Understanding what amps are in electrical appliances and how they are measured when it comes to your window air conditioner, including the differences between amperage, voltage and wattage.
If you are looking to own a window air conditioner (AC), then one of your biggest concerns might be how much electricity it is going to consume. The electricity consumption of an air conditioner and other electrical appliances in the home is measured using the terms amperage or amps.
So, should you be looking to purchase a window air conditioner, you might be curious to know how many amps it will be using, as this will be costly to you.
What are amps in home appliances, such as window AC units?
Before determining how many amps a window air conditioner could use, it is best to first understand what amps are and how they are measured in all home electrical appliances. Amps is short form term for amperes. These are units of electricity that are basically used to depict the degree of an electric current. Currents are known as the number of electrons that will flow through an electric path.
When it comes to your electrical appliances, you will know that amperes will be indicated with an “A” in your appliances. This will be noted as the power of a currency expressed in amps.
In order to measure amperage, you will need to use a device called an ammeter. Amps will play an important role in the amount of power that will be used in an electrical appliance. One ampere is equivalent to the amount that is produced by one volt through the resistance of one ohm.
How many amps can a window air conditioner use?
Now, because not all window air conditioners will use the same amps, it is good to understand why this will be the case and what will determine the amount of amps generated by the electrical device. The amps of a window air conditioner will impact your electricity bill.
The amps of your window air conditioner will be determined by the cooling capacity of your unit. Cooling capacities of air conditioners are determined by what is known as British thermal units (BTU). The amount of BTU an air conditioner has will determine how many amps the unit will use.
For a window unit with a 5 000 BTU, it is estimated that it can use between 3.62 to 5.43 amps, while window air conditioners with 6 000 BTU can use between 4.35 to 6.52 amps of electricity. For air conditioners with an 8 000 BTU, they will use an amperage of up to 5.80 to 8.70.
Units that have a rating of 10 000 BTU can have an amperage of up to 7.25 to 10.87. Window aircon units with a BTU rating of 12 000 will have amperages of between 8.70 to 13.02, with the highest of 18 000 BTU and possibly more using about 13.04 to 19.57 amps. As an air conditioner’s BTU rating gets higher, so will the amount of amps it will generate.
What is the difference between amperage and other electrical terms differentiated in electrical appliances?
Amperage is not the only electrical term used in distinguishing electrical appliances such as window air conditioners. Voltage and wattage are two other terms used in measuring the cooling operating and consumption of energy of a window air conditioner.
It is beneficial to familiarise yourself with these terms, so as to properly understand how your window air conditioner will be operating and the amount of power it will be consuming in respect of each of the terms.
The voltage of an appliance is used to determine the electrical probability of two points. If the window air conditioner has a high voltage, then the amperage drawn will be much lower and will allow for the aircon to function for longer.
Amperes or amps will determine how much electricity will be flowing between the two different points in a volt at a time.
Wattage, on the other hand, is the term used for the electrical energy that an electrical appliance, or in this case, a window air conditioner, will need to work. The watts of an appliance will usually be indicated on the labels of the said appliance, as well as on your electricity bill for the month.
So, when considering purchasing a window air conditioner, be sure to look into the amount of amps your unit will need to use. Knowing this will help you get the right one to fit your space and will also determine the cooling capacity you will possibly require.