Choosing the right air conditioning system
When choosing the right air conditioning system, the following items need to be considered:
- Cooling only or Reverse Cycle
- How much are you willing to pay
- Operating costs
- Noise levels
- Reliability
- Air conditioner brand
- Unit location
Cooling only or reverse cycle
South East Queensland’s mild climate makes it the ideal location for reverse cycle air conditioners and provided they are sized correctly, these will offer excellent climate control in both summer and winter. An air conditioning unit in reverse cycle mode (heat pump) will consume around 3 times less power than an equivalent electric or oil heater and with the air circulation the temperature is more uniform. In some climates (eg. Cairns) heating is not required and a cooling only unit will be satisfactory. In other climates some form of heating is required and people often choose reverse cycle or heat pump air conditioning.
Comfort level
The next thing you need to decide, is the level of comfort you desire and whether you are prepared to pay for it. There are a number of things you need to consider.
Getting the correct size air conditioner is critical to achieving the desired comfort. Common cooling load check figures will select the same size unit for North Queensland as it will for Tasmania whereas the solar loads are obviously vastly different. This is ridiculous. Unfortunately this is what happens if you buy from an electrical wholesaler and even some air conditioning contractors. You will generally be sold an air conditioner based on common cooling load check figures which may be a long way from the correct selection. At Energy Air the size of your air conditioner is determined by an Air Conditioning engineer using the Carrier Heat Load Program.
Purchasing an Air Conditioner
We all like getting value for money. With air conditioning there are a huge range of choices all with different costs. The choices range from a ducted system with the capacity to do the entire house to a smaller zoned unit which concentrates the air into the occupied area at the time. eg: cool common areas during the day and the bedrooms at night, to split system air conditioners which are installed only in the rooms required to be conditioned. Then there is the choice of brands. This varies from the premium brands such as Daikin to the budget Chinese brands such as TCL which are less expensive. The Chinese brands offer excellent value for money. All these units offer similar warranties, 5 year for domestic installations and 1 year for commercial.
Operating costs
The cost of electricity is expected to rise significantly over the next few years. The power required to run your air conditioner depends on the size of your unit, the operating time and the insulation in your premises. In selecting an air conditioner it is more efficient to air condition only the areas being occupied and incorporate zoning. This results in a smaller more efficient air conditioner. Having your air conditioning on when it is not being used is an obvious cost that can be avoided. Similarly having a unit on too cold in summer or too hot in winter is an additional expense.
Prior to air conditioning your premises it is essential that insulation be installed. This will reduce the heat load and as such the size of unit and the run time. Obviously windows and doors are best kept shut. Added features such as overhangs, curtains, vegetation etc will also assist operating costs.
Noise
It is no secret that air conditioners make noise. Air conditioners can cause noise impacts on neighbours if not selected, located or installed correctly. In some instances Council can issue on the spot fines or direct that the air conditioner not to be used if it is installed in a location that can cause noise annoyance to neighbours.
Consider where the air conditioner is to be installed. Obviously adjacent to your neighbour’s windows, bedrooms or living areas are not the best choice. Make use of barriers for screening. Just as light reflects from shiny surfaces, noise can be reflected from hard surfaces onto neighbours. You must therefore avoid locating your air conditioners near walls and roof. Existing barriers such as fences and garden walls can be used to effectively screen noise from neighbours. The secret to barriers is to make sure that it blocks the line of sight of the air conditioner and does not contain any holes or gaps.
If this doesn’t work then a full noise enclosure should be considered. It should be noted that the air flow on air conditioning units is very critical and the manufacturer should be consulted if in any way this air flow is compromised.
Reliability
Reliability of an installed air conditioner not only depends on the brand of air conditioner but how well it was installed. With the warranties for commercial air conditioners 5 years, most brands these days are fairly reliable. The installation of split system and split ducted air conditioning units is critical to long term reliability. The installer should completely evacuate the refrigeration lines to ensure you get the rated performance of the air conditioner and to ensure there is no free moisture. Free moisture causes corrosion which may damage the compressor. Another issue is refrigerant leaks. Refrigerant lines are continuously expanding and contracting due to the hot and cold refrigerant in the pipes. It is not unusual for this to cause loosening of the flare fittings which can lead to refrigerant leaks. Maximum 6 monthly maintenance should check for this and the leak rectified as required.
Manufacturers
Energy Air recommends Daikin, Fujitsu, Haier and many other makes of air conditioning units. The first 2 are manufactured by Japanese companies and Haier in China. Generally the Japanese brands are more elite and more expensive but as all units have the same warranties, considerable savings can be made by using the Chinese units.
Summary
Many issues need to be addressed when installing an air conditioner. These include selecting cooling only or reverse cycle, comfort level, purchasing and operating costs, noise levels, reliability, manufacturer and who to install. Going to a specialist air conditioning contractor can greatly assist in this selection. After all, he is constantly dealing with similar issues.