Plugging AC Units Into Power Strips Though they appear to be more than a standard outlet or electrical cord, power strips are electrical accessories that increase the number of outlets for a receptacle. Plugging a high-powered air conditioner into a power strip is dangerous and can cause an electrical fire.
1) Yes, as long as the power strip or the surge protector has a higher wattage rating than the A/C unit does.
Experts recommend plugging the unit directly into your wall outlet, although you can also use a heavy-duty extension cord.
A window AC is in the range of 5000 BTU to 14000 BTU. The running watts required for a 5000 BTU air conditioner are around 450. An 8000 BTU air conditioner may need about 715 watts, and 1250 watts are required for a 14000 BTU air conditioner.
For a 5000 BTU unit that generally means about 4 amps during normal operation with brief jolts of 8 amps at compressor start. But your mileage may vary. If you're using one of those wi-fi plugs, be sure to get a heavy-duty 10-amp-or-higher model.
As mentioned earlier, the amperage of a window AC depends on its size and efficiency. A small unit with a cooling capacity of 5,000 BTU can easily be powered by a 15 amp circuit. However, larger units with a cooling capacity of 18,000 BTU may require a higher amperage and cannot be run on a 15 amp circuit.
By comparison, AC Window Units use approximately 500 to 1,500 watts of electricity. Keep in mind that it takes more than one AC window unit to cool a home. You'll need one for each room of the house you want to reduce the temperature. Here's an ice cube for your glass!
You can run an air conditioner on an extension cord. But air conditioners use a lot of power to function. Choosing the wrong type of cord could cause a house fire. You need power cords that transfer the necessary electric current without overheating or overworking the AC's motor.
Because air conditioners require a massive electrical load, it's usually best to plug one directly into a wall outlet.
Most importantly, these connections should never be temporary. That's because plugging power strips into extension cords may add more resistance to your electrical system. The extra resistance could translate to a very low current, damaging the conductors or causing fires.
The case of an AC unit should always be grounded. Older houses (prior to about 1965) in the US had 2 prong(Hot and Neutral) outlets. In some juristictions (such as New York City) the house is wired with armored cable (either the current “Type AC or the older, and somewhat dangerous “Type BX”).
You can get an appropriate "appliance" extension cord, but do not use the surge protector. They are designed with low quality contacts, and expect the load to be spread across all the outlets.
The running watts required for a 5000 BTU air conditioner are around 450. An 8000 BTU air conditioner may need about 715 watts, and 1250 watts are required for a 14000 BTU air conditioner. You can estimate your window AC wattage in the above section and decide the best solar generator option.
If you're looking for the most affordable way to cool an entire house over a long period of time, then central air will be more cost-effective. But when it comes to cooling down a couple of rooms or one floor, a window unit may be the cheaper option, with both a lower cost to install and less energy used to run.
A 5,000 BTU Air Conditioner is the smallest you can find, best suited for rooms that are less than 250 square feet. Ideally, the room you place it in should be around 150 to 200 square feet. You'll therefore most benefit from a 5,000 BTU air conditioner in a room that is 10×10, 12×12, or 14×14 feet in size.
In general, wall and window air conditioning units with smaller capacities can typically run for up to eight hours at a time before they need to rest. Larger wall and window units have a longer running time of around 10 to 12 hours, depending on their cooling power.
This means an AC unit could cost you from $5.17 to $5.94 per day to run. Or about $155-$178 per month you're running it. Let's say you still have an ideal home setup, but a home that's a little bit less than the size of the average home – around 1900 square feet.
Instead of having two vertical prongs on the top of a 110 volt-15 amp plug, one prong is horizontal. These require a special outlet. If you're using a large AC with a very high BTU rating, it may have a 220-volt plug.
Smaller window units (around 5,000-8,000 BTUs): Typically draw 5-7 amps at 115 volts. Medium-sized units (8,000-12,000 BTUs): May draw 7-10 amps at 115 volts.
Final answer:
The highest BTU air conditioners for 110 volts generally range from 8,000 to 15,000 BTU.