Air conditioner or heater: what is cheaper to heat your home with
The choice between an air conditioner and an electric heater to heat your home may depend on several factors, such as climate conditions, device efficiency, and electricity costs.
Experts from moyo have identified several important aspects and compared both devices.
Electric heaters. These devices are usually less expensive to buy, but their energy efficiency may be lower because they work on the basis of heating the air around them.
Air conditioner: Modern air conditioners with a heating option can be more energy efficient because they can use heat exchange with the outside environment to heat up.
If you analyze the price/power ratio, the air conditioner "loses" to a fan heater, ceramic or infrared heater.
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"Air conditioning equipment was invented to cool rooms, and heating is an auxiliary function... If we compare purely in terms of efficiency, then a split system is better. However, it is advisable to make a choice based on several criteria," experts say.
What is more economical: a heater or an air conditioner
It is noted that heaters convert energy from the electrical grid into heat. As a result, 1 kW of electricity produces a maximum of 1 kW of heat. The air conditioner works on the principle of a "heat pump," so the heat output is many times higher.
Experts added that an air conditioner with low energy efficiency is 2-3 times more economical than a heater of similar power when operating in normal conditions. However, if we compare their operation in the range of minus 10 to minus 15 degrees, the split system is unlikely to save money.
They noted that for the climate typical of Kyiv, the answer to the question of what is more economical: an air conditioner or a heater, "is definitely a 2-unit unit."
"The split system is 1.5-2 times more economical in winter and 2-5 times better if we take the entire heating season into account," the experts summarized.
Read on to find out whether you need to turn off the boiler that heats water when you're not at home.
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