[Air Conditioner Electricity Bill Countermeasures] Is poor performance due to a narrow balcony? Eliminate short-circuiting with an outdoor unit louver
With summer in full swing, many of you have likely started using your air conditioner's cooling mode, but do you ever feel like "the air conditioner isn't cooling well" or "I'm worried about the electricity bill"?
I started running the living room air conditioner in my own home as well, and this year I decided to take measures against the "narrow balcony and outdoor unit placement problem" that has been bothering me for some time.
To put it briefly, I am very satisfied with the results, so I would like to introduce it to you.
What is the balcony's formidable enemy, "short-circuiting"? My home's outdoor unit environment
The air conditioner used in my living room is made by Fujitsu General. Its outdoor unit is installed on the balcony.
As shown in the photo, the balcony's "waist wall" towers just a few dozen centimeters in front of the outdoor unit.
When the air conditioner is running, hot air is forcefully discharged from the front of the outdoor unit, but in this narrow space, the hot air hits the waist wall directly in front of it.
Some of the hot air that has lost its way flows up, down, left, and right, and then reliably circles back to the rear of the outdoor unit to be sucked in again.
This is the "short-circuit (hot air circulation phenomenon)" that significantly reduces air conditioner efficiency.
Three negative effects caused by short-circuiting
Reduced cooling efficiency: When the temperature around the outdoor unit rises, the efficiency of discharging heat from the room to the outside drops, resulting in poor cooling.
Soaring electricity bills: Because the air conditioner determines it is "not cooling" and continues to operate at full power, power consumption skyrockets.
Shortened air conditioner lifespan: The compressor inside the outdoor unit is subjected to continuous, excessive strain, which can lead to breakdowns or shutdowns caused by safety devices.
Countermeasure: Introducing the Takara Sangyo "Outdoor Unit Louver SL5057"
To solve this problem, this year I introduced the following item, which had good reviews on Amazon.
Takara Sangyo Outdoor Unit Louver (SL5057)
(Optional) Magnet mounting base set
This is a resin louver that attaches to the air outlet of the outdoor unit, changing the direction of the hot air that would otherwise blow straight out to "upward" or "sideways."
Installation on a Fujitsu outdoor unit is instantaneous with the magnet base
Since I purchased the optional "magnet mounting base set" together this time, the installation work was extremely easy.
It attaches securely just by sticking it onto the front panel (the steel part) of the outdoor unit with the magnets.
I was worried about whether it might come off along with the magnets on a windy day, but the product came with a string for fixing it as a countermeasure against strong winds and falling.
As shown in the photo, I tied it securely to the grid part at the back of the outdoor unit, so I don't have to worry even if a typhoon or other gust of wind blows.
Summary: Hot air escapes upwards, improving efficiency!
I turned on the air conditioning immediately after installing the louver, and I was able to confirm the effect I was aiming for.
The hot air exhausted from the outdoor unit was successfully redirected upwards by the slope of the louver, clearing the top of the balcony wall and escaping cleanly outside the balcony.
This should eliminate the feeling of hot air stagnating around the outdoor unit (short-circuiting).
We are about to enter the peak of summer, and days of extreme heat are coming.
I look forward to seeing how much this outdoor unit louver contributes to saving on electricity costs and helping the air conditioner cool more smoothly this summer.
For those who feel that 'the apartment balcony is narrow and the air conditioner doesn't work well' or 'there is a wall in front of the outdoor unit and heat gets trapped,' this is a highly recommended DIY measure as a self-defense strategy against soaring electricity costs.
🛒 Countermeasure items introduced this time
Main unit: Takara Sangyo Outdoor Unit Louver SL5057 (wind direction can be adjusted to upward or diagonal layout)
Option: Magnetic mounting base set (for easy installation without drilling)
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