Inverter Appliances

[TongueThaied]

I'm getting ready to build a house and have been shopping for and purchasing appliances. All the companies are coming out with there inverter DC brushless motor technology that they claim will consume 30-40% less electricity. The hell of it is, these companies are so in love with this technology that some of the appliances cost twice as much as a similar model without the technology. First questions: Why is this technology so expensive? Is it purely because it is relatively new, and eventually all appliances will have it?

I understand that to benefit from an inverter air conditioner, you have to be the kind that runs it all the time. I don't, so I could never recoup enough savings to justify the extra expense.

Unlike most appliances, refrigerators sold here have a sticker on the front that shows prospective energy consumption in a year of typical use. Hitachi has a side by side that was selling for 69,000 without inverter and 79,000 with. Both posted energy consumption for a year and the inverter model was, indeed, predicted to use less. I got out my calculator and did the math (my electricity costs about 3.4 baht KWh). It would take TEN YEARS to recoup the extra 10,000 baht in savings on electricity! Modern refrigerators often do not even last that long. So, not a good deal, even though I run the thing constantly (unlike my air conditioner). I saw a Hitachi washing machine with inverter technology for 69,000 baht. 69,000 baht for a washing machine!!!??? Passed on that one, too.

So now I am looking at water pumps. There is no sticker indicating energy consumption on pumps, but the inverter models cost about DOUBLE what the same non-inverter models cost. Now a water pump gets a lot of use and will suck up a lot of electricity over the year, but I have no idea how much. I was looking at a 500 watt Mitsubishi and a 400 watt Hitachi, but I have no idea how much juice they will typically consume over the course of a year.

So, is there a knowledgeable person out there that can say whether an inverter pump is worth the extra money? Or does it shake out like the refrigerator: Yes, you save electricity, but never enough to justify the cost? Does anybody know how many KWhs a 400 watt pump will consume in the average household over the year? KWh per liter pumped would be a very nice number to have. If yard water is run through the pump, then the amount of water pumped could easily be five to ten times that consumed in the house.

A little off the subject: Any opinions out there as to whether Hitachi or Mitsubishi makes the most reliable pump?

Thanks in advance.

[trogers]

I wonder where you did your shopping, getting those prices,

I got inverter units for only 2 items that contribute most to my monthly electricity bills: air-con and refrigerator.

And I used Panasonic for both. Got the refridgerator for just over Bt20k two years ago.

http://www.panasonic.asia/ecoideas/ecoproducts/refrigerator01.html

[LennyW]

Newish technology will always eventually decrease in price.... just think flat screen TV's 5 years ago.

Mitsubishi.

[TongueThaied]

Those refrigerator prices are shopping anywhere in Thailand. The fridge I was looking at was a side-by-side with water and ice in the door. The inverter model is R-M600GPTH and the non-inverter model is R-M600GTH. Much more expensive that a "standard" refrigerator. With a 20,000 baht refrigerator, the inverter would pay. But paying 10,000 just for the inverter, like I said, it was a ten year payback. I bought a non-inverter side-by-side Siemens.

The 500W Mitsubshi inverter pump (IP-505Q3) sells for about 25,000, while the 400W non-inverter EP-505Q3 sells for about 13,000.

I use very little air conditioning, but I do use water.

[trogers]

The fridge I was looking at was a side-by-side with water and ice in the door.

I did not know we can trust the quality of water directly from the pipes...

[electau]

The main reason for the development of inverter technology is in the field of airconditioning, refrigerators and microwave ovens. More efficient and less power consumption in kWhs.

[Pib]

Newer technology stuff, whether actually better than the older technology, usually costs significantly more due to the development costs and lower production quantities....and the fact many people will pay more for the latest technology. Also keep in mind that inverter products are usually advertised with around a 30% electricity savings but that is under laboratory/ideal conditions...your actual savings will probably be significantly less, but still signficant for the high power equipment items like air cons that draw a lot or power and are usually run a lot. For items that only kick on and off briefly and usually run very little during over the course of a 24 hour period, like most home water pumps, you are looking at a l...o....n....g payback period.

[Naam]

The main reason for the development of inverter technology is in the field of airconditioning, refrigerators and microwave ovens. More efficient and less power consumption in kWhs.

more efficient and and less power consumption only under special circumstances, uneconomical because of prevailing exorbitant prices.

[Naam]

Hitachi has a side by side that was selling for 69,000 without inverter and 79,000 with. Both posted energy consumption for a year and the inverter model was, indeed, predicted to use less. I got out my calculator and did the math (my electricity costs about 3.4 baht KWh). It would take TEN YEARS to recoup the extra 10,000 baht in savings on electricity! Modern refrigerators often do not even last that long. So, not a good deal, even though I run the thing constantly (unlike my air conditioner). I saw a Hitachi washing machine with inverter technology for 69,000 baht. 69,000 baht for a washing machine!!!??? Passed on that one, too.

ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner who did his homework instead of listening to recommendations such as "since i changed my conventional washer for an inverter type my dogs need less rabies vaccinations and my wife wants more sex."

[TongueThaied]

Hitachi has a side by side that was selling for 69,000 without inverter and 79,000 with. Both posted energy consumption for a year and the inverter model was, indeed, predicted to use less. I got out my calculator and did the math (my electricity costs about 3.4 baht KWh). It would take TEN YEARS to recoup the extra 10,000 baht in savings on electricity! Modern refrigerators often do not even last that long. So, not a good deal, even though I run the thing constantly (unlike my air conditioner). I saw a Hitachi washing machine with inverter technology for 69,000 baht. 69,000 baht for a washing machine!!!??? Passed on that one, too.

ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner who did his homework instead of listening to recommendations such as "since i changed my conventional washer for an inverter type my dogs need less rabies vaccinations and my wife wants more sex."

Actually, Naam, although I skipped the inverter models for fridge and washer, the ones I bought look pretty spiffy, so I am hoping the wife will want more sex!Looks like the inverter water pump would be a waste of money; it's off the list. You're right, off, on, little constant running unless maybe I get sex in the shower after the wife sees the new appliances. Hmmm, maybe I should get the inverter . . .The water going to the refrigerator will be potable. I have plans for that. What idiot would run dirty water into his refrigerator for ice?

Edited August 9, 2012 by TongueThaied

[monty]

It's not only the savings.

Inverter aircon has another advantage and that is being able to hold the set temperature constantly.

It doesn't switch on and of like a conventional unit but rather makes the compressor run at for example 25% of power constantly.

Price difference seems to be about 5000 Baht.

Same for waterpumps. Inverters are able to keep steady pressure, as they simply change the engine speed based on consumption. They are very expensive though, can't see them return your investment in savings....

Sent from my GT-I9001 using Thaivisa Connect App

[lopburi3]

For refrigerators do not believe most are buying 69/79k baht units so suspect the cost difference would be much less. Some, such as Panasonic, seem to be all inverter models at larger capacity now so really no cost difference..

[Sateev]

Here is a good writeup of the technology, for those able to comprehend it: http://www.panasonic.com/industrial/includes/pdf/invertercompressors-improvingefficiency.pdf