This is important because the compressor on your air conditioner consumes more power on start up than any other device in your home. Start up is the hardest time in the life of any type of electrical equipment. Ever notice that light bulbs almost always burn out when you first turn them on and not while they are on? This is due to the huge current that rushes in when a switch is thrown and power is first applied.
An ac compressor may consume 45,000 watts of power while the motor is trying to start – TEN times more power than it uses while running. By comparison, the large burner on an electric stove only consumes approximately 5,000 watts on high. The heat that accompanies the in-rush current can damage vital electrical components – the air conditioner compressor, the air conditioner run capacitor and contacts.
Prolong Equipment Life
The 5-2-1 Compressor Saver® protects these components by significantly reducing the amount of time it takes the compressor to start – generally 30 to 50%. This means your air conditioner and compressor will bear ½ the stress, strain and heat each and every time it starts. Considering that your air conditioner may start up more than 6,000 times in a single cooling season, the positive impact that the 5-2-1 Compressor Saver® has on your air conditioner is significant.
Lower Energy Bills
The 5-2-1 Compressor Saver® helps to lower air conditioning bills in two ways. The first way is that the 5-2-1 Compressor Saver® helps an air conditioner start up in less time. Your air conditioner uses anywhere from 5 to 10 times more power on start-up than it does while running. By reducing that time by up to 50%, there is far less electrical usage each and every time the air conditioner starts. For customers that are on a peak-demand payment program, these savings could be significant.
The second way that the 5-2-1 Compressor Saver® helps to lower air conditioning bills is through the protection it provides to the run capacitor. The run capacitor is the “heart” of the compressor and it determines how much electricity is consumed while the compressor or air conditioner is running. Without a 5-2-1 Compressor Saver® the run capacitor bears the brunt of the stress and electrical heat during start up.
As a result, over time the run capacitor wears down. When the run capacitor wears down, your air conditioner will still work, but it starts to use more electricity to run – just like the last step in a marathon is harder and requires more effort than the first. When weakened, your run capacitor and system can use 10% to 20% more electricity than before!
