How much to run a aircon unit

[juice777]

Hi people

I have a very old aircon unit which I think is costing me to much to run

My Condo is 32 square metres

I ran the aircon unit for 1 hour at 27 Celsius

And the meter went up 1.5 units

I worked this out that if I ran it for 8 hours a day it would cost be 1500 which seems a lot

Just wondering what other people are paying

Thanks

[lopburi3]

Are you talking about a monthly cost in baht? Remember that once temperature is obtained the AC will not have compressor on all the time so costs will be probably be considerably less if any insulation in building. They highest cost will be from turn on until it gets to 27c.

That said air conditioning is a/the major electric expense for most of us.

[TheAppletons]

Different people pay different electric rates depending upon whether they are being charged the government rate (~4 thb/unit) or some higher rate so asking what other people pay isn't going to help you much comparison-wise.

Be happy your electric bill isn't 20,000 thb per month like the ones in this thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/840968-pea-electricity-big-bill-information/

FWIW, I'd be very happy to get an electric bill that's 1500 thb for a month.

[Cheesekraft]

I have two new efficient aircons in a 70 m condo and pay about 3,500 a month, I use one always while sleeping and occasionally throughout the day. I had ~13000 thb bills in a large 3 BR house with older aircon units.

[smokie36]

Sounds about right OP.

That's why we mostly use fans unless its very hot.

[Naam]

Sounds about right OP.

That's why we mostly use fans unless its very hot.

and if there is no power we put ice cubes in our undies

[smokie36]

Sounds about right OP.

That's why we mostly use fans unless its very hot.

and if there is no power we put ice cubes in our undies

You Germans always have surprise up your sleeves....and even your kilts!

[krisb]

1500 a day is more than I'd pay in Australia with our rip off power prices.

I'd say it's your old air con.

[Naam]

Sounds about right OP.

That's why we mostly use fans unless its very hot.

and if there is no power we put ice cubes in our undies

You Germans always have surprise up your sleeves....and even your kilts!

vee vear kilts only vhen visiting ower friends in Schottland. for most ozzer occayshons vee prefer to vear a Lederhose.

[thai006]

my friend next to me pay 2000 b of electric for most every night air con

[Naam]

1500 a day is more than I'd pay in Australia with our rip off power prices.

I'd say it's your old air con.

the OP stated "1.5 units" for one hour meaning 1.5kWh which is slightly above the rated 1.3 kWh a modern aircon unit uses in cooling mode (no matter whether conventional or inverter compressor).

[Naam]

my friend next to me pay 2000 b of electric for most every night air con

this statement is as informative as my (true!) claim that one of my cars is so fuel efficient that i fill the tank only twice a year.

[smokie36]

Sounds about right OP.

That's why we mostly use fans unless its very hot.

and if there is no power we put ice cubes in our undies

You Germans always have surprise up your sleeves....and even your kilts!

vee vear kilts only vhen visiting ower friends in Schottland. for most ozzer occayshons vee prefer to vear a Lederhose.

I much prefer the dirndl pics heheheh.

[juice777]

Are you talking about a monthly cost in baht? Remember that once temperature is obtained the AC will not have compressor on all the time so costs will be probably be considerably less if any insulation in building. They highest cost will be from turn on until it gets to 27c.

That said air conditioning is a/the major electric expense for most of us.

Yes sorry I was talking about the monthly cost in baht for runing it about 8 hours a day

Going by what other people r saying here it seems like I am just paying a little bit to much

[cooked]

If we pay฿2000.- a month for electricity we initiate an inquest. 60M2, no insulation, two a/c s.

[tonray]

Sounds about right OP.

That's why we mostly use fans unless its very hot.

and if there is no power we put ice cubes in our undies

you also save money on soapy massages that way

[IMHO]

@OP: One of my guest bedrooms is also 32sqm, and has a 24K BTU Inverter AC. If I was to turn it on in the middle of a hot day, and 'ask' it to reduce the temperature by a delta by a few or more degrees, sure, it's going to eat up electricity as fast as it can for the first hour...

i.e. What you've done is not really an indicative test - let it achieve your desired temp first, then monitor how much energy it takes to maintain it - that will give you a much better idea of what it's going to cost to run, day in, day out.

Edited July 18, 2015 by IMHO

[pgrahmm]

A lot depends on the building....Window placement in relation to the suns position.....How insulated the walls/thickness.....window qualities....

In one home 110sm - single story 2br with 2 people using AC (3) for comfort equalled __________TB per month.......beautiful teak framed double paned windows - some air gaps around the frames but that look helped snare us......

Our second house - 2 story 210sm 4br 3 bath.....Same people and same comfort level equals _________TB per month also with 3 AC units......also many more/larger windows.....

Both paid directly to the power company with no middle man and paid at the same area office......

Guess what - the smaller house ran up to 4400TB per month where the larger 2 story house has never exceeded 2400TB per month.......

Construction methods/orientation/foliage all play a part.....the smaller house had ceiling fans everywhere while none in the bigger house......both have western kitchens......

I realize it's apples compared to oranges to you but it can help illustrate differences from one building to the next.....

[bankruatsteve]

FYI: I make a 60m2 space feel comfortable within an hour using my 9K BTU bedroom unit and opening the door and wood shutters (like a window into the living area). Not saying that would work for everyone but I am saying you don't have to have max BTU to get comfortable in a well insulated space.

[naboo]

On government rates....

Our bill for a three bedroom house is 1300B/month. Prior to installing air-con (yes, we lived without for a year) it was about 600B/month. We use the air-con from 4pm to 8pm everyday - cools the whole house down enough for the night, then fans (my wife gets a horrible runny nose if the air-con is on through the night).

So 4hrs a day is 120hrs a month.

The cost is 700B for those 120hrs, so just under 6B an hour, which would be about 1.5 units an hour, as you found.

Our LG unit is 18,000BTU which would use 5.2kWh which would mean 5.2units/hour (a unit is one kWh), so the compressor is not on the whole time.

[DaddyWarbucks]

The cost of running AC is high now and electric rates will likely get more expensive as time goes on.

Live in a Thai style wooden house on posts with plenty of open space lattice-work and windows for cross-ventilation. You can be very comfortable with fans. No AC needed.

The concrete boxes that pass for habitats in Thailand make efficient solar ovens, but require constant cooling to live in.

[Naam]

The cost of running AC is high now and electric rates will likely get more expensive as time goes on.

Live in a Thai style wooden house on posts with plenty of open space lattice-work and windows for cross-ventilation. You can be very comfortable with fans. No AC needed.

The concrete boxes that pass for habitats in Thailand make efficient solar ovens, but require constant cooling to live in.

plenty of cross ventilation will be a huge advantage when the outside temperature is 36ºC.

the cost of living is high now and it will likely get more expensice as time goes on.

buy a rope or shoot yourself to be very comfortably dead and avoid expenses.

next!

[thrilled]

Usually the older the unit less efficient it is.Thailand as you know is one hot country.If you want to be cool be

Prepared to pay some money.The lower the setting you have it on,when you go outside it will feel extra hot.

The least cooling temperature you have it on when you do go outside it will still feel hot,but not as hot.

[Naam]

On government rates....

Our bill for a three bedroom house is 1300B/month. Prior to installing air-con (yes, we lived without for a year) it was about 600B/month. We use the air-con from 4pm to 8pm everyday - cools the whole house down enough for the night, then fans (my wife gets a horrible runny nose if the air-con is on through the night).

So 4hrs a day is 120hrs a month.

The cost is 700B for those 120hrs, so just under 6B an hour, which would be about 1.5 units an hour, as you found.

Our LG unit is 18,000BTU which would use 5.2kWh which would mean 5.2units/hour (a unit is one kWh), so the compressor is not on the whole time.

one fairy tale after the other in this thread!

if your LG 18k btu/h uses 5.2 kWh it must have been produced pre-World War II. even a 20 year old 18k unit does not use more than 2kWh in cooling mode.

[wayned]

If an 18000 BTU unit cools your three bedroom house in 4 hours, your bedrooms must be about the size of my walk-in closets!

[Naam]

If an 18000 BTU unit cools your three bedroom house in 4 hours, your bedrooms must be about the size of my walk-in closets!

it's as i mentioned. fairy tales galore. you find similar fairy tales, some of them outright ridiculous, in each of the several dozen Thaivisa "aircon" or "energy saving" threads.

normally i wouldn't bother to comment. but then i think of those members who seek information to make the right decision and i add my 2 Satangs. i owe that to TV-forum which has provided me for nine years with extremely valuable information in many respects.

[naboo]

If an 18000 BTU unit cools your three bedroom house in 4 hours, your bedrooms must be about the size of my walk-in closets!

Single story, air con in main living area gets turned on at 4, at sunset, doors to bedrooms are opened and all is well cooled.

100sqm house, the insulation and ventilation in the kitchen means it doesn't need cooling.

[naboo]

one fairy tale after the other in this thread!

if your LG 18k btu/h uses 5.2 kWh it must have been produced pre-World War II. even a 20 year old 18k unit does not use more than 2kWh in cooling mode.

Used an online calculator to convert BTU to kWh, that's what it came out with. Both are units of energy, one measures energy to heat a pound of water by 1°C, the other is 3.6MJ, one unit of household electricity.

I am no expert, just giving the OP my experience.

[Naam]

one fairy tale after the other in this thread!

if your LG 18k btu/h uses 5.2 kWh it must have been produced pre-World War II. even a 20 year old 18k unit does not use more than 2kWh in cooling mode.

Used an online calculator to convert BTU to kWh, that's what it came out with. Both are units of energy, one measures energy to heat a pound of water by 1°C, the other is 3.6MJ, one unit of household electricity.

I am no expert, just giving the OP my experience.

you are excused because when thermophysics was taught in school you were more interested in judging the boobs of your female classmates. that's the reason why you compared apples with strawberries, i.e. btu/h vs. kWh cooling capacity and not energy consumption which you mentioned in your earlier posting.

here's your quote:

Our LG unit is 18,000BTU which would use 5.2kWh which would mean 5.2units/hour (a unit is one kWh), so the compressor is not on the whole time.

correct is that an aircon with a rated capacity of 18,000 btu/h has a cooling capacity of 5.272 kWh but its electricity consumption is ~1.8-2.0 kWh.

this lesson is free of charge! for additional lessons please send 10 Baht by PM attachment or invite me for a cold drink

[Naam]

If an 18000 BTU unit cools your three bedroom house in 4 hours, your bedrooms must be about the size of my walk-in closets!

Single story, air con in main living area gets turned on at 4, at sunset, doors to bedrooms are opened and all is well cooled.

100sqm house, the insulation and ventilation in the kitchen means it doesn't need cooling.

that calls for your definition of "cooling" in degrees Centigrade or Fahrenheit, e.g. when the outside temperature is 35ºC your home does not need any cooling till 4 pm?