Learning, Concepts of Electricity,

Does the AC Use Gas or Electricity?

Central air conditioning systems come in many different brands, models, and types. Each model has its features and ratings for how well it uses energy.

But there is one thing that all Central Air conditioners have in common: they all run on electricity. However, they also use a gas known as Freon gas that is used as a refrigerant in air conditioning.

The refrigerant warms up and evaporates. It goes into the compressor, which starts the cycle over again. All air conditioner parts are powered by electricity. There are no air conditioners that run on natural gas.

We’ll go into more details below.

How an Air Conditioner Works?

First, let’s talk about how the air conditioner works. An air conditioner uses the fact that certain chemicals, called refrigerants, can easily change state when the pressure changes. These changes allow the liquid’s temperature to change.

During one part of the cycle, the liquid’s temperature drops so it can absorb heat from the room you’re trying to cool. During the next part of the cycle, the liquid’s temperature rises so it can radiate the heat it has absorbed.

Here’s a detailed look at how it works. The refrigerant is put under pressure by a compressor. The refrigerant changes into a hot, dense gas when the pressure goes up. The heat from the condenser coils spreads out, making the gas a liquid.

The liquid goes through an expansion valve, which lowers the pressure of the liquid. When this happens, the liquid’s temperature also drops. This turns cold into a coil. A fan pushes air over these coils, which cools the air. The coolant heats up and evaporates. It goes into the compressor, which starts the cycle over again.

Electricity powers the Air Conditioner in Every Way. There Are No Air Conditioners that Run on Gas.


What Kind of Gas Does AC Use?

Even though air conditioners don’t run on gas, they use gas to keep your home cool. Freon is a coolant gas that is used in older central air conditioners. 

freon 134a

The only refrigerant gases that matter for an air conditioner are these two. If somehow the AC runs out of it, it won’t work anymore.

There are refrigerants inside a sealed system. It runs all the time through the air conditioner to keep you cool. Usually, only when there’s a leak will you need to get more.


How Much Electricity Does Air Conditioning Use?

In most homes, air conditioners are a necessary piece of equipment. In the summer, cold air is pumped about the house to cool it. Knowing how much electricity air conditioners use helps determine your energy budget.

Many two-story homes have two air conditioners, which increases electricity use. Variables affect electricity use. An air conditioner uses 3,000 watts per hour on average. 72,000 watts a day if it’s on all day. ‘Fan-only’ mode uses 750 watts per hour.

Window AC units can utilize up to 1,440 watts for large versions, 900 watts for medium, and 500 watts for smaller variants. Air conditioner labels show expected electricity usage. Most air conditioners run 1,600 hours annually, or 132 hours a month (season and region dependent).


Do Air Conditioners Use More Electricity than Fans?

An air conditioner uses 5–9 times more electricity than a fan. The exact number depends on the size and model, but this can be said about almost all of them.

Even on the lowest setting, an air conditioner uses a lot of electricity to cool the air, while all you have to do to cool the air with a fan is spinning a blade. If you want to know how much you’ll save in your own home, you can use an energy meter to figure it out.

A 2.5-ton central air conditioner costs one-third more to run than a window unit that cools at the same time. On the other hand, the size of your home will tell you which cooling system is best for you and your family.

Standard desktops or standing fans are always cheaper to run than air conditioners, even if they are energy star products because they use much less energy to work.


FAQs

Can I Use Solar Power to Run My Air Conditioner?

If you can pay for the high costs of setting up the whole system, you can run your air conditioners on solar power. We suggest you get a solar panel connected to the grid because the output from the solar system isn’t always the same, and you shouldn’t run your air conditioner directly on solar power.

Can You Run an Air Conditioner without Gas?

Let’s say that your gas is turned off. Can the air conditioner still be used? Yes! Only electricity can power the air conditioner.

Take a look at some of our related articles below.




Video Reference

Academic Gain Tutorials

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About Sam Orlovsky

AvatarCertifications: B.E.E.
Education: University Of Denver - Electric Engineering
Lives In: Denver Colorado

Electrical engineering is my passion, and I’ve been in the industry for over 20 years. This gives me a unique ability to give you expert home improvement and DIY recommendations. I’m not only an electrician, but I also like machinery and anything to do with carpentry. One of my career paths started as a general handyman, so I also have a lot of experience with home improvement I love to share.

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