happy medium with Inverter Air Conditioners

[shorts]

I had an AC installer tell me that if I leave a room for an hour, I should still leave my air conditioner running because the amount of power it consumes during that hour to maintain the temperature is far less than the power it needs to cool down to that temperature after it becomes hot again.

But I assume if you're gone for 16 hours, it makes sense to shut the air conditioner off.

I'm curious to know the happy medium. How many hours does it make sense to leave an inverter air conditioner running when you're not home?

 

[NanSanPedro]

I had an AC installer tell me that if I leave a room for an hour, I should still leave my air conditioner running because the amount of power it consumes during that hour to maintain the temperature is far less than the power it needs to cool down to that temperature after it becomes hot again.

But I assume if you're gone for 16 hours, it makes sense to shut the air conditioner off.

I'm curious to know the happy medium. How many hours does it make sense to leave an inverter air conditioner running when you're not home?

Would that not depend on the outside temperature and the AC unit’s power consumption (Nonlinear). I would search for an equation that you can input the variables into.

 

[fuchs4d]

I had an AC installer tell me that if I leave a room for an hour, I should still leave my air conditioner running because the amount of power it consumes during that hour to maintain the temperature is far less than the power it needs to cool down to that temperature after it becomes hot again.

Not true. It takes time compared to no time at all to reach the temperature when you left again. But the power consumption measured from the time you leave to the time the prior temperature is reached again is lower when switching the system off when you leave. This is true for all periods of time, be it 1 minute or 24 hours.

Alexander

 

[JD Jones]

I turn mine off if I'm going outside for more than an hour or so.

But in my case, my apartment is on the ground floor of a building facing south, and I have a combo noise reduction/heat repelling curtains on my windows. so my house rarely gets warmer than 84-85 degrees.
When I turn the AC on when I get home, it only takes 10 minutes or so to cool things down to 77 degrees.

 

[El Hijo de Manolo]

I have a combo noise reduction/heat repelling curtains on my windows.

Where is this war zone you live in?

 

[XTraveller]

I had an AC installer tell me that if I leave a room for an hour, I should still leave my air conditioner running because the amount of power it consumes during that hour to maintain the temperature is far less than the power it needs to cool down to that temperature after it becomes hot again.

But I assume if you're gone for 16 hours, it makes sense to shut the air conditioner off.

I'm curious to know the happy medium. How many hours does it make sense to leave an inverter air conditioner running when you're not home?

Its very difficult to calculate your happy medium without knowing how well is the room insulation. How long does it take to get hot? How long does it take to cool down and to what temperature you like to cool it to. Also is the AC the right size for the room?

Leaving for 1 hour I would shut it off and see how many degrees it get hotter. You can also just adjust the temperature a a few degrees hotter for an hour and on your return readjust to your normal setting, this would control the humidity. Leaving for 16 hours I would shut it off.

 

[chico bill]

Anyone installed one of the highly advertised Sensibo Smart AC Control units?

 

[ese tipo]

I had an AC installer tell me that if I leave a room for an hour, I should still leave my air conditioner running because the amount of power it consumes during that hour to maintain the temperature is far less than the power it needs to cool down to that temperature after it becomes hot again.

But I assume if you're gone for 16 hours, it makes sense to shut the air conditioner off.

I'm curious to know the happy medium. How many hours does it make sense to leave an inverter air conditioner running when you're not home?

I agree with your installers advice to a certain extent.Your inverter air by design is going to be efficient by the variable speed the motor was designed to work under.Higher temp bigger workload hence faster speed more power etc etc.In a large establishment you'll rarely ever see the cooling units completely idle, they will maintain a higher temp when unoccupied then through energy mngmt. systems ( be they occupancy sensing or simple timers ) they will adjust accordingly.Instead of turning unit off then on as you enter and leave the space why not adjust temp either cooler or warmer as needed.Think of it as riding a bike: you exert the most energy to propel then eventually you won't even have to peddle momentum takes over,same with your A/C hotter temp more work.And vice versa.

 

[windeguy]

Anyone installed one of the highly advertised Sensibo Smart AC Control units?

I never heard of it. Just checked it out. It looks like a solution to a problem that does not exist.
At least for me.

 

[RDKNIGHT]

I turn mine off if I'm going outside for more than an hour or so.

But in my case, my apartment is on the ground floor of a building facing south, and I have a combo noise reduction/heat repelling curtains on my windows. so my house rarely gets warmer than 84-85 degrees.
When I turn the AC on when I get home, it only takes 10 minutes or so to cool things down to 77 degrees.

77 is not cool in my world

 

[nothing to ad]

all you rich people with ac units i dont have one here and dont need one in the good ol usa 77 degrees is co;d for me 80 is just about right fan for a few hours at night

 

[zeferus]

I turn mine off if I'm going outside for more than an hour or so.

But in my case, my apartment is on the ground floor of a building facing south, and I have a combo noise reduction/heat repelling curtains on my windows. so my house rarely gets warmer than 84-85 degrees.
When I turn the AC on when I get home, it only takes 10 minutes or so to cool things down to 77 degrees.

Where did you get such curtains and what are they called ?

 

[JD Jones]

Where did you get such curtains and what are they called ?

At the time the sound deadening curtains were purchased from IKEA and the heat repelling curtains came from Amazon.

They're called Blackout thermal curtains.

Amazon now has combo blackout thermal curtains that do basically the same thing. Pay very close attention to the type and measurements if you order them:

https://www.amazon.com/ECLIPSE-Blackout-Curtains-Bedroom-Insulated/dp/B004ZD2DCQ/ref=sr_1_42?crid=2ZMZOYQQ7IZ8N&keywords=blackout+thermal+curtains+96+inches+long&qid=1661824229&sprefix=blackout+thermal+curtains+96+inches+long%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-42

 

[RDKNIGHT]

At the time the sound deadening curtains were purchased from IKEA and the heat repelling curtains came from Amazon.

They're called Blackout thermal curtains.

Amazon now has combo blackout thermal curtains that do basically the same thing. Pay very close attention to the type and measurements if you order them:

https://www.amazon.com/ECLIPSE-Blac...ains+96+inches+long,aps,119&sr=8-42 [/QUOTE]

I tried them didnt work for me...

 

[JD Jones]

What color did you buy?

What was wrong with them?

 

[RDKNIGHT]

What color did you buy?

What was wrong with them?

after service lady washed them they change colors and started to fall apart... basically looked very faded

 

[AlterEgo]

after service lady washed them they change colors and started to fall apart... basically looked very faded

She probably used bleach in the water. Dominican maids love their bleach, it’s death to foam backing/thermal.

 

[JD Jones]

after service lady washed them they change colors and started to fall apart... basically looked very faded

So they worked before?

 

[chico bill]

She probably used bleach in the water. Dominican maids love their bleach, it’s death to foam backing/thermal.

More clothes are ruined in the DR with bleach that fall apart from wear.
Dominican women do not know how to use it and are sloppy with it when they do pick up a bottle
Some serious genetics at work - as they are 80% like that.
I finally told my GF - don't touch my cloths again.
Everything she touched, including my boxers came back with bleach spots

 

[lifeisgreat]

More clothes are ruined in the DR with bleach that fall apart from wear.
Dominican women do not know how to use it and are sloppy with it when they do pick up a bottle
Some serious genetics at work - as they are 80% like that.
I finally told my GF - don't touch my cloths again.
Everything she touched, including my boxers came back with bleach spots

Diluted bleach 50/50 water no one the wiser never had problem since easier then keep telling them..