This article is written to answer questions from air conditioners’ users, so that a simple person can understand the difference between inverter air conditioners and ordinary ones.
This is written on many resources, but most of them are a set of certain stamps and are aimed at persuading a person to purchase a more expensive inverter air conditioner , regardless of the buyer’s needs.
Sometimes there are articles in which nonsense is written, compiled by a marketer rather than a technical specialist.
The authors are not particularly puzzled by the proof of the information given, they simply rewrite articles from each other.
The difference between inverter and “on / off” air conditioners
Structurally:
- In the inverter there is an electronic power board in the external unit, in the classic there is no
- Compressor motors have different operating principles.
Everything else – the type of electric motors of fans, the type of TRV, and other technical nuances depend on the model of the air conditioner , and not on the method of power control.
By the method of power control:
- Inverter – continuously adjustable power
- On / off-air conditioning – speed, cyclic
Advantages of inverter air conditioners: myths and reality
So, according to the sales organizations, the inverter air conditioner:
- Saves electricity
- It works more quietly
- Less harmful to health
- More durable
- More reliable than non-inverter
Below we analyze each item separately, what is true and what does not correspond to reality or is a clever marketing move.
Manufacturers of air conditioners promise energy savings when using an inverter up to 30%.
Unfortunately, all the studies are conducted by the manufacturers of refrigeration equipment themselves.
A very popular visual comparison scheme is the process of cooling and driving, which is not correct and does not reflect the essence of the process.
At the same time, an electronic unit appears in the inverter air conditioner, which is not found in a conventional air conditioner.
In the inverter module, some of the electricity is lost, which is converted into heat.
The volume of losses is clearly visible in the size of the radiator, which is installed to remove heat in the outdoor unit.
In any case, even with a maximum savings of 30%, taking into account the cost of electricity, and the difference in the cost of inverter and classic air conditioners, the payback period is more than three years.
When using the air conditioner only in summer in cooling mode, for a short period of time, the payback period increases.
For European countries, the period is shortened due to higher tariffs for electricity, so inverter air conditioners are more popular there.
If the air conditioner breaks, the payback period may move for an indefinite period due to the high cost of the inverter ac spare parts.
Inverter air conditioners have low noise
Split system consists of two blocks – internal and external, we consider them separately.
Indoor unit:
It is located indoors and its noise level does not depend on the way the compressor is controlled (as it is located in the outdoor unit outside).
The noise produced by the air conditioner depends on the flow rate of the exhaust air and the aerodynamic qualities of the fan impeller and the casing.
That is, the noise level of the indoor unit depends on the specific model of the air conditioner, but not on the inverter control of the compressor.
To reduce the noise level, manufacturers use a special profile of the fan impeller and the shape of the outlet.
It often happens that cheap Asian inverters are noisier compared to branded non-inverter models of air conditioners.
External unit:
In modern air conditioners are installed so quiet compressors that the main noise creates a fan.
Fan operation is also independent of compressor control technology.
An air conditioner that is malfunctioning or improperly mounted can vibrate and make noise, for example, when a fixing bolt has fallen into a reinforcement in a concrete wall and directly transmits sound and vibrations to it.
Read more about the causes of air conditioning noise here .
Air Conditioners life
As the manufacturers and trading organizations promise, the average service life of an inverter air conditioner is about two times longer than an inverter air conditioner and is 8-15 years (different companies have different information).
The service life of the air conditioner is increased by increasing the service life of the compressor, since the number of starts in the inverter air conditioner is reduced and there are no high starting currents, which reduces compressor wear.
And now let’s remember the old Soviet refrigerators – for many they worked for twenty years, and the compressors felt quite normal.
You can still remember the air conditioners BC – Baku window-sill, they can now be seen in working condition.
And imported air conditioners of the O-general, Super General, Daikin,, Toshiba or Sanyo brands, imported at the beginning of the restructuring, are discarded during repairs only because of their unsightly appearance. But they worked according to the classical scheme, without an inverter converter.
So the conclusion suggests itself, air conditioner compressors are very reliable and durable devices, of course, if they are made at a factory of a well-established company.
But the compressor may fail due to poor installation:
- When moisture enters the cold compartment, an acid is formed that destroys the insulation of the engine
- In case of oil leakage, the compressor will operate without lubrication.
Or in the absence of service:
- The compressor will operate under reduced pressure if it is not refueled in time.
- The compressor can operate at elevated pressure and load if the heat exchangers are not cleaned in time.
It does not matter whether the inverter air conditioner or normal, the compressor will break in that and in another case.
Another factor affecting the service life of an air conditioner is that the inverter ac has additional electronic cards – a power board that provides power conversion and compressor power, and a control card that provides communication with the indoor unit and control of the power unit.
The boards may break due to overvoltage or due to overheating of the power module, the protection does not always cope with its function.
Often, electronics is a weaker link than a compressor.
Inverter air conditioners accurately maintain the room temperature
Due to the change in compressor performance, the inverter air conditioner is able to quite accurately maintain the set air temperature.
But there is one “but.” The process of cooling the air in the room has a certain inertia, that is, it takes some time to cool it.
Now imagine any office, the air conditioner is working, the door has opened – a client has come, a kettle has been turned on, a computer has been turned off, someone has opened a window.
Naturally, temperature stability is out of the question.
Of course, another thing is a bedroom or children’s room, in these rooms the inverter can quite accurately maintain the temperature.
Disadvantages of inverter air conditioners
- High price
- Break more often
- Expensive parts and long delivery time
Inverters electronic filling is completely different, and from time to time fails.
The cost of the boards is from 10 000 p., Which is comparable to the cost of some non-inverter air conditioners, plus the cost of replacing the board. Repairing the board is not always possible due to the fact that manufacturers use power modules that are not commercially available.
It is because of the inverter electronics that are less reliable than conventional air conditioners, this is especially true for Russia, where the quality of the mains supply is very unstable.
But technologies do not stand still and maybe soon the inverter will completely replace the old type air conditioners.
In addition, all new technologists who appear are used primarily in inverter models – economical compressors with DC motors, twin-rotor compressors, with extremely low vibration levels, swing rotor compressors, with reduced friction force, fan blades with a special low-noise profile and etc.
Which air conditioner to choose, inverter or classic?
An inverter air conditioner is more suitable for a bedroom, as its another advantage is in partial power mode, temperature maintenance, the air temperature at the exit from the indoor unit is higher than from the usual one, which reduces the risk of a cold from the air conditioner.
The choice of the type of air conditioner depends on the goals, that is, what room it will cool.
But in the premises with a short-term stay of people or with uneven and abrupt heat leakage all the advantages of the inverter are lost.
Since inverters are technically more complex products, the price for them is obviously higher.
With a limited budget, the best choice would be to purchase a non-inverter air conditioner of middle or higher class than an inverter split-system of low level.
Since the technical characteristics of such air conditioners are better, and the reliability is even more so.
Therefore, the choice is yours, but you must not forget that the more expensive the air conditioner, the more expensive its repair.
| Application area |
Recommended air conditioning |
Note |
| Bedroom |
Inverter |
Less risk of catching cold |
| Kitchen |
Non inverter |
All the advantages of inverters become invisible. |
| Office |
Non inverter |
The design look is not important;
The noise of any air conditioner is blocked by the office noise;
The acquisition of an inverter will not have time to pay off, for example, it will break or the office will change the place of rent. |
| The shops |
Non inverter |
No matter the appearance and noise characteristics |
| Server |
Non inverter |
In an emergency it is easier to repair and quickly find analog parts. |
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