How to Power an Air Conditioner
Air conditioning changed the way of life for many in the United States, particularly for those living in humid southern states. Air conditioning makes the summer heat and humidity bearable and life much more comfortable, especially for the very young and very old. Like all home appliances, air conditioning uses electrical power to operate. The way to connect such appliances to the electrical system depends upon whether you have a small, window air conditioner or a larger, central air conditioner system. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Plug a window air conditioner into the nearest electrical outlet. Window units require a 115-volt outlet, with the larger units requiring a dedicated circuit. If you do not have a dedicated circuit available then you will have to ensure that no other electrical use is allowed on any other outlets sharing the same circuit when the air conditioner is in use.
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Wire a central air conditioner directly into a dedicated 230-volt circuit. Ensure that it has it's own circuit breaker at the circuit box and label it clearly.
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Buy an emergency generator with sufficient power to run the air conditioner in an electrical blackout. A room unit consumes 1,500 watts when running, but puts a strain on many smaller generators with a start up requirement of 2,200 watts. If you have other appliances also drawing on the generator there may not be enough power to start the AC unit. Central air conditioners require up to 10,000 watts to run, which is far beyond most standard home emergency generators.
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Tips & Warnings
Using overhead fans increases the efficiency of air conditioners, allowing you to run your air-conditioning at a higher setting which reduces electrical costs.
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