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-   -   The home / office air-conditioner thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadgets-computers-software/4389-home-office-air-conditioner-thread-381.html)

Refer my earlier posts in the thread.

I save average 0.5 units per hour for the seven to eight hours of running inverter air conditioners over the entire summer.

Say 7 hours for 180 days. Units saved 0.5*7*180 = 630 units @6.5 average rate from utility. (higher if I add generator rate from society). That is saving of Rs4000 per season per unit. And we have three units used daily.

Already the air conditioners are starting the third summer - first one was only half season. No repair bill so far.

My take is that electronics control equipments need very minimal looking after or repairs with one provisio - reasonable quality of voltage supply.

Why don't you try mov (metal oxide varistors) at every electrical branch circuits ? I have these fitted at our office for ages and they have saved all our electrical assets. ( It was a different thing that surges found a way in through network cables. )

You may try this MOV here: http://www.electroncomponents.com/Mi...K-20D-Varistor

It will present low impedance at 275 V and has a peak current rating of 6.5 kA. For non technical readers - if you insert this component in parallel to a mains socket, it will protect the appliance connected to the socket from voltage transients and short out the circuit if the voltage rises above 275 V. Make sure you have a mcb or a fuse before the MOV.

How would / do MOV work?

Fitted in series how would the circuit get controlled?

Time to read on this

Yes repairing non inverter is cheaper, But repairing the good old purely mechanical AC with reciprocating compressor is even more so. There are no Electronics, even the thermostat is mechanical. Surges even to 350V are easily weathered. If the compressor burns or wears out it is easily repaired. Not so with modern rotary compressor that is junked if any thing goes wrong with it.

The only downside is that there is no fine control for temperature, no fancy LCD displays and of course no remote controls. I can live with all that as long as the AC works.

A good stabiliser that will take care of all the vagaries experienced in India is an expensive proposition. It would consist of :
. Initial step Up/Down transformer, preferably servo controlled
. A CVT to regulate and clamp the voltage to a predetermined maximum
. Charger-Battery-Inverter module to further smoothen the voltage

On the whole an expensive proposition, considering that the Voltage is within limits most of the time. Bit if you have critical equipment where ZERO outage is tolerated (Telecom, Nuclear, TV/Radio stations, etc) then you go in for such solutions.

My apc smart ups did have those, I could see a bunch of it inside. Don't know the rating of it. I have to thank apc smart ups it was powering all the electronic and light load devices in the house, other wise my tv would have gone completly kaput, it however has horizontal lines, but at my viewing distance i can't see them unless you search for it.
But getting high voltage every day, I see some physical signs of mov damage. Will have to get it replaced. Thank you for reminding me.

But yes it would be better to fix it in a main socket circuit or mcb distribution box, thinking of using 222 quick connect, for easie access.

Simply put a MOV sits across the supply doing nothing as long as the voltage across it is within its limits. The moment the voltage exceeds its threshold, it 'breaks' down and shorts the supply. This is the reason why there should be an adequately sized fuse or mcb before the mov.

It costs about Rs.40/- and protects your supply from rising beyond a limit. We have been using them for a couple of decades.

Our solution to EB woes is probably very traditional.... A friend on the engineering staff. He is really good, and will usually visit us within 24 hours. And problems get fixed.

Traditional? Well, of course, the work done is "private." but if I have to choose between current now, and doing what some would say is the "right thing," I'm afraid I spend.

An extreme example is when low voltage leading to high current burnt out our entire 3 phases. Yes, the EB should replace the cable, which process begins with filling in some forms.

As a private job, our friend not only had a new cable installed in days, but also had an emergency single phase cable slung across the road almost immediately.

Actually, we currently have only two phases. These guys are waiting on us to come and dig to discover the fault. My hunch is mid-road, as, when the road surface was replaced a couple of years ago, they didn't care what they crushed.

So, heavy AC usage time is here. 3 ACs, 2 phases.

Actually its not the substation fault, I checked with another area on a different feeder. It was only with my area feeder.
After some digging around, it was due to a faulty neutral in their electrical network, see what happens is that the incompetent line man fix their network of broken, shorted, corroded etc wire instead of clamping it down, they just twist the wires around which causes incorrect contact.


When I measured the voltage in about 3 houses located from one end of the street to other. I could see that all 3 phases as a huge voltage variation, while one phase was showing 350v the other was showing around 200v and other around 160v. This is clearly due to faulty neutal some where in their grid network.

My house has only single phase, so what the line man solution was he puts my incoming main wire to 160v phase, while electronics can run at that voltage including my fridge and inverter ac. Electrical stuff like pump motor, fan can get their coils burned due to excessive amps.
So people who have three phase and who notice the voltage issue would change over to the correct face, now what happens is that you over burden that phase whose voltage is acceptable, so as more people switch to that phase the voltage drops lower and lower, until there grid system collapses.

Only after repeated pestering by me to check the neutral in their grid network did they finaly fix it.

Worst of all was my house has proper clamps to their electrical wire in the electric pole and these line man took their pliers and snapped of my perfect isolated connection and now they have it twisted and connected it to some garbage of wires that goes to some two other houses.

When I first complained to them about high voltage these line man from junior to senior all come with a Tester , I mean a Tester like its going to show them the voltage and when the filament glows they say voltage is fine :Frustrati . They could have fooled other people but not me.

So, even rotary based compressor ACs are expensive to maintain ?

Tata Cliq has many inverter ACs now in reasonable price.
Brands from Volta, Hitachi, LG, Carrier Split Inverter ACs are out there in reasonable price.

I am located in a posh locality in my city and in an apartment, which already has many split ACs installed.

So, can't i protect my purchase with a good stabilizer ?
Whirlpool is offering comprehensive insurance for ACs on annual basis.

So, what is your suggestions?

I have an inverter AC and an inverter refrigerator that are 4 years old and running fine. I would suggest, if you are going for AC based on 'inverter' technology, spend on a good stabilizer with 'time delay' function and voltage range. The 'Time Delay' function would protect the equipment especially during severe voltage fluctuations.

There is no restriction on inverter AC regarding number of hours you may run at a stretch.

Thanks for your very valuable suggestions.

I hope many of them who had bad experience with inverter may have ran it day and night as well but we are not planning to run the inverter AC on day time, so, we just need to protect it in the night time.

Can also suggest the brand of AC you have?

@raddy I have Intec brand which are assembled Chinese imports as are almost all brands. The kits are from the same supplier so why pay extra premium. See my earlier posts in this thread.

I have 1.5T Sharp Inverter (AH-XP18PHT) which is no longer in the AC market in India. May be you can check 'Bijli Bachao' website for recent models / Brands, if you had not already done.

Also check https://www.beestarlabel.com/SearchC...archandcompare for the Star Rating / Model / Brand, which will give you an idea, before you venture into the market for AC's.

No appliance being sold in the market has any time limit for continuous operation except for mixers/blenders.
You may run any appliance indefinitely with no adverse consequences. Maintenance routines, however, will require that the appliance be turned off for that duration.