When buying an air conditioning unit, it is common for us to consider in the specifications whether it is a inverter type equipment or not, a characteristic that many times we do not know very well what it means or what it is for.
It is also a functionality that in recent years has left the air conditioning sector to reach other household appliances such as washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators and even microwaves. What does it consist of?
What is “inverter” technology?
Classic air conditioning equipment and electrical appliances worked using the conventional start-stop technique. That is, they were put to work at 100% of your possibilitiesfor example activating a compressor in the case of air conditioners or refrigerators, and at one point they stopped completely.
This supposes energy consumption peaks and wear on the mechanical parts that the engineers tried to avoid thanks to what they called inverter technologya self-regulation system by means of, for example, the speed control of the compressor.
In this way, the teams are able to vary the operating power of their compressors or motors in a certain percentage to be always ready and working without having to reach that 100% power.
The motor or compressor with “inverter” technology is capable of stay in a cycle of continuous controlled movement consuming as little as possible to reach a “sweet” operating point, reducing power fluctuations and always being ready to level up if requested by the user, all this without finishing turning off completely unless we expressly request it.
For example, in the case of air conditioning equipment, once the temperature requested by the user has been reached, instead of turning off the compressor completely and then having to start from zero when the room temperature drops, the compressor is located in an intermediate cycle thanks to which it is capable of continuing to expel heat or cold, maintaining the average temperature more efficiently.
What advantages and disadvantages does an “inverter” appliance offer?
The first great advantage of these devices is the energy saving, since by avoiding the complete starts and stops of the motors or compressors, electricity is saved despite the fact that the equipment is always operating in an intermediate power cycle. In fact, buying an “inverter” appliance can save between 25% and 50% compared to its conventional equivalent.
Another advantage is that they offer a quieter operation, stable and with greater comfort. In air conditioners it takes less time to reach the temperature requested by the user since there are constant contributions of cold or heat without stops, and it is better maintained during long sessions of use, avoiding sudden thermal changes.
Furthermore, by achieving lower engine revs and the power of the compressors at intermediate levels it is possible to offer lower noise levels, since most of the time they are not working at 100% of their capacities.
It is also common in “inverter” equipment that we have a fewer breakdownssince the moving parts suffer less wear by avoiding constant switching off and on.
Finally, it should be noted that not all are advantages, being placed on the negative side of the scale the price. This type of equipment is more complex to manufacture, each brand has its own implementation of the technology that it mounts in its different product ranges, which in turn affects the price and final performance of the equipment.