How Much Voltage Is in the Zenith 5000 BTU Window Air Conditioner?

Voltage

• Every appliance used in the U.S. utilizes either a 120 volt or 240 volt power cable. The latter tends to only be used by larger appliances such as clothes washers and oven/stove combinations; room air conditioners are likely to always use a 120 volt plug. If you cannot tell by simply looking at the plug, unplug it from the outlet. A 120 volt outlet will have two vertical openings and one opening for a ground; a 240 volt outlet will have either four openings or two of the openings will be slanted.

Calculating Voltage

• Look for a wattage value etched on the air conditioner near the nameplate. Use an ammeter -- a small device available at electronics stores -- to measure the draw of the air conditioner and divide the draw by the wattage listed on the air conditioner. The result of the division will be either 120 or 240, indicating the voltage used by the air conditioner.

Voltage and Usage

• For many homeowners, knowing the voltage of an appliance alone is not as useful as knowing how this value relates to the appliance's efficiency. The wattage etched on the nameplate indicates how much electricity the air conditioner uses in one hour at its maximum power setting. By multiplying this value by the number of hours you tend to use the air conditioner in a given period (a day, a week, a month, a year), dividing the product by 1000 (to convert watts to kilowatts) and multiplying that product by the price per kilowatt hour that your utility company charges you, you can determine about how much it costs to run the air conditioner in that time period. When making these calculations, keep in mind that a 240 volt appliance will always use more power than a 120 volt appliance; don't be surprised if your 240 volt room air conditioner is costing a substantial amount of money to run.

Voltage and Efficiency

• Even more useful to most homeowners is using this information to understand the air conditioner's efficiency. When you purchase a new air conditioner, its efficiency is estimated using a metric known as energy efficiency ratio (EER), which compares the air conditioner's cooling capacity in BTUs to the voltage that its power cable uses. The higher an air conditioner's EER rating, the better its efficiency. According to the California Energy Commission, a 5000 BTU air conditioner is ideal for cooling a 100- to 150-square-foot area, so larger areas may need to be cooled by an air conditioner with a higher cooling capacity (6000 BTUS or higher) or by several sir conditioners.