Air Con Power Consumption

[steady]

I am looking to buy a 9.6 BTU air con unit. When talking to shop assistants or searching on the internet it is not clear to me what the power consumption will be. I have read as little as 1.1 kW but have also been told up to 2.9 kW.

As I do not have any space for a new circuit from the consumer unit I might be left with the only option being to take a spur of my ring main (32 A mcb and 2.5mm cabling, only serving 3 bedrooms, presently only used for fans). I'm not too concerned at 1.1kW but a higher value especially if unknown isn't the way forward.

Any ideas or suggestions would be great.

Thanks.

[trogers]

No one can tell you the answer without knowing the volume of air space of the room to be cooled.

[steady]

No one can tell you the answer without knowing the volume of air space of the room to be cooled.

The answer can be calculated once the maximum amount of current drawn is calculated. When the aircon is working at maximum, that's it. I just can't find information (that I trust) from shops or internet.

As a background I want to be able to close the bedroom windows at night. The aircon is probably going to be used as an air filter at night mostly, never during the day and only when it's very hot will the cooling actually be used. My walls are 25cm thick insulated blocks, the ceiling has 6 inches of insulation above it and the 2 windows are only 2 sq m each. The room is actually a comfortable temperature already but to buy an air filter / dehumidifier comes in at about the same price as aircon (with filter and dehumidifier), so aircon seems the best idea, especially as I would have to shut the windows to benefit from an air filter. If anyone knows any different.......

[harryn]

your figure of 9.6 btu seems way too low as it amounts to less than that of a 40watt bulb. The smallest airccon unit I have seen in thailand is 9,000btu/hr which equates to 2.637 Kw. Assuming a 220 volt supply it will have a full current load of 12 amps which is ok for a 13amp socket. However the starting amperage of the unit wll be higher but this is just for a small period but may knock off a mcb if the setting is too low. From your description of your room and with the unit running only at night you should have no issues with doing what you suggest. Hope that helps.

[InterestedObserver]

For starters what does the tag (name plate) on the unit say regarding BTUs, HP/KW, Amps, Volts etc. When the aircon is cooling at max capacity, that's maximum demand on the electrics.

[trogers]

No one can tell you the answer without knowing the volume of air space of the room to be cooled.

The answer can be calculated once the maximum amount of current drawn is calculated. When the aircon is working at maximum, that's it. I just can't find information (that I trust) from shops or internet.

As a background I want to be able to close the bedroom windows at night. The aircon is probably going to be used as an air filter at night mostly, never during the day and only when it's very hot will the cooling actually be used. My walls are 25cm thick insulated blocks, the ceiling has 6 inches of insulation above it and the 2 windows are only 2 sq m each. The room is actually a comfortable temperature already but to buy an air filter / dehumidifier comes in at about the same price as aircon (with filter and dehumidifier), so aircon seems the best idea, especially as I would have to shut the windows to benefit from an air filter. If anyone knows any different.......

Power consumption rating of an AC of 10k BTU is around 1.1 kW.

But quality of filtration of an AC is inferior to that of an air purifier, esp if the latter has a built-in ionizer.

[Jdietz]

Here's some numbers for a Toshiba Eco air 9600BTU:

# Power consumption: 0.81kw

# Running current (A): 3.8

# Starting current (A): 5.7

Even at double those values you should be fine adding it to the existing circuit.

[InterestedObserver]

The smallest airccon unit I have seen in thailand is 9,000btu/hr which equates to 2.637 Kw.

Power consumption rating of an AC of 10k BTU is around 1.1 kW.

Please, which is it, A or B.

[PattayaParent]

Is it an inverter unit or non-inverter?

[trogers]

The smallest airccon unit I have seen in thailand is 9,000btu/hr which equates to 2.637 Kw.

Power consumption rating of an AC of 10k BTU is around 1.1 kW.

Please, which is it, A or B.

I believe A above refers to cooling capacity and not electricity consumption.

[wandrinstar]

Make shure its an inverter, or buy the old fuel gobbler at a hefty discount.They are hopeing no one notices till all the old stuff has gone,same with the Fridges.Beware/

[steady]

Thanks everyone, the replies are clarifying things. I'm now get a feel for what to buy. A 9.6k BTU inverter air con seems to be just the thing.

And yes it was a typo when I wrote 9.6 BTU and not 9,600BTU. Remember that if I was an expert and knew what I was doing I would be answering these questions not asking them!

[Bpraim1]

the air con will tell you the power consumption on the side panel of the outside unit. small white sticker.

DOesn't matter how big your room is or how long it's on. it will tell you peak full steam power consumption.

[longball53098]

Every aircon shop worth their salt will have technical specs for everything they sell. Ask for the sheet on the unit you are looking to buy. The manufacturer publishes a document that tells you exactly what you want to know. Don't get hung up on the fact this is Thailand and the stuff is written in Thai. Find the manufacturers web site and search for that model or similar specs in English or you're own language.

[Gonsalviz]

No one can tell you the answer without knowing the volume of air space of the room to be cooled.

The answer can be calculated once the maximum amount of current drawn is calculated. When the aircon is working at maximum, that's it. I just can't find information (that I trust) from shops or internet.

As a background I want to be able to close the bedroom windows at night. The aircon is probably going to be used as an air filter at night mostly, never during the day and only when it's very hot will the cooling actually be used. My walls are 25cm thick insulated blocks, the ceiling has 6 inches of insulation above it and the 2 windows are only 2 sq m each. The room is actually a comfortable temperature already but to buy an air filter / dehumidifier comes in at about the same price as aircon (with filter and dehumidifier), so aircon seems the best idea, especially as I would have to shut the windows to benefit from an air filter. If anyone knows any different.......

I can say the I had an uninsulated bedroom that I kept a 24 during the day and 22 at night. It was not a big room but the electric bill was ฿1000 per month.