Summer weather has arrived in Ontario, OR, which means you’ll be turning to your air conditioner for relief from the sweltering heat. If you’ve been wondering how much electricity air conditioners use, read on to learn about the watt consumption for each type and for the different functions.
Portable and Window Air Conditioners
Portable air conditioners use a lot of watts per hour due to low-efficiency compressors and condensers. The average watt usage is 2,900 to 4,100 per hour. A small window air conditioner uses about 500 watts per hour. A medium-size unit requires about 900 watts per hour. The high-capacity window air conditioners use about 1,400 watts per hour.
Central Air Conditioners in Fan Only Mode
When it’s not too hot outside, but you want to improve your indoor air quality, set your thermostat to the fan-only function. When it’s on fan-only mode, the air conditioner’s air handler will run. In this setting, only the fan requires electricity. It will use about 750 watts per hour. In comparison, a typical ceiling fan uses 75 watts per hour.
Central Air Conditioners in Cooling Mode
The cooling function of central air conditioning systems uses 3,000 to 4,000 watts per hour. A typical two-story home that’s 2,000 square feet in size will require a 3.5-ton air conditioning system, which requires about 3,500 watts per hour. If your home is bigger, has leaky ducts, or has large windows and/or tall ceilings, you may have a larger air conditioner that uses more watts per hour.
Ductless and Mini-Split Air Conditioners
Ductless and mini-split air conditioners use about 900 watts per hour. Their fans are smaller, and they don’t have to push air through a complicated duct system. This reduces their electricity usage.
Stan’s Heating, Inc is the trusted air conditioning installation team in Ontario. We’re also available for heating system installations as well as heating and cooling maintenance and repairs. Our fireplace services will keep you comfortable and safe all winter long. For more information about the watt usage of your air conditioner, get in touch with us today.
