Air Con Use

[jamesbrock]

1. Yes.

2. Bedroom, when we're using it.

3. Only 8 months.

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

Yes. As meand and notmyself mentioned, the figure will depend on the size of the unit, its servicing history, and its age. It will also depend on its location - a unit in direct sunlight can use up to 10% more electricity than one placed in the shade - and, of course, the temperature outside. All these considered, it is generally accepted that each degree below 25°C will add around 5-10% to your electricity usage.

The fans just blow warm air around.

True, they do, and ceiling fans blow the warmer air down towards you; but do not discount the wind-chill factor. Fans, even ceiling fans, create a wind chill effect blowing the warm air immediately adjacent to your skin away, increasing the evaporation of perspiration on your skin, and can make you feel up to five degrees cooler. Just like riding a motorbike on a hot day - you're cooler when you're moving than when standing still even though the air is the same temperature. (This phenomenon is even more noticeable on a pushbike!)

If you really wanted to watch your electricity usage, you could use fans, which can use up to 40x less electricity than air conditioning, and increase the temperature on your thermostat by a few degrees.

Edited May 14, 2012 by jamesbrock

[BigSkip]

Spoiled rotten & so is the Mrs. Whatever room we are in the a.c. is on. We choose mostly restaurants’ with a.c. I enjoy the comfort. Same in the Car always on. Only when I change to the motorcycle is when I am not with a.c.(I don't ride the bike on hot days) life is good...........

[guzzi850m2]

Jamesbrock you are right regarding the celling fans. We have 2 in the living room (no ac) and they make life bearable even on a hot day, without them (power cuts) I quickly starts to fell uncomfortable and move out on the patio until power is restored. speed 1= normal conditions, speed 2= hot outside, speed3= stinking hot outside. The 2 we have now was taken from our old house and moved with us so they must be about 3-4 years now and don't require any maintenance except a cleaning of the blades once a month or so. The blades are getting rusty now so maybe 1-2 years before replacement are needed, not bad.

Naam: A very good way of detecting leaks in an AC system is soap water, no need for a fancy leak detector.

[Tywais]

Naam: A very good way of detecting leaks in an AC system is soap water, no need for a fancy leak detector.

Pretty standard method by Thai AC technicians. That's all I've seen them use and does fine. Car ACs to home ACs.

[SteveLynch]

Wel as James pointed out ,ceiling fans are better for cooling you down as opposed to standupright ones ,sorry I didn't draw a pie chart to illustrate this naam

True it isn't ducting ,but I'm not home now inspecting my AC prior to posting ,my air cons work well ,but if I was sweating my box off I would certainly get up there and try to figure out what wasn't working ,looking for leaks cracks or anything ,it could be something very simple ,a prevois renter in my old condo rammed an oldtshirt in side a A/c unit to try stop a leak ,it worked ,but then the unit stopped working the week I had moved in

Thanks for the lesson all the same,next time the chain falls of my bike I'll look for your expertise

[Tywais]

,a prevois renter in my old condo rammed an oldtshirt in side a A/c unit to try stop a leak ,it worked ,but then the unit stopped working the week I had moved in

I assume he was trying to stop a water leak as the gas lines are at very high pressure and a shirt would have essentially zero effect on stopping a high pressure gas/freon leak.

[SteveLynch]

,a prevois renter in my old condo rammed an oldtshirt in side a A/c unit to try stop a leak ,it worked ,but then the unit stopped working the week I had moved in

I assume he was trying to stop a water leak as the gas lines are at very high pressure and a shirt would have essentially zero effect on stopping a high pressure gas/freon leak.

Yes I assumed it was a water leak

When I moved in it was workin ,hadn't used it much when I did it didn't seem to work well

As a landlord back home I know how annoying it is to send somebody to a rental to fix something that isn't really broken

Decided to check the filters foundvthe ragging shirt pulled it out ,noticed the water leak

And thus the other problems that the unit had ,let the landlord know

He got I sorted the next day ,

[StreetCowboy]

,a prevois renter in my old condo rammed an oldtshirt in side a A/c unit to try stop a leak ,it worked ,but then the unit stopped working the week I had moved in

I assume he was trying to stop a water leak as the gas lines are at very high pressure and a shirt would have essentially zero effect on stopping a high pressure gas/freon leak.

Yes I assumed it was a water leak

When I moved in it was workin ,hadn't used it much when I did it didn't seem to work well

As a landlord back home I know how annoying it is to send somebody to a rental to fix something that isn't really broken

Decided to check the filters foundvthe ragging shirt pulled it out ,noticed the water leak

And thus the other problems that the unit had ,let the landlord know

He got I sorted the next day ,

Good landlord!

You're luckier than my tenants

SC

[Chonburiram]

I think its healthier overall to acclimate to the local climate. If you spend a lot of time indoors in chilled environments, when you go out its a shock to the system and you sweat a lot.

yep! that's why the Innuit don't heat in their igloos. if they did and went out it would be a shock for their sytem and they'd be feeling cold a lot

Actually, Innuit heat their igloos with over 30° C per Innuitunit 24/7; it's the same how the Tuareg cool their tents in the 60°C hot Sahara...

[Naam]

Naam: A very good way of detecting leaks in an AC system is soap water, no need for a fancy leak detector.

Pretty standard method by Thai AC technicians. That's all I've seen them use and does fine. Car ACs to home ACs.

tiny leaks which makes an A/C lose refrigerant over a period of 2-3 years that it has to be recharged cannot be detected by the bubbles of soapy water. period!

a different animal is a car A/C which does not have 'hard soldered' but removable thread connections which leak quite often.

[Tywais]

Naam: A very good way of detecting leaks in an AC system is soap water, no need for a fancy leak detector.

Pretty standard method by Thai AC technicians. That's all I've seen them use and does fine. Car ACs to home ACs.

tiny leaks which makes an A/C lose refrigerant over a period of 2-3 years that it has to be recharged cannot be detected by the bubbles of soapy water. period!

I started to mention microleaks in my previous post which I agree can not be sussed out with the soap method but didn't want to 'complicate' things.

[tutsiwarrior]

car AC systems have mostly screwed connections and not welded so there's a greater potential for leakage and require regular recharging...

btw, I was recently in NYC and folks there in the older buildings don't use much AC at all (I was at an office on Park Avenue and 81st) and when they do it's the old window units, not anything 'sophisticated' like a split AC arrangement that you got all over Thailand and the rest of the world...

it's 'the greatest city on earth' but they live like savages...when it gets hot you go out in the street and open a fire hydrant and then dance around in the water spray in yer underwear for comfort...but they got great deli food I haveta admit...

Edited May 19, 2012 by tutsiwarrior