15000 BTU AC Wattage: How Many Watts Does a 15000 BTU AC Use?
This is very important when you are hooking up to shore power, starting your generator and when using solar or battery power. How much each appliance or feature uses determines which ones you can use at the same time.
For the 15,000 BTU AC unit, you are looking at roughly 3500 starting watts and 1500 running watts. Of course, different units will have different wattage demands.
To learn more about this topic just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can plan your electrical use wisely. Take a few minutes to see how this important information can help you.
How Many Watts Does a 15000 BTU AC Use?
The best that can be done here is to ballpark the figures. The reason for doing this is that different AC brands make different units and some take more watts while others do not take as much to run.
Some units will take the aforementioned 3500 and 1500 watts while others will only go up slightly to 3600 start-up and 1800 run time watts. Other units may be more energy efficient and their demands are lower.
For example, some units can take only 2143 watts to start and then run on 1282. You would have to check the technical data on each AC unit you are looking to buy to get more accurate figures.
One of the things you would have to do to make your AC unit work more efficiently is to upgrade the insulation in the room it will be used in.
How Many Amps Does it Take To Start a 15000 BTU Air Conditioner?
This figure will be divided into the same 2 parts as the watts are divided. You will need to know the start-up amps as well as the running amps if you are planning to save energy.
For this size of AC unit, the start-up amps are recorded at 16 to 18 and the run time amps will be between 13-16. Like the wattage aspect, different brands will have different amp demands.
This is where comparison shopping comes in handy as you really do not want to buy an Ac unit that draws too much power. Your generator may not be able to handle the load especially when you turn a hair dryer or the toaster on at the same time.
You have to watch out for those smaller appliances as they need a lot of energy to work
15000 BTU RV Air Conditioner Amp Draw
You have to be careful here as when you are on a 30-amp system your AC unit is taking 50% or more of the available amps. When you have large start-up needs to meet, you may not be able to run your AC unit at the same time.
It is not enough to just know the starting and running amp demands of your AC unit. You will also need to know the start-up and running amps of all the other electrical devices in your RV or trailer.
For example, on a 30-amp system, you will not be able to run two AC units at the same time. You will have to turn one off and the other on to cool different parts of your trailer, etc.
It takes some planning to use your electrical devices and to make sure you have enough power to facilitate that use.
Will a 3500-Watt Generator Run a 15000 BTU AC?
This will depend on the wattage the AC unit needs. If it is a model that uses less than 3000 watts to start up and run, then the answer will be yes. The lower you can go with the start-up and running watts the better it is for this generator model.
However, you won’t be able to run 2 AC units at the same time either. If the AC unit in your RV, etc., is more than 3000 watts for start-up, then the answer will be no. You would have to go to a 4000-watt generator to use your AC unit.
Like a 30-amp shore power service, you will still have to calculate the wattage demand for all of your appliances as someone in your family will turn on another appliance, large or small, at the same time.
Can You Run a 15000 BTU Air Conditioner On 30 Amps?
Yes, you can. This should be okay to do because the start-up takes only 16 to 18 amps to get the air conditioner going. Then the run time amps need only 13 to 16.
The good news is that you have plenty of amperages left over to run different electrical devices as long as the combined totals do not go over 30 amps. This is why you can’t run 2 Ac units at the same time.
Their combined amp demand goes over 30 amps and a breaker will trip. It will take some calculation to figure out which appliances can be on at the same time as the AC unit in a 30-amp system.
You just have to be careful when using your electrical devices in your RV or trailer.
Some Final Words
Watching those watts saves you a lot of frustration. Being careful avoids those dreaded power outages that can interrupt your cooking or the big game. Make sure you are aware of all the start-up and run-time wattage demands on all your appliances and other electrical devices.
That way you can plan to use them all effectively without tripping any breakers. Keep in mind that different brands will have different wattage levels. Getting an energy-efficient model is the way to go if you want more power for other appliances.
