Air Con Use

[Semper]

it has cost me $100, B 4000

Interesting exchange rate.

[cooked]

Out of interest how much approx would the monthly bill be if you had say 2 units running at say 18 hours a day (goverment rate)

Also, is it true that the lower the temp the more it will cost?

I've recently moved from a condo into a house and the heat is incredible, it's like walking into a furness, everything is hot, even the clothes in the wardrobe, it is going to drive me insane soon. The fans just blow warm air around.

It depends on the size of the unit (# of BTU's). Many are about 12,000 btu's. The lower temps mean the compressor is working harder (duty cycle higher) and yes, the cost goes up dramatically the lower the temp. Anyway, if you want my opinion, i'd estimate 5000 to 6000 baht a month for the situation you described. If you are having to fight the sun and/or bad insulation that is just the worst, I feel you. I bet most of your heat comes down from the attic. Those things that twirl on the top of houses are amazing (don't know what they are called, ha). I actually installed one once in the US, it wasn't so bad. Cheap and effective. Sounds like you could use 3 or 4 of them up there.

whirlygigs for most people, otherwise roof ventilators. Try http://www.coolthaihouse.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=2351

I agree think your house is probably not insulated at all, south facing walls should also be insulated.

[mattos]

1 do you use air con - All the time at around 27°C

2 when and where - Office, lounge and bedroom

3 how long have you lived here - Six years

Keeping the air-con units regualry cleaned means they operate more economically, electric bill is reasonable at 4,000 baht per month.

[notmyself]

Out of interest how much approx would the monthly bill be if you had say 2 units running at say 18 hours a day (goverment rate)

Also, is it true that the lower the temp the more it will cost?

I've recently moved from a condo into a house and the heat is incredible, it's like walking into a furness, everything is hot, even the clothes in the wardrobe, it is going to drive me insane soon. The fans just blow warm air around.

It depends on the size of the unit (# of BTU's). Many are about 12,000 btu's. The lower temps mean the compressor is working harder (duty cycle higher) and yes, the cost goes up dramatically the lower the temp. Anyway, if you want my opinion, i'd estimate 5000 to 6000 baht a month for the situation you described. If you are having to fight the sun and/or bad insulation that is just the worst, I feel you. I bet most of your heat comes down from the attic. Those things that twirl on the top of houses are amazing (don't know what they are called, ha). I actually installed one once in the US, it wasn't so bad. Cheap and effective. Sounds like you could use 3 or 4 of them up there.

And the age of the units. There are still some of those old style bolt to the ceiling units around, bet they suck some juice.

[barefoot1988]

how do you guys manage to set the ac at 27? im using mitsubishi electric eco air, it starts to smell funky at 24

[guzzi850m2]

Yes

Bedroom (only when sleeping) and office when necessary, primary in the hot months but not much, use a fan direct behind me giving a good breeze. No ac in the lounge/living room. Our 2 story house is pretty cool downstairs so I don't think we will ever get ac in the living room. For me its by far most important to have ac in the bedroom, one time the ac broke down in the master bedroom, we immediately moved to another bedroom until the ac unit in m.b. was repaired.

app. 10 years here but on/off as I work overseas 6 month pr year.

[Shot]

1. No.

2. See #1.

3. Got heat stroke, which caused amnesia, so not sure.

[tutsiwarrior]

1 Yes

2 All night in the bedroom and all afternoon in the TV/Computer room. We open the house up in the morning until it gets hot out. We are talking hot season here.

3 I have lived here more than 35 years.

35 years? villagefarang thinks he's bad...

I keep the bedroom at 25C when it's hot out so that meself and the kids who run around outside can seek refuge under the covers at any time of day...me with my kindle and the kids with the tv...

downstairs in my 'study' I run 2 ceiling fans and a floor fan next to the computer...pretty much just blows hot air around and I spend most of the time upstairs with the kindle under the covers...

and I marvel at the neighbors most of whom are outside all day working down the market who continue with their routine at any time of the year, hot or not...but then, they ain't got much money and can't afford AC...

an' I been livin' here for about 10 years now...and I yell at the step daughter who is 7 months pregnant: 'get offa yer pregnant arse an' go down the market in the 40c heat an' get me some vodka and ciggies, ye worthless pregnant POS...' and for her it's a pleasure to serve her cruel step dad tutsi...'and get some ice too while yer at it...goddammit'...and then she appears trudging up the road in the harsh blazing noonday sun loaded down with vodka and 10 kilos of ice and she then lays down briefly in the nice air conditioned bedroom...

and then tutsi appears and barks: 'whaddaya think yer doin?...up there goddammit! and that new little critter of yours shall be called Atanasio after me bolivian great grandfather, we gots to have respect in this house for andean traditions...'

Edited May 12, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[villagefarang]

1 Yes

2 All night in the bedroom and all afternoon in the TV/Computer room. We open the house up in the morning until it gets hot out. We are talking hot season here.

3 I have lived here more than 35 years.

35 years? villagefarang thinks he's bad...

I don’t believe I elaborated on any of my discerning thoughts. Anything wrong with having lived here so long? He did ask.

[Mosha]

1Yes

2 April and May mostly but only when the wall fan isn't enough

3 8.5 years

I live in the sticks and it is cooler than in Ranong, I actually feel the cold and have worn jeans and a jumper in December.

[villagefarang]

My personal preference for temperature is 23c in the air-conditioned rooms. The main living area is without A/C, however. It is an open floor plan including kitchen and living room roughly 6x16, with a ceiling angling up to 7 meters. Facing north and with the high ceiling, that area is not too hot most of the year.

The house is also surrounded by fields so we get whatever breeze is available. I still like my A/C though.

[pattayadingo]

My personal preference for temperature is 23c in the air-conditioned rooms. The main living area is without A/C, however. It is an open floor plan including kitchen and living room roughly 6x16, with a ceiling angling up to 7 meters. Facing north and with the high ceiling, that area is not too hot most of the year.

The house is also surrounded by fields so we get whatever breeze is available. I still like my A/C though.

23 deg C sounds more like living in a freezer. But each to their own

I am happy with 27 deg and that is maybe too cool for some. For me it is wonderful when on the sofa watching television.

Talking to 2 friends, they do not have air con and run several fans in their condos here in Pattaya. That is not something I could live with when the temperature is well over 35 deg C.

[villagefarang]

I find the A/C is good for clothing and other linens stored in the bedroom closet, as well. (Using a clothes dryer also keeps things fresher and fluffier.) The television and the computer seem to appreciate the cooler drier environment.

Most importantly it keeps our Golden Retriever happy.

[meand]

Never ........ my last leccy bill was 500bht.

Well, his question was about 2 ac units. Let's just look at one for simplicity. He said 18 hours a day. Depending on the temp, i'd say that would be 2000 to 3000 baht a month (really hard to say). For 2 units that would bring him up to 6000. I'd say he could possibly pay up to 10,000 for the scenario described, if he likes it cold and has older, inefficient units.

[phuturatica]

I don't think I have ever paid more than 1,000 baht electricity bill for a month!

However I do live in a condo rather than a house.

[Naam]

35 years? villagefarang thinks he's bad...

I keep the bedroom at 25C when it's hot out so that meself and the kids who run around outside can seek refuge under the covers at any time of day...me with my kindle and the kids with the tv...

downstairs in my 'study' I run 2 ceiling fans and a floor fan next to the computer...pretty much just blows hot air around and I spend most of the time upstairs with the kindle under the covers...

and I marvel at the neighbors most of whom are outside all day working down the market who continue with their routine at any time of the year, hot or not...but then, they ain't got much money and can't afford AC...

an' I been livin' here for about 10 years now...and I yell at the step daughter who is 7 months pregnant: 'get offa yer pregnant arse an' go down the market in the 40c heat an' get me some vodka and ciggies, ye worthless pregnant POS...' and for her it's a pleasure to serve her cruel step dad tutsi...'and get some ice too while yer at it...goddammit'...and then she appears trudging up the road in the harsh blazing noonday sun loaded down with vodka and 10 kilos of ice and she then lays down briefly in the nice air conditioned bedroom...

and then tutsi appears and barks: 'whaddaya think yer doin?...up there goddammit! and that new little critter of yours shall be called Atanasio after me bolivian great grandfather, we gots to have respect in this house for andean traditions...'

Tutsi,

most indications derived from your postings prove that you are a person with a big and kind heart. that's why your BS-ing us with fairy tales like "get offa yer pregnant arse..." does not work. try again but then tell us some stories of your Andean grandfather who lived in Cochabamba and whipped his slaves in the coca plantation till they were unconscious.

[tutsiwarrior]

35 years? villagefarang thinks he's bad...

I keep the bedroom at 25C when it's hot out so that meself and the kids who run around outside can seek refuge under the covers at any time of day...me with my kindle and the kids with the tv...

downstairs in my 'study' I run 2 ceiling fans and a floor fan next to the computer...pretty much just blows hot air around and I spend most of the time upstairs with the kindle under the covers...

and I marvel at the neighbors most of whom are outside all day working down the market who continue with their routine at any time of the year, hot or not...but then, they ain't got much money and can't afford AC...

an' I been livin' here for about 10 years now...and I yell at the step daughter who is 7 months pregnant: 'get offa yer pregnant arse an' go down the market in the 40c heat an' get me some vodka and ciggies, ye worthless pregnant POS...' and for her it's a pleasure to serve her cruel step dad tutsi...'and get some ice too while yer at it...goddammit'...and then she appears trudging up the road in the harsh blazing noonday sun loaded down with vodka and 10 kilos of ice and she then lays down briefly in the nice air conditioned bedroom...

and then tutsi appears and barks: 'whaddaya think yer doin?...up there goddammit! and that new little critter of yours shall be called Atanasio after me bolivian great grandfather, we gots to have respect in this house for andean traditions...'

Tutsi,

most indications derived from your postings prove that you are a person with a big and kind heart. that's why your BS-ing us with fairy tales like "get offa yer pregnant arse..." does not work. try again but then tell us some stories of your Andean grandfather who lived in Cochabamba and whipped his slaves in the coca plantation till they were unconscious.

aw, hell Dr Naam...now you've detracted from the 'entertainment value' and tutsiwarrior always aims to entertain...

btw, the grandfather was called Macedonio and was an evangelical bible thumper and I looked up from my llawah campesino stew to say: 'this is a roman catholic country you dumb, miserable POS...'

I just noted the obvious but he wasn't very happy...

Edited May 13, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[Naam]

aw, hell Dr Naam...now you've detracted from the 'entertainment value' and tutsiwarrior always aims to entertain...

...whenever he is not busy clubbing Hutus to death or dancing with his mates

[koknia]

Completely depends on your place and what kind of breeze and cover you have.

I was in Phnom Penh for much of the 90s. I had a place near the river on the 3rd floor with tiled floors, high ceiling, overhead fan and large terrace. (2X size of flat.) I never turned the a/c on, even once, in 6 years. In my BKK condo it's 24/7 during this season.

[tutsiwarrior]

my grandma mamita coughed a bit and then set out the 'postre'...she was pretty much of an indigenous pagan but she always kept the peace...but then papito thundered 'even the pope in Rome doesn't recognize the local indigenous pagan rituals...' and then tutsi wiped his mouth and said calmly: 'nothin' is ever perfect, papito...it's whatever floats yer boat...'

then me mum would come around to say: 'did you again piss off yer grandad today?' and then I'd say: 'aw, mom I'm only 15 y.o. and why do I haveta put up with this BS?...' and then me mum would give me a cuddle and say: 'you look so much like yer dad...'...a goddam bolivian conspiracy...

[tutsiwarrior]

aw, hell Dr Naam...now you've detracted from the 'entertainment value' and tutsiwarrior always aims to entertain...

...whenever he is not busy clubbing Hutus to death or dancing with his mates

ye got me there, Dr Naam...with a shimmy shimmy and a hootchie coochie...yassuh...

and then later this evening the pregnant step daughter's friend shall help to take tutsi to the airport and to his flight to NYC and she is 18 y.o. and is always attired in crotch high little shorts with long brown legs and then: 'Mr tutsi please stop!...'and then tutsi sez: 'there is an airplane out there that may or may not make it to it's destination...so let's just figure that these are the last moments on earth...' as tutsi hurls headlong into her private parts...

Edited May 13, 2012 by tutsiwarrior

[SteveLynch]

Out of interest how much approx would the monthly bill be if you had say 2 units running at say 18 hours a day (goverment rate)

Also, is it true that the lower the temp the more it will cost?

I've recently moved from a condo into a house and the heat is incredible, it's like walking into a furness, everything is hot, even the clothes in the wardrobe, it is going to drive me insane soon. The fans just blow warm air around.

I think you are in the wrong country.

I don't think he is in the wrong country ,maybe the wrong house

Assuming your a renter ,check the BTU of your units ,most land lords will just dump any A/c units in to get a lease

Also check the ducts on the units ,the hose leading to the compressor for cracks wear or tear ,maybe the units are not working to their full potential

Other options for cooling your house are getting some ceiling fans .

fans placed at ground level are useless ,they push cool air up ,then the hotter air comes down.

I struggle in the heat ,I always did I use a pruduct called a chillow ,it's a cold pillow !

Like a medics ice pack put is for resting your head on .

From a article .........

Been hot ain't much fun ,but been cool can be expensive ,running air con all day isn't a great idea

It's a myth that leaving the AC on while you're away at work uses less energy than turning it on when you get home.

Heat goes to where it's not. That's why heat from outside goes into your cooler home. With the AC off, at some point your house will be so hot it can't absorb any more heat. When you come home and turn the AC on, the AC removes all that heat.

But if the AC is on when you're gone, then you've turned your house into a heat magnet. But keeping it artificially cool, there's no limit to the amount of heat it can absorb. It can always absorb more heat. And your AC has to remove that heat constantly. Your AC kicks in and removes some of that heat, then the house is cooler so it sucks in more heat from outside, so your AC kicks in again and removes that heat, and so on.

This means that throughout the day, your house has absorbed way more than one houseful of heat. And your AC had to remove it all. By contrast, with the AC off all day, then it has to remove just one houseful of heat when you come home and turn it on.

Let's say you leave the AC off, and your house absorbs 20k BTU's of heat and then stops, because that's all it can absorb.

Now let's say that you have the AC running instead. The house absorbs 5k BTU's of heat, so the AC kicks in and removes it. Then it absorbs another 5k BTU's, and your AC kicks in and removes that. Repeat that process several times during the day.

The actual numbers will vary, and I haven't tested this to see exactly how much the penalty for leaving the AC on during the day is, but there is zero question that running the AC all the time uses more energy than turning it on when you get home. This is not a gray area, it's simple physics, and no person with any knowledge of this subject disputes it. Running the AC when you're not home wastes energy, period.

hope that bit of cut n paste helps or you can follow my paupers guide to A/C .... just freeze some water in a drinks bottle and put in a sock and keep at the foot of your bed ,cool you down in no time

Regards

Steve

[Jingthing]

I've got nice breezes. Big windows. It would be a waste to run AC except on the most awful days.

[Naam]

Also check the ducts on the units ,the hose leading to the compressor for cracks wear or tear ,maybe the units are not working to their full potential

Other options for cooling your house are getting some ceiling fans .

fans placed at ground level are useless ,they push cool air up ,then the hotter air comes down.

LORD Steve Lynch please have mercy!

-there are neither ducts nor hoses which connect an A/C inside/outside unit.

-they are connected by two copper pipes, a suction and a pressure pipe.

-one canNOT (repeat NOT) check these pipes for cracks!

-checking for the tiniest leak in an A/C system requires a highly sensitive and expensive tool.

-ceiling fans push accumulated hot air from the ceiling down and are even more useless than fans standing on the ground.

this lesson is free of charge

[Naam]

hope that bit of cut n paste helps or you can follow my paupers guide to A/C .... just freeze some water in a drinks bottle and put in a sock and keep at the foot of your bed ,cool you down in no time

a dozen ice cubes in your knickers are also quite efficient

[Naam]

'and then tutsi sez: 'there is an airplane out there that may or may not make it to it's destination...so let's just figure that these are the last moments on earth...' as tutsi hurls headlong into her private parts...

bad boy Tutsi tries to make us envious

[Hostile17]

Also check the ducts on the units ,the hose leading to the compressor for cracks wear or tear ,maybe the units are not working to their full potential

Other options for cooling your house are getting some ceiling fans .

fans placed at ground level are useless ,they push cool air up ,then the hotter air comes down.

LORD Steve Lynch please have mercy!

-there are neither ducts nor hoses which connect an A/C inside/outside unit.

-they are connected by two copper pipes, a suction and a pressure pipe.

-one canNOT (repeat NOT) check these pipes for cracks!

-checking for the tiniest leak in an A/C system requires a highly sensitive and expensive tool.

-ceiling fans push accumulated hot air from the ceiling down and are even more useless than fans standing on the ground.

this lesson is free of charge

Nam you're quite out of touch with thailand.Before i bought a house i used to rent an average house. The AC units would randomly stop shooting cold air in. From the outside you could clearly see that it was plastic tubes and holes were patched with duct tape(painted white to blend in)

I then looked around the moobaan (3mil to 10mil, so average) and most houses had the same flexible plastic pipes connected to nromal water pipes and held by duct tape.

Funny enough. I bought my own A/C's from the cheapest wholesaler here and there is none of that funny duct tape business. every pipe is hidden with a large plastic square plastic shield to make sure any leak does not affect the performance. It's probably just an hiso thing where duct tape makes them look intouch with america

Edited May 14, 2012 by Hostile17

[Naam]

Also check the ducts on the units ,the hose leading to the compressor for cracks wear or tear ,maybe the units are not working to their full potential

Other options for cooling your house are getting some ceiling fans .

fans placed at ground level are useless ,they push cool air up ,then the hotter air comes down.

LORD Steve Lynch please have mercy!

-there are neither ducts nor hoses which connect an A/C inside/outside unit.

-they are connected by two copper pipes, a suction and a pressure pipe.

-one canNOT (repeat NOT) check these pipes for cracks!

-checking for the tiniest leak in an A/C system requires a highly sensitive and expensive tool.

-ceiling fans push accumulated hot air from the ceiling down and are even more useless than fans standing on the ground.

this lesson is free of charge

Nam you're quite out of touch with thailand.Before i bought a house i used to rent an average house. The AC units would randomly stop shooting cold air in. From the outside you could clearly see that it was plastic tubes and holes were patched with duct tape(painted white to blend in)

I then looked around the moobaan (3mil to 10mil, so average) and most houses had the same flexible plastic pipes connected to nromal water pipes and held by duct tape.

Funny enough. I bought my own A/C's from the cheapest wholesaler here and there is none of that funny duct tape business. every pipe is hidden with a large plastic square plastic shield to make sure any leak does not affect the performance. It's probably just an hiso thing where duct tape makes them look intouch with america

Hostile,

ego te absolvo! you are excused and your sins are forgiven because it's you who is completely out of technical touch how an A/C works whether in Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Miami Florida, Munich Bavaria, New York, NY... or you name it.

the plastic pipes you saw are draining the condense water which is generated at the evaporator of the inside unit by the A/Cs dehumidification function. these drain pipes have zilch to do with the performance of an aircon but if they are blocked the afore-mentioned condense water will drip from the inside unit into the room. the "hi-so plastic square shield" is called a "pipe channel" and its only function is to hide the ugly insulation wrapped copper pipes as well as the drain pipe.

now be good, digest the information and try to stop sinning

should you have a detailed technical question i will be happy to answer it.

[LucidLucifer]

For the first 10yrs, I remember using the aircon at home only for about 3hrs in the bedroom, switching on the fan just before sleeping. Now a/c is switched on all night, and that is 10hrs. Car and office a/c run all the time, so it is now practically 24/7. Last month the bedroom AC broke down and I tried being without it for almost 4 weeks, gave up and fixed a new unit this week. Body gets used to comforts.

I always said to the missus that when we would eventually move back out here, we'd definitely live an air-con life style.

Sleep in an air-con bedroom, wake up and go down to the air-con kitchen and have breakfast. Get in the air-con car and go to work in the air-con classroom. At night, eat in a nice air-con restaurant.

She's Thai, yet is much more sensitive to the heat than I am.

Yet I am happy having arrived on these shores again with what I have. I have an air-con bedroom (I sleep well), and I have an air-con workplace (I work well).

I sit here now in my front room with the fan on, and I'm happy. Yes I'd like it to be a few of degrees cooler, but it's managable. I certainly managed well enough before.

Ask me again in a few months time when I have the cash together to air-con the whole house, and I may well say, 'how the flock did I live without it.'

We'll see.

You said that you 'use to' be a peasant but you have now said that you have to wait a few months to save up to air con the house 24-7?

You still sound like a peasant to me.

I'm not a retiree who has just sold all his assets to move here. I'm 37.

Just paid for flights out here, a new car, a new motorbike and furniture for the whole house, which I paid the deposit and 6 months rental in advance. A fair amount of outgoings in the last month.

Air-con for the whole house is slightly lower on my list of priorities. The above and a few nice weeks away in varous places around Thailand before I start my new job are higher.

Edited May 14, 2012 by LucidLucifer

[LucidLucifer]

Out of interest how much approx would the monthly bill be if you had say 2 units running at say 18 hours a day (goverment rate)

Also, is it true that the lower the temp the more it will cost?

I've recently moved from a condo into a house and the heat is incredible, it's like walking into a furness, everything is hot, even the clothes in the wardrobe, it is going to drive me insane soon. The fans just blow warm air around.

It doesn't look like you're exactly talking from a position of wealth.....