Can You Run a Window AC 24x7?
Introduction
Some People are often worried that their air conditioners run for too long, some people are worried that their air conditioners don’t run too much. window ac or a split ac, 1 ton, 1.5 ton or more, 3 star or 5 star, there are a number of air conditioners and their variants available in the market. Different companies make different claims about their air conditioners, but the question still remains - How long can or should you run your window ac?
If you have a window inverter AC, this means that your air conditioner will cut off power to the compressor when the ambient temperature equals the temperature setting on the AC.
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But does that mean you can leave your window AC running all day long? If experts are to be believed, you can leave your window ac - 1.5 ton or any other capacity - running for 24 hours, 7 days a week and nothing would happen to it. No part inside your air conditioner will become too hot or melt even after continuous operations. You might even think that having a 5 star rated air conditioner might mean that you would save electricity (and money) even if you run it for longer durations. Well, not quite. Here are some reasons to explain to you why running your window AC 24x7 may not be a good idea.
 More Energy Consumption
Imagine you run your 1.5 ton, 5 star window ac at a desired temperature. IT will cool the room to the desired temperature and then, the thermostat will send a signal to the compressor, shutting it off. This causes the air conditioner to trip. As the AC alternates between tripping and running at full power, it will consume more energy as compared to it running at full speed.
 More Energy Consumption
If you’re worried that the electricity bill, from running your window inverter ac will burn a deep hole in your pocket, make sure to turn it off every few hours. Apart from saving money, your window ac will run more efficiently than it would if it were running continuously.
 Less Efficient at Dehumidifying Indoor Air
Apart from giving off cool air and raising the comfort levels inside your room, your window ac also dehumidifies the air inside. The basic principle on which air conditioners operate is that they suck in hot air from the room, pass it over the condenser and expel the heated refrigerant.
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Less Efficient at Dehumidifying Indoor Air
In this process, the air conditioner also draws in humid air from inside and dehumidifies the room, which is essential in raising the comfort levels indoors. Your window inverter AC can do this best only when it’s running intermittently because dehumidification happens best when the AC is running at full power. When the AC runs 24x7, it isn’t running at its full potential and hence it won’t dehumidify the room as efficiently. 9
Bad for the Environment
You would all agree that air conditioners are bad for the environment. The HFCs used in the refrigerant bring the temperature inside the room down to comfort levels, but they also are the biggest contributors to harmful greenhouse gases that lead to global warming. So, does that mean you stop using ACs altogether? No, but it does mean you should stop the AC once comfortable levels of temperatures are attained. Here’s an example to illustrate the point - A 1.5 Ton window AC, with 5 star rating, that runs throughout the day, emits close to 5300 grams of carbon, whereas the same if run for 8 hours, will emit close to 200 grams of carbon.
In conclusion, running your window ac 24x7 won’t do any damage as long as you’re present at the occasion to prevent it and if you have enough money to pay for the hefty electricity bills that come along with it. As stated above, running a window ac 24x7 is inefficient as it will cool as efficiently as it would, if it were running intermittently. It won’t even dehumidify the air inside the room as well and let’s not forget the damage it would do to the environment.
Hence, if you want to enjoy what your air conditioner has to offer, guilt-free, then it’s best that you run your window ac for a few hours and then turn it off. If you’re out to buy a window ac for your home, take a look at the MirAIe-enabled window ACs from Panasonic. Through the MirAIe platform, you can set customised sleep profiles that will vary the temperature based on your sleep cycle so that you can enjoy a sound, chill-free sleep at night!
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