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By Yoon Ja-young
As air conditioners are being left on for most of the day due to the current heat wave, there comes the perennial concern over electricity bills. Some people are using their own tactics, such as turning off the air conditioner when it reaches the temperature they want, or using the "dehumidifier mode" to reduce power consumption, but not all of them are helpful.
According to the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times, experts at air conditioner manufacturers say it isn't always good to turn the air conditioner off when it gets cool enough, and this is especially the case with the latest models.
Most of the air conditioners released on the market these days come with an inverter, which enables the machine to work at full force in the beginning to cool down a hot room, but then to automatically switch to minimal operation once the desired temperature is reached. Non-inverter air conditioners, meanwhile, continue operating on full power, fully stopping when they reach the desired temperature and then resuming full-power operation as soon as the room temperature inches up. To sum up, it is possible to save power by turning off an older air conditioner without an inverter after it reaches the desired temperature. However, in the case of newer machines with inverters, it is better to leave them on after setting the desired temperature.
People are also fooled by the "dehumidifier mode." Since it focuses on controlling humidity, it gives the impression that it will use less electricity. However, the Hankook Ilbo quoted experts explaining that the dehumidifier mode can consume more energy than the regular cooling mode on humid days. As conditions affecting humidity, such as how well the room is sealed, differ in each household, one can't guarantee lower electricity bills when using the dehumidifier mode. Experts recommend using "energy saver mode" instead.
Also, it is better to point air conditioner vents upward. As cool air goes down and hot air rises, the cool air from the air conditioner will try to descend, which means that doing so will cool the room more effectively by distributing cooler air more quickly. Using a fan along with the air conditioner will help in the same way.
The outdoor component of an air conditioner should be installed in a cool place with good ventilation as, when it is heated up, that state hampers its cooling capacity, on top of consuming more energy.
To prevent moldy odors coming from an air conditioner, experts also recommend drying the inside of the air conditioner before turning it off, by using "fan mode."
