The question arises from a standard household dispute: should you turn off your air conditioner or keep it on while you are out with the door closed? The core technology that makes these models better for energy consumption than their older, non-inverter counterparts is vital to answering that question. To explain why an inverter AC is more efficient, a brief explanation of the old system is required. Most standard split 12000 BTU non-inverter air conditioners work with a fixed-speed compressor. That is, when you turn it on, the compressor starts running with full force. It is done until the room area reaches the designated temperature. At this stage, the desired temperatures are met, and the compressor completely shuts off. Even if the room cools down a bit, the cooling would be resumed by switching it back on. However, it would run at full force. The constant stopping and starting and having to use full power when starting are the root of electricity usage. Therefore, when you keep turning and stopping it on and off, you are losing a lot of energy. Consider the car analogy: starting and stopping every few minutes uses much more fuel than a long, continuous, comfortable ride at a steady speed.
The Variable Speed Difference: Inverter technology changed that. Instead of being only “on” or “off,” an inverter AC includes a variable-speed compressor. When you first turn the unit on, the compressor runs quickly to achieve the requested room temperature as quickly as possible. Once that temperature is met, however, the compressor doesn’t turn off. It instead slows down intelligently to a low, steady speed, just enough to counteract the heat entering the room to counteract it and maintain the set temperature with precision. It’s like cruise control for your truck. Doing so needs far less energy than switching the motor on and off from zero. This is the reason why an inverter unit needs so much less power.
Does running your 1.5-ton inverter AC continuously save more money?
Yes, except if you run it for an hour a day or a couple of hours per week. For parts of the day, where you spend long hours, e.g., the room where you sleep during the night, your home office, etc., it’s more efficient to allow your AC to run continuously than to repeatedly turn it on and off. The small amount of continuous energy used to keep the space at a comfortable temperature is far less than the massive amount of power required to cool it when you switch it on. The technology, for example, in a high-quality brand such as Daikin India, is specifically engineered to maximize efficiency on these set-point conditions, but there is a clear distinction:
1 Running the AC at a steady set point, possibly, say, 24°C for 8 hours or more while you are there, which is the optimal mode. The compressor is highly efficient and runs at the least speed required.
2 If you are away for a few hours, it is precisely the worst scenario. Since it is a space, there is no need for the compressor.
Save money: if you want to make sure that the continuous operation method of ensuring savings is effective, then you need to adhere to several recommendations.
First, set it and forget it.
“Comfortable” but reasonable temperature – 24 or 25 degrees Celsius and try not to change it back and forth. Each degree from the set to a lower one forces the compressor to grow in the power mode of operation.
Seal the room.
To do this, all doors and windows should be closed, and curtains or blinds should be lowered – then the room will receive less energy, and the compressor will not need to work at full power. Bring the running coals from the chemistry.
Timely Maintenance.
Models severely need proper. Due to the workload, the compressor will operate at maximum power, and efficiency will be lost. Therefore, it must always be clean.
In conclusion, the idea behind the inverter AC’s design is stability. By enabling the variable-speed compressor to run continuously for much of the time you use it, you’re able to minimize those power-hungry startup cycles. So, you can enjoy uniform comfort and get a lower electric bill in the long run.
