reduce air-conditioning energy use by as much as 40 percent by shading your home.
Plant trees and shrubs to keep the day's hottest sun off your house.
3. One will use 3 to 5 percent less energy for each degree air conditioner is set above22C
(71.5F), so set the thermostat of room air conditioner at 25C (77F) to provide the most
comfort at the least cost.
4. Using ceiling or room fans allows you to set the thermostat higher because the air movement
will cool the room.
5. A good air conditioner will cool and dehumidify a room in about 30 minutes, so use a timer
and leave the unit off for some time.
6. Keep doors to air-conditioned rooms closed as often as possible.
7. Clean the air-conditioner filter every month. A dirty air filter reduces airflow and may damage
the unit. Clean filters enable the unit to cool down quickly and use less energy.
8. If room air conditioner is older and needs repair, it's likely to be very inefficient. It may work
out cheaper on life cycle costing to buy a new energy-efficient air conditioner.

Refrigerators

1. Make sure that a refrigerator is kept away from all sources of heat, including direct sunlight,
radiators and appliances such as the oven, and cooking range.
2. Refrigerator motors and compressors generate heat, so allow enough space for continuous
airflow around refrigerator. If the heat can't escape, the refrigerator's cooling system will work
harder and use more energy.
3. A full refrigerator is a fine thing, but be sure to allow adequate air circulation inside.
4. Think about what you need before opening refrigerator door. You'll reduce the amount of time
the door remains open.
5. Allow hot and warm foods to cool and cover them well before putting them in refrigerator.
Refrigerator will use less energy and condensation will reduce.
6. Make sure that refrigerator's rubber door seals are clean and tight. They should hold a slip of
paper snugly. If paper slips out easily, replace the door seals.
7. When dust builds up on refrigerator's condenser coils, the motor works harder and uses more
electricity. Clean the coils regularly to make sure that air can circulate freely.
8. For manual defrost refrigerator, accumulation of ice reduces the cooling power by acting as
unwanted insulation. Defrost freezer compartment regularly for a manual defrost refrigerator.