The amount of watts that a 3.5 ton AC uses will depend on the specific model, its SEER-rating, and the operational mode that you use it in.
Larger air conditioners can conveniently and effectively cool larger spaces, but this will also require a larger amount of power.
The wattage of a 3.5 ton air conditioner will be more than that of a smaller unit, and will also depend on the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER-rating) of the unit and the operational mode that you run the air conditioner in.
The benefits of larger AC units
Air conditioners (ACs) come in many different shapes and sizes, which all help to keep your space cool and comfortable when it is hot outside. Larger air conditioning systems can cool multiple spaces or even your whole house at once.
This also makes them more convenient as you will not need to move your unit between rooms or wait a long time for the air conditioner to actually cool down your space.
The dual-function of air conditioners also means that your indoor air will be cleaner and less humid.
How many watts does a 3.5 ton AC use?
Larger air conditioner models require a lot more power to start and run than smaller units do, as they need to cool down a larger volume of air. The amount of power that an air conditioner uses to start and run, is measured in watts.
In most homes, a 3.5 ton air conditioner will have the capacity to cool down the air in the entire house, but this also means that these air conditioners need a lot of power to run and operate, as it will be equal to about 42000 BTUs of cooling capacity.
To add to this, air conditioners also use more power when they initially start, as opposed to when they run normally.
There are differences from one 3.5 ton air conditioner to the next, in terms of wattage usage, because of the way that manufacturers design their air conditioners.
On average, a 3.5 ton air conditioner uses about 3500 watts of electricity per hour to operate, but this differs for each unit.
The reason why air conditioners with the same capacity may differ in terms of wattage is because some units are designed to be especially energy-efficient and have a higher SEER rating.
The mode in which you run your air conditioner will also affect how much power your unit uses and how much electricity this costs you.
Since air conditioners in general, but especially larger 3.5 ton units, require so much power there are also other ways that you can ensure that you do not spend too much money on your electricity bills.
How the SEER-rating of an AC affects its watt usage
The SEER-rating of an AC represents how effectively your air conditioner uses its power to cool down a space, but this can affect how many watts your 3.5 ton air conditioner uses to operate, as is shown in the table below:
| SEER-rating for different 3.5 ton ACs | Wattage for different 3.5 ton ACs |
| 14 | 3000 to 5172 W |
| 15 | 2800 to 4828 W |
| 16 | 2625 to 4526 W |
| 17 | 2471 to 4260 W |
| 18 | 2333 to 4023 W |
| 19 | 2211 to 3811 W |
| 20 | 2100 to 3621 W |
| 21 | 2000 to 3448 W |
| 22 | 1909 to 3292 W |
| 23 | 1826 to 3148 W |
| 24 | 1750 to 3017 W |
| 25 | 1680 to 2897 W |
The higher the SEER-rating of an air conditioner, the more effectively it uses its wattage to cool down air and the more energy-efficient it is. This means that an AC with a low SEER-rating will use less watts than a unit that has a high SEER-rating.
How the operational mode of your AC affects the watt usage
Even though there can be such a difference between the watt usage from one unit to the next, there can also be a difference in the watt usage of your individual unit, depending on the operational mode that you use your AC in.
As an example, using the fan-only mode on your 3.5 ton air conditioner may only use 750 watts instead of the 3500 watts that it uses in “Cool” mode.
The most accurate way to determine how many watts your specific 3.5 ton AC uses, is to use a watt meter to take measurements of your unit’s power usage.
Watt meters, like this Poniie PN2000 Plug-in Kilowatt Electricity Usage Monitor, are plugged into the power socket and then your air conditioner is plugged into the watt meter.
This meter will then give you a digital read-out of the amount of kilowatts that your air conditioning unit uses per hour.
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Ways to save energy when you are using your 3.5 ton AC
Besides choosing a 3.5 ton air conditioner with a high SEER-rating and using the “Fan” mode when possible, there are other ways to cut down on the energy usage of your air conditioner, including:
- Make sure that your home’s windows and doors are sealed properly to keep the hot air out
- You can also install a programmable thermostat, which will regulate your temperature better