Category BLOG

How Many Watts Does an AC Unit Use? 

As we have seen, air conditioners and heaters have become one of the most important household appliances, along with refrigerators, televisions and washing machines.  

The problem is that, despite the fact that companies have reduced the consumption of these devices, they still represent a high consumption and impact on our electricity bills.  

Average AC Unit Wattages:  

• Window air conditioners: Ideal for cooling small rooms up to 1,000 square feet. They are compact, easy to install and energy efficient, with an expenditure of  500 and 1,400 watts per hour, depending on size. 

• Portable air conditioners: Offer mobility and can cool larger areas, although they require a drain hose and consume more energy than other systems (2,900 to 4,100 watts per hour). 

• Mini-split and ductless air conditioning systems: They allow cooling different areas of the house without the need for ducts, with a consumption of 700 to 2,000 watts per hour in mini-split and 2,000 watts per hour in ductless systems. 

• Central air conditioning: The most efficient option for whole-house air conditioning, with an average consumption of 1,000 watts per ton of cooling capacity. For a 2,000-square-foot home, approximately 3.5 tons are needed, which equals 3,500 watts per hour. 

• Fan-only mode in central air conditioning: Allows the system to circulate air without activating the cooling cycle, consuming 750 watts per hour. 

What’s the Best AC Temperature for Energy Efficiency? 

Every year, when temperatures start to rise, the same question comes up: What temperature should I set my air conditioner to in the summer? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the ideal recommendation for achieving a balance between comfort and energy efficiency is to keep it at 78°F (25°C) when we are at home. 

However, the answer is not universally applicable. The optimal temperature can vary depending on factors such as humidity, home insulation, air conditioning efficiency and personal heat tolerance.  

Some people prefer to lower the temperature a few degrees for comfort, while others choose to keep it higher and supplement it with fans or blinds to reduce energy consumption. 

How to Save Energy on Air Conditioning In Summer 

When looking at these numbers and consumptions, U.S. citizens always wonder how to save on energy costs if we use AC or heating. Obviously, the thing to do is not to use them, but in many cases this is impossible. 

For that reason, you can try the following: 

Install an Efficient Window and Door System 

More than 30% of the temperature and humidity currently in our homes is lost and/or gained through windows and doors. For example, in summer heat enters through them, and in the winter stable indoor temperatures escape through our window and door systems. 

So, this causes us to use A/C much longer to control these extreme weather changes. Fortunately, we can use a protective barrier to prevent outside temperature changes from affecting our comfort.  

There are door and window systems, usually made of aluminum and glass, that form a technical barrier to prevent the interior temperature from dropping and the exterior temperature (usually extreme) from entering your home. 

Solutions such as PRL’s thermally broken systems offer a technological and elegant barrier for those who need to save on electrical energy costs.  

A thermal break is a type of technology designed to improve insulation in windows and doors. It consists of an insulating barrier integrated into the frame, separating the interior and exterior sections to minimize the transfer of heat and cold. This reinforcement prevents outside temperature changes from affecting the interior environment, significantly improving energy efficiency. 

In traditional systems, heat and cold easily pass through the frame materials, making them poor thermal insulators. This causes heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer, affecting the comfort of the space and reducing the efficiency of even high-performance glazing. 

Thermally broken systems incorporate an insulating strip between the inner and outer profiles, creating an effective thermal barrier. This technology drastically reduces thermal conductivity, maintaining a stable temperature inside the home or building and reducing energy consumption. 

This means that the initial investment will be recovered in a few months due to a 30% reduction in the use of air conditioners.