Difference between 3-star and 4-star ACs: Which AC is best for you?

The ever-rising temperatures have made air conditioners essential to our lives. But buying an AC isn’t just a one-time investment. Air conditioners are among the most power-hungry appliances in our homes, which is what makes it crucial to buy an AC with a high star rating. An AC with a good star rating can go a long way in helping you cut down on your monthly power bills.

Select appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and even televisions, are required by law to seek an energy efficiency rating from the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). The Bureau’s star rating system ranks these appliances from one to five – with five being the most energy efficient – to help customers to understand just how energy efficient the appliance they’re looking to buy is.

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The two parameters that the BEE takes into account in order to give a star rating to an air conditioner are:

1. The cooling capacity, expressed in terms of BTU (British Thermal Units). It is a measure of an AC to cool a room.

2. The amount of cooling it can provide using a certain amount of electricity.

A higher number of stars on an AC, refrigerator, or television means the appliance is more energy efficient than one with fewer stars. Thus, a 4-Star AC would consume less power than, say, a 3-Star AC, 2-Star AC, or 1-Star AC.

High ratings also mean more savings: As you go higher with the rating system, more energy will be saved. On average, a 4-Star air conditioner will save up to 24 per cent more energy than a 3-Star air conditioner.

Besides the obvious difference in energy efficiency, a 4-Star AC has a better build quality and is also more durable compared to a 3-Star AC.

A 4-Star AC also produces lesser heat compared to a 3-Star AC and has a larger compressor, resulting in better heat exchange.

A 3-Star AC has an Energy Efficient Rating (EER) ranging from 2.9 to 3.09 and a 4-Star AC has an EER of 3.0 or above helping you save on your power bills.

If you live in a place where it’s hot all year round – cities like Chennai for instance – you will do well buying a 4-Star AC because there’s a good chance that you’ll be using it more regularly.

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On the other hand, if you’re in a place where it’s hot only during the summer and you don’t turn on the AC after the few summer months, a 3-Star AC should serve you well.

To be sure, a 4-Star AC will cost you more than a 3-Star AC and you must be prepared to shell out that extra sum when you’re making the purchase.