Heatwave in Delhi: 43% users say ACs ineffective in reducing ambient temperature to 23-24 Celsius range

Delhi was reeling under severe heatwave conditions with mercury inching past the 45°C mark for more than two weeks. A red alert was issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were recorded at most places in Delhi with the Safdarjung observatory, the primary weather station of the national capital, registering a high of 45.2 degrees Celsius, 6.4 notches above the season's average, last week.

In the mid of heatwave, even IMD released a significant advisory regarding the appropriate temperature settings for air conditioning units. According to IMD's 'Dos and Don'ts for Heat Wave' guideline document, individuals were advised to set their AC temperature to 24 degrees Celsius or higher. IMD stated the importance of maintaining the AC temperature at 24 degrees Celsius or above, highlighting the benefits of not only reducing electricity consumption but also promoting better health. 

It is not only IMD but also the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) that recommends 24 degrees Celsius as the optimal temperature for air conditioning to ensure maximum human comfort.

However, Delhi residents reported that their ACs were ineffective in reducing the ambient temperatures to 23-24 degrees during the severe heatwave period. A survey by LocalCircles found that most AC brands, including Voltas, LG, Blue Star and Samsung in Delhi NCR, were ineffective in reducing the ambient temperature to the 23–24 degrees Celsius range. About 84% of these respondents stated that the ineffectiveness was observed in their split ACs, and 33% reported the same about their window ACs.

"Users reported that air conditioners reduce the indoor temperature by 20 degrees Celsius compared to the outdoor temperature and fail to reduce it beyond that. With temperatures soaring to 47-48 degrees, air conditioners, despite being set at 23 degrees, are ineffective in reducing temperatures to 23-24 degrees," the survey stated.

Many users in the community feedback exercise also wrote that their AC was reducing the indoor temperature by 20 degree Celsius in comparison to the outdoor temperature indicating that if the outdoor temperature was 45 degree Celsius, their AC would not reduce the indoor temperature beyond 25 degree Celsius. This raises a very important question that whether most AC units selling in India are failing in this heatwave and perhaps newer products that can function even during the heatwave are needed. 

“LocalCircles will escalate the findings of this study with the Bureau of Indian Standards and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs so necessary evaluations and interventions can be undertaken,” the report said. 

Amid the recent heatwave conditions in India, several incidents of air conditioner related blasts and fires have been reported in Delhi NCR. Experts state that generally constant running, lack of proper maintenance, dirty filters, wrong thermostat settings are among some of the reasons why air conditioners burst or catch fire, or don’t work efficiently.