How to choose the air conditioner: characteristics, advantages, disadvantages and practical advice

Although we often strives to make a distinction between air conditioner and really would not be wrong to consider them the same thing. The term air conditioning is used to identify the type of machine that, once set the temperature, self-regulates in a more sophisticated and precise compared to an air conditioner in order to maintain steady conditions in the environment, also in terms of air filtration. In fact, an air quality, not only cools the air, but, thanks to particular filters (increasingly evolved), is able to purify the air by removing odors and pollutants.

There are no air conditioners units or outer tube?

The question that more and more people working in the field gets asked is whether there are air conditioners (or air conditioning) without hose or external drive. This is because lately some manufacturers advertise some of their products by emphasizing the fact that they do not require any external unit you tube that communicates with the outside world, this type of message attracts the curiosity of many consumers who are "enticed" by the convenience of not no need to drill hole in the house and so avoiding masonry work.

In reality things are not true. In fact there are no air conditioners or air conditioners of the kind and in fact if we examine these machines carefully we will see that in fact for their installation and operation need two holes (one to suck the air and the other to expel the hot air ) communicating with the outside.

As the word itself suggests, portable air conditioners, since they have wheels and not being overly heavy, can be transported either from room to room depending on your needs. There are two types of portable air conditioners: with the tube and with the "case" external or "split". The difference consists in the fact that the air conditioners with the split are more powerful than those supplied to the tube and consequently suitable for larger environments.

 

Portable air conditioners

Merits

As already said portable air conditioners are easily transportable from one environment to another, they do not need holes or masonry work and require only a window or a door with a terrace that may be kept ajar so as to be able to exit the tube climate control so that it can expel the hot air.

 

Defects

A difference of air conditioning systems fixed the portable air conditioners are noisier as the compressor is within the machine, and secondly, at the same power, the yield of a portable air conditioner is much lower than that of an air conditioner fixed.

Laptops usually have fewer features than fixed, because they are often not equipped with separate dehumidification function, do not have air filtration and heat pump.

 

Fixed Conditioners

The fixed air conditioners are equipped with two units, one inside which emits cold air and one external to the cooling of the gas that serves to cool the air. For the installation of this type of air conditioner, unlike the handset, it is necessary the intervention of an installer who will, in addition to connecting the two units with copper tubes also the electrical connection and the fixation of the outdoor unit.

The cost of installation of an air conditioner / air conditioner fixed is around € 350.00 and varies according to the length of the tubes depends on the distance between the indoor unit and the outside.

Depending on the needs exist conditioners equipped with one outdoor unit connected to two or more indoor units, in order to be able to cool also a large apartment.

 

Merits

One of the features that makes it more valuable fixed air conditioners is the great silence that you have inside the air-conditioned, heat pumps, automatic temperature control, air filtration, night function, separate dehumidifying function, all conveniently adjustable by remote control.

 

Defects

It may happen that those who live in a condo you are unable to install an air conditioner fixed because the placement of the outdoor unit becomes difficult, if not impossible, due to the ban imposed by some condominium regulations, in addition to this, those who live in rent is not not feel like spending money on an asset that tomorrow, if you change your home, it should give a gift to the future new tenant.

 

Tips on Buying an air conditioner

I state that under the conditions to do it is always better to buy an air conditioner fixed, these are the main features to be referred to in order to avoid an unwary purchase: it is important to buy a car with a low energy consumption. The scale of consumption is exposed on a special label (retailers have an obligation to expose it) and goes by the letter A (low consumption) to F (higher consumption).

However, nowadays, it is difficult to find for sale conditioners that are not class A energy unless you are in front of stock funds dating back a few years ago, in which case the purchase price will be reduced, but not the relative to electricity consumption.

 

Cooling capacity and square footage recommended

The main thing to watch out for in order to purchase the air conditioner right for our needs is to consider the exact square footage and exposure to the sun that we are going to affect the environment. In fact, if you buy an air conditioner underpowered, in addition to not being able to cool the desired environment, the machine will continue to work with a high consumption of electricity and premature wear of the compressor.

 

Buying Tips: service centers

One item that should not be underestimated before buying an air conditioner are the service centers; always ask if there are service centers throughout Italy and see for yourself the distance of the nearest service center to you. The fact that there is a service network covering the whole of Italy is synonymous with reliability and professionalism in case of failure will not have to "throw" your air conditioner.

Yes, because this can happen even when, on a budget, buying a car with a very low cost, even from China, which in case of failure, not having service centers in Italy, can not be repaired.

 

Various Tips

It happens when a person is buying a portable air conditioner and we hear that should keep the window ajar to release the tube, immediately turn up their noses, in fact, if there are no problems with mosquitoes or whatever, this is the most practical solution, especially if the unit is to be moved from room to room. It should be clear that narrowing the window, warm air that enters through the crack has no effect on the performance of the air conditioner.

Some air conditioners, in case it is intended to pierce the glass or the wall, have provided a sort of cap that can be used at the end of the season to close the hole.

It may happen that with the sudden arrival of sultry days especially, to have an immediate refreshment, we are driven impulse to buy an air conditioner, often high cost and especially unsuitable for the use you intend to make.

As for the fixed air conditioners there is also the issue of how and when to break out the first warm is very difficult to find an installer free; poor installation can compromise the operation of the air conditioner and so it is best not to rely on those sudden installer in very hot days.

In these cases, it is perhaps better to dab with a fan and temporarily postpone next spring the purchase of an air conditioner wisely.

 

Air conditioners with inverter technology

Heat pump, tips

Now that all the fixed air conditioners are equipped with heat pump; this function, apparently very convenient, which allows the air conditioner to produce warm air in the winter period, however, has two drawbacks:

 

- When the outside temperature drops below freezing, the heat pump becomes unusable.

- The heat pump is to be used only in case if you can not do without; think of using this device as an alternative to traditional heating becomes very expensive.

 

The air conditioners with "inverter" technology are machines equipped with an electronic device that is able, by varying the rotation speed of the compressor, to regulate the power delivered from the air conditioner according to the actual demand of cold (or hot). This way you eliminate the "troublesome" On / Off turning the traditional air conditioners with energy savings that can range from 30 to 50%.

 

Other tips

When you have to adjust the temperature of the air conditioner should not set too low a temperature, it is enough to set it 3 or 4 degrees less than the outside temperature so as to avoid unnecessary energy consumption and current surges too high in temperature that may be harmful to health.

In particularly sultry day what most bothered by the humidity is high, once removed the feeling of unbearable heat goes away. For this it is sufficient to lower the temperature of 3, 4 degrees.

 

15/10/2011

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Translated via software

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Source:

Italian version of ReteIngegneri.it