Understand About Tonnage and Star Ratings of Air Conditioner Unit

by Rajat Sahoo Active Blogger

Summers are here and so is the heat and yet again, air conditioner industry sales are at the peak, most people start buying this cooling equipment to prevent themselves from the discomfort however, everyone makes a decision based on the budget, features, brand, and the type- like split AC or window AC.

However, amidst all the above factors, people often get confused when it comes to technical features, so let us discuss a few technical features that you should know before you set on buying an air conditioner. These features are related to air conditioner energy efficiency. What do you understand when somebody says that you should buy a 1.5-ton air conditioner? Do they refer to the weight of the AC? When we talk about the tonnage of AC it implies the amount of heat the AC will be able to form the room in about an hour. This amount is measured in a British thermal unit or BTU, so yeah conditioner unit which comes with a higher BTU will come with a high capacity of cooling the room. Thus, a high ton of AC is appropriate for big rooms. If you go by the measurements; one ton is equal to 12000 BTU per hour, likewise 2 tons is equal to 24000 BTU per hour.

What size of an air conditioner is preferred?

Now that we are familiar with the meaning of Ton in air conditioners, let us discuss which size should be preferred while buying an air conditioner. So while choosing the size of AC narrow down different factors such as how many people sleep in the room, the number of electric appliances in the room, the heat exposure of the room, season, size of the room, day or night use, and the frequency of usage.

Energy-efficient ratio

Energy Efficiency Ratio or EER is the measurement of heat that is removed every hour divided by the energy consumed while using it. If the heat removed is high, every hour, in comparison to the power consumed then you can expect a highly efficient air conditioner.

Coefficient of performance

It signifies the efficiency of an air conditioner regarding its ability to heat and cool the room. This measurement is usually indicated by the ratio of the heating or cooling in comparison to the energy required to operate the air conditioner.

Star efficiency

You must have come across labels on the air conditioner where they have printed some stars on it, do you know what these stars are? These are the significance of Air conditioner's performance. If your AC specification shows a high number of stars it indicates that it will be highly efficient.

So if someone says that they are thinking of buying 1-ton AC 5 stars, this means that the air conditioner will be able to cool the room effectively, however it might not be that energy efficient.

Higher star ratings mean higher will be energy efficiency of the air conditioner thus you will be saving a lot on your monthly electricity bill.

How to calculate air conditioner size

Start from selecting the city you live in, the kind of temperature you face, especially in summers, the number of hours it will run, exposure to the sun's heat or rays, the dimension of the room, budget and type of AC and room you want AC for.

In conclusion with

It is important that you should pick the right ton of air conditioner for your house. Inappropriate size can hamper with cooling, and will also be heavy on your pockets. Check out the star rating, EER, and COP specification on your air conditioner before making your final decision. Choose the best suited AC for your home from a wide range of energy-efficient Sanyo AC.