RCinFLA
Solar Wizard
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2020
- Messages
- 3,574
Mini-Splits are usually inverter-compressor based. Inverter (3 phase compressor motor run by electronic inverter) units have low startup current only slightly more then their run current.
Inverter air conds are actually less efficient when running at full capacity. If you buy an undersized unit that runs full power most of time you will actually use more energy then an equivalent BTU sized regular split unit running nearly all the time. The difference is the lost in inverter conversion efficiency. A window unit just sucks in transfer losses from shoving evaporator, condenser, and compressor in same box at close quarters.
Inverter air conds are actually less efficient when running at full capacity. If you buy an undersized unit that runs full power most of time you will actually use more energy then an equivalent BTU sized regular split unit running nearly all the time. The difference is the lost in inverter conversion efficiency. A window unit just sucks in transfer losses from shoving evaporator, condenser, and compressor in same box at close quarters.