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I'm moving to an area that has outrageously hot summers and peak electricity pricing to match. I will move into a modest studio or one bedroom, 600-800 sq ft or so. I'm thinking of buying a window or portable A/C unit; since I work from home, the savings might be worth it.
I know that central A/C units are extremely costly to operate in homes, but I'm not sure how they work in multi-unit properties. Is there a separate unit for each apartment, or is the ventilation simply shut off/on to allow 1 unit to cool multiple apartments? And could an apartment central A/C be less costly than a portable unit?
IF you need 5 tons of cooling and only have 2.5 tons, then of course your bills will be higher because your unit will run constantly.
secondly, central AC isn't designed to run constantly, it is designed to cycle, and like I said before if your tonnage is lower than needed you won't get a good cycling going on.
thirdly, of course if you are running something that is 1440 watts constantly and running something that is 3000 watts constantly the one that is 1440 watts will obviously going to result in lower watts used. But the author neglects the fact that central AC is not supposed to run constantly.
Central AC is supposed to be running less than 25% of the time, so you are supposed to divide the wattage of the central AC by at least 4.
Finally, the central Ac works more efficiently, and gives a more even cooling if it is done right.
When I lived in San Antonio the house had window units in the bedroom and the living room. It had a closed layout (the kitchen opened out into the dining room through a door, which then opened up into the living room where the AC was. Every time we cooked we had to either open the kitchen door or die of heat stroke. If the house was cooled by central air, the unit would suck out the heat from the kitchen and replace that with cooled air. The window units didn't cool the kitchen one bit
oh, I also forgot to say that you most probably will need a unit for each room, so it is not a simple matter of 1440 watts to 3000 watts.
If you do get a 400sqft studio then the window unit MAY suffice.
Remember a 5000BTU window unit will only cool a 150sq foot room (that is the size of a very small room
Maybe think about moving into an apartment building that has been updated with newer efficient central air conditioning or a newer building - a nicer, more expensive apartment. You may actually save money in the long run. If you work out of your apartment, you are going to want that apartment cool in the summer - this may mean that you use the central air that the apartment has plus a window unit - you are going to be eaten alive by electric bills. If you have an inefficient central and/or window unit, you are probably going to be paying higher electric bills than if you lived where the air conditioning efficiency was better. You are going to be spending the money one way or another - look for a newer building with more efficient air conditioning.
IF you need 5 tons of cooling and only have 2.5 tons, then of course your bills will be higher because your unit will run constantly.
secondly, central AC isn't designed to run constantly, it is designed to cycle, and like I said before if your tonnage is lower than needed you won't get a good cycling going on.
thirdly, of course if you are running something that is 1440 watts constantly and running something that is 3000 watts constantly the one that is 1440 watts will obviously going to result in lower watts used. But the author neglects the fact that central AC is not supposed to run constantly.
Central AC is supposed to be running less than 25% of the time, so you are supposed to divide the wattage of the central AC by at least 4.
Finally, the central Ac works more efficiently, and gives a more even cooling if it is done right.
When I lived in San Antonio the house had window units in the bedroom and the living room. It had a closed layout (the kitchen opened out into the dining room through a door, which then opened up into the living room where the AC was. Every time we cooked we had to either open the kitchen door or die of heat stroke. If the house was cooled by central air, the unit would suck out the heat from the kitchen and replace that with cooled air. The window units didn't cool the kitchen one bit
I didn't realize that a house can be cooled in extreme heat without working continuously. I'm trying to read more about how central A/C cycles on/off, do you have any good sources?
I didn't realize that a house can be cooled in extreme heat without working continuously. I'm trying to read more about how central A/C cycles on/off, do you have any good sources?
Thanks
no, sorry I don't , but yes even in extreme heat an AC is designed to cycle.
do you know whether you are moving to a studio or some place bigger?
If you get just a studio then the window unit will pull the least electricity.
Central AC is expensive to install though. It usually runs about $5000.
if you are moving to a place that is humid that will be another factor as central units dehumidify the air a lot better.
The best I have ever seen are the chill water systems.
My first apartment had one and we had to pay in to use it. The fee ranged from 8 dollars to 12 dollars, which was great because I didn't have to worry about AC on my electric bill and normally paid about 25 bucks for electricity.
Having one big chiller instead of individual units cuts down the cost dramatically.
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