Is air conditioner ac or dc

How does aircon works? Is the air conditioner AC or DC? It is probably the most frequently asked question especially when it comes to buying your first or a new air conditioner.

We all know that AC energy is far more powerful and effective as compared to DC energy but if appliances are manufactured accordingly, they can be proven as perfect for household or workplace use. Today, more and more air conditioners are coming in DC energy and they are efficient and can provide an extra benefit of energy-saving as well, which directly leads to low utility bills while allowing you to run your AC for a long time.

This guide will tell you the difference between an AC and DC air conditioner along with other important aspects.

What type of current do most air conditioners units use

Alternating current or AC is the current mostly used by air conditioner units but now DC is also becoming a prominent demand in new coming air conditioners. AC and DC are just two different types of current where AC is known as Alternating Current while DC is known as Direct Current.

The difference is how the current flows in the circuit. Where AC current keeps on changing its flow direction periodically, DC current always flows in a single direct direction without opting for another path.

Talking about common electrical statistics of an air conditioner, an air conditioner of good quality requires about 220 to 240 volts circuit to work efficiently, this can go down to 110 to 120 volts for some models of window air conditioners.

An air conditioner is usually considered the biggest power-consuming appliance in a house because it can need as much as 5000 watts of current during the startup

DC air conditioner vs AC air conditioner

DC air conditioner vs AC air conditioner

DC Air Conditioner

  • A DC inverter aircon has the ability to change its temperature without requiring a compressor restart.
  • The compressor doesn’t stop but adjusts to the changing temperature and conditions inside the room environment.
  • If the air conditioner requires less power, the compressor will consume less electricity instead of constantly consuming high electricity.
  • In DC inverters, the compressor never stops but consumes less electricity.

AC Air Conditioner

  • An AC air conditioner works at a fixed speed so that it has to restart the compressor every time the user changes its set temperature.
  • No matter what temperature you have set, the compressor will work at its full capacity while consuming more electricity.
  • Once the room reaches the set temperature, the compressor immediately stops working but the fan keeps on operating as it normally does. 

Can the air conditioner run on DC power

Air conditioners can not only run on DC power but can bring some extremely efficient results. Most air conditioners now normally use DC technology to convert and invert alternating current while consuming less power and providing more performance.

What is a DC inverter air conditioner

A DC inverter conditioner can work on varying frequencies and voltage so that the compressor can work flawlessly with the changing temperature. Converter circuits and inverter circuits are equipped with air conditioners that work for the voltage or current modulations techniques.

DC air conditioner power consumption

A DC air conditioner of 1 ton working in a good condition can easily run on just 900 watts while a normal air conditioner uses at least 1500 watts of electricity operating in the same conditions.

As a 1.5-ton air conditioner is the most common size that is used in almost 90% of the households, the DC inverter version of this size takes about 1200 watts of power while a simple one can only run on a minimum of 2000 watts power.

This is a huge difference and can tell you why DC air conditioners are gaining that much popularity and demand in the household and workplace market.

As electricity is usually measured in units, you can get an idea by the fact that a DC inverter air conditioner costs you about 0.91 units per hour while this figure goes to almost double at 1.5 units per hour.

How does a DC inverter AC work

  1. Like its name implies, the DC inverter air conditioner takes alternating current (AC) as input and converts it into DC current. This process is done in Converter Circuit and is usually known as rectification.
  2. Capacitors and inductors are equipped right before the DC converter so that they can mitigate the current noise that is coming as input into the air conditioner’s power supply.
  3. The current after being converted to DC goes smoothly through the capacitors to the last part of the technology which is known as Inverter Circuit.
  4. Pulse Width Modulation of PWM techniques is used at the last step to again convert the DC current into an alternating current (AC). The inverter can produce current in any frequency and voltage that is required by the air conditioner.
  5. This changing or variable frequency or AC current helps the induction motor and brushless motor to get a start and run the air conditioner.
  6. The speed of these motors can be varying depending upon the frequency and voltage being provided by the DC inverter. 

Note: The AC in this section means “Alternating Current”, not the “Air Conditioner”.

How to use a DC inverter AC?

  1. Although temperature could vary in terms of need depending upon your region and its climate, it is best to keep the temperature of the air conditioner at 25 Degrees Celsius.
  2. This will not only bring you efficient cooling but will reduce your utility bills and increase the life of your air conditioner as well.
  3. Don’t change the temperature like a play, just set a temperature and let it run without disturbing it.
  4. Turn your DC inverter air conditioner ON just about 10 to 15 minutes before you are going to need its cooling.
  5. Set the air conditioner on night mode. It will periodically increase the temperature with the passing time during the night. Most DC AC’s increase 1-2 Degrees Celsius per hour.
  6. Keep all windows and doors closed properly to put less load on your air conditioner.

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