EcoRenovator - View Single Post - Air conditioner condenser coil emissivity

oil pan 4 · 08-28-15, 07:52 PM

I tried it on another air conditioner, this time one that was a few years old.
The coldest air on the discharge it picked up before the paint was 52'F, then after the paint was 47.5'F.
This time I had the kill-a-watt meter plugged in. It was drawing the same wattage before and after. I expected it to draw a little less. It might be drawing 1% less but appears to be in the range of its normal fluctuations.
So this mod looks like it wont save any power aside from getting you down to temperature that much faster and cycling the compressor off that much sooner.

I should have known, the compressor should draw the same wattage unless the expansion valve kicks in to prevent freeze up. Since this is an older unit, it may not be in danger of freezing up the evap coils at in these temperature ranges.
Its kept using around 540watts before and after, but now its moving more heat with those 540 watts. Moving more heat with the same energy input, more efficient, I can live with that.

08-28-15, 07:52 PM	#5
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	I tried it on another air conditioner, this time one that was a few years old. The coldest air on the discharge it picked up before the paint was 52'F, then after the paint was 47.5'F. This time I had the kill-a-watt meter plugged in. It was drawing the same wattage before and after. I expected it to draw a little less. It might be drawing 1% less but appears to be in the range of its normal fluctuations. So this mod looks like it wont save any power aside from getting you down to temperature that much faster and cycling the compressor off that much sooner. I should have known, the compressor should draw the same wattage unless the expansion valve kicks in to prevent freeze up. Since this is an older unit, it may not be in danger of freezing up the evap coils at in these temperature ranges. Its kept using around 540watts before and after, but now its moving more heat with those 540 watts. Moving more heat with the same energy input, more efficient, I can live with that.