How to choose a home air conditioner?

It is human nature to defend against the vagaries of the weather, which constantly presents some surprises. One of the opportunities to always maintain your own special microclimate in the apartment is a household air conditioner. Manufacturers offer many models of such devices. Therefore, the question of how to choose an air conditioner for the home is by no means an idle one. In the article we will try to answer it.

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Which type is better?

Answers to the question of how to choose an air conditioner for an apartment of 20 square meters. m or, say, 40 square meters. m, of course, will be different. Household devices for air circulation differ in several ways:

• type;
• place of installation;
• principle of action;
• power;
• the presence or absence of additional features.

Room air conditioners - how to choose a type?

There are several types of household units designed to make the air in your apartment cleaner and fresher:

• monoblocks;
• split systems;
• multi-split systems.

Now we will deal with each type in more detail in order to clearly imagine the whole picture.

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Monoblock units

Their distinguishing feature is that a refrigeration unit is built into the housing. In turn, the chiller consists of several elements:

• compressor;
• capacitor;
• evaporator.

In addition to the refrigeration unit, there are other elements in the monoblock case, without which the system simply will not work:

• fan;
• air filter;
• Control block;
• drain pump (on some models).

The monoblock system works in the same way as other air conditioners:

1. Air is sucked in from the street.
2. The heat exchanger and compressor are cooled due to the operation of the fan.
3. Hot air is thrown to the street.

Important! Monoblock air conditioning can also work as a regular fan, in this case, air from the street does not get in and does not return there.

What are monoblocks?

Having studied the catalog of any company that supplies air conditioning to the market, you will see that monoblock devices are also different. They are divided into several types:

• evaporative;
• Mobile
• window.

Window

Window units are relatively rare for sale - they are almost out of use and remained mainly where they were installed for a long time. These are reliable, simple and durable systems, and they are also very cheap.

Important! They have one serious drawback - they do not always coexist peacefully with modern double-glazed windows.

Mobile

Mobile candy bars are good in that they can be placed in different rooms, moved and even taken to the country. No installation difficulties, ease of use - these are their main advantages. True, such devices are more likely to be seasonal than stationary.

Important! If you don’t have the opportunity to install a split system or if you are intentionally looking for a more compact version, which, if necessary, can be quickly turned off or moved to another room, click on the link where all the features are described in detail choosing a mobile air conditioner.

Evaporative

In urban apartments, the most common are evaporative monoblock air conditioners. There are many reasons for this:

1. Outside, no one will notice that the apartment has air conditioning - there is no duct on the facade.
2. The evaporative candy bar can be delivered even where a magnificent and very expensive repair has already been made - no alterations will be required.
3. No coordination with architects and utilities is required.
4. It is very easy to mount and almost impossible to install incorrectly.
5. There are no drainage and freon channels.
6. It is easy to choose a model, which will also become an interior decoration.

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Let's talk about split systems

If you are thinking about how to choose an air conditioner for a room, pay attention to the split system. They are becoming more widespread, especially when it comes to private houses and spacious apartments. However, owners of premises of a relatively small area can also pick up something suitable.

Split systems are divided into several types, depending on the design features and installation location:

• ceiling;
• floor and ceiling;
• wall mounted;
• channel;
• cassette
• columned.

Important! Ceiling systems in houses are extremely rare; they are intended for workshops. The best option for the house is the wall option. It is suitable also for small rooms. All the rest belong to the semi-industrial category, that is, they are designed either for very spacious houses or for small enterprises.

That he has?

The design of all these units is similar. Split systems differ from monoblock devices in that they have not one block, but two:

• external;
• interior.

External, as the name implies, is placed outside the premises. This is somewhat good - it is he who makes quite a lot of noise. It is connected to the inside by copper tubes and a wire. Freon passes through the tubes, due to which cooling is performed.

Sensors and controls

Modern split systems are quite complex devices, they are equipped with many elements:

• liquid crystal monitors;
• timers:
• all kinds of sensors;
• touch remotes.

Important! Split systems are more expensive than monoblocks. In addition, coordination is required for their installation in apartment buildings, and the installation itself is quite complicated and expensive.

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Power

How to choose a home air conditioner by area? First of all, you need to evaluate the power. The larger the room, the more powerful the unit should be. It is necessary to carry out simple calculations. For an area of ​​10 square meters. m output power of 1 kW is required. This is the main point, but there are additional considerations that are usually taken into account when choosing:

• floor;
• location of rooms;
• wall material;
• area of ​​windows;
• the presence of other electrical appliances.

Roofing and side of the world

The floor itself is not so important - you need to consider how close the apartment is to the roof. Even if the thermal insulation of the roof is made with high quality, proximity to it increases the heat transfer of the room with the street.

Important! For rooms with windows facing north or in a constantly shaded courtyard, air conditioning of lower power is needed than for sunny rooms into which sunlight penetrates unhindered.

Windows and appliances

A room with small windows needs a more powerful cooling system than with large ones. True, windows affect power less than the presence or absence of electrical appliances. Indoors can stand and at the same time work:

• TV set;
• a computer;
• music Center;
• Washer;
• Dishwasher;
• oven;
• other appliances.

In this case, an increase in the operating power of the air conditioner by an average of 1 kW is required. If usually only one device works, an addition of 0.5 kW will suffice.

Important! Consumed and working capacities are two different things, they must not be confused.

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What is your goal?

Before choosing an air conditioner for your home, decide what exactly you want:

• provide heating and cooling of air in the room without ventilation;
• provide not only heating and cooling, but also the exchange of air masses.

Usually, buyers prefer the second option, which means that special attention should be paid to channel devices.

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Read the certificate

Any manufacturer always indicates the technical parameters of the equipment that he supplies to the market. In the documentation, everything is always clear and understandable. But a potential buyer must take into account that all the characteristics are given for the operation of the device when all the windows are closed in the room. So you need to consider that if you turn on the air conditioner and open the window at the same time, the unit will need more energy.

But if the house has forced ventilation - no increase in power consumption is needed. These systems coexist perfectly with air conditioners and operate successfully simultaneously. However, if you buy a unit with automatic power control - no problems will arise even when the windows are open. The device itself will switch to the desired mode. Such systems are called inverter systems - they are reliably protected from overloads.

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Additional functions

The more expensive the model, the more different additional functions it has. And here you need to look very carefully whether you are going to use everything that a caring manufacturer offers, or whether you will never need all this.

Elite class air conditioners can, among other things:

• maintain the necessary humidity;
• provide additional cleaning of air masses;
• adjust the room temperature.

Budget models, as a rule, fulfill only their main purpose. When choosing, you also need to focus on the personal preferences of family members:

1. How annoying is the noise?
2. Are you looking to save energy?
3. Are you going to use the unit all the time at home or plan to transport it to the country in the summer?

Important! If noise annoys you - choose a quiet split system, they are on sale. For those who are inclined to save money, an inverter device is suitable, and not wanting to part with the unit even in the summer - a mobile air conditioner.

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Sequencing

So, you figured out the design and types of devices. Now you can find something suitable specifically for your apartment:

1. Estimate the area of ​​the room, taking into account the fact that there should be at least two meters free space near the air conditioner in each direction.
2. If you like the split system, see if you can put the indoor unit so that there is a gap of 10 cm between it and the ceiling.
3. See if the outdoor unit can be placed near the middle of the window opening.
4. Please note that the length of the communications connecting the blocks should not be more than 6 m.

Important! All you need to know about connecting the air conditioner - the selection of a place for mounting the indoor and outdoor units, installation, possible errors and other useful information, you will find in our article "Air conditioner installation".

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Compare the required power with the ratings

Manufacturers of air conditioners, of course, can not take into account that someone has a room of 25 square meters. m, and someone - 22 or 26. They provide rated power, and the buyer himself decides which is suitable for his conditions.

Important! Incorrect calculations can lead to unpleasant consequences. If the power is lower than that required by area, the unit will constantly overheat and will quickly fail. At higher power, the air conditioner absorbs much more energy than is required.

Do not be afraid to round. For example, if your room is less than 20 square meters. m, two kilowatts will be enough for you, and if there are factors that require it to be increased, then two and a half, but not more. But for a room of 10 square meters. m you need a device that gives no more than 1.5 kW, and better - 1 kW.

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What else to look for?

Why is it better to buy household appliances from a well-known manufacturer? Among other things, this approach will cause fewer repair problems.The more solid the company, the more likely it is that you will find a service center and a company store nearby where you can buy failed components. Be sure to ask where it will be possible to repair the device if such a need arises. In addition, it is useful to know about the warranty period.

When buying, also pay attention to additional amenities:

• is there a remote control system;
• number of modes;
• on and off timers;
• quality and type of filters.

Important! Air conditioning owners should be aware that this technique needs to be cleaned periodically. How often to carry out this procedure? Why is this needed? You will find answers to these many other questions in our separate post. “Cleaning the air conditioner”. 

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Manufacturers

Navigating a sea of ​​household appliances for cooling air is not so easy. This product is supplied by many, many companies - both well-known and not so well. Best established in the market of air conditioners:

• Mitsubishi Electric,
• Toshiba;
• LG
• Electrolux;
• Samsung
• Panasonic

Important! The buyer, of course, should know that the production of these firms are located in various countries - India, Thailand, Malaysia. But at the same time, all standards are respected, so you can not pay special attention to exactly where the device you like is made.

Different companies produce products of different categories, you need to pay attention to this. There are only three categories.

First category

The first category includes air conditioners of the following companies:

• Daikin;
• Mitsubishi Electric;
• Carrier
• Hitachi.

These are elite devices, durable and high quality, but they cost more than others. They have reliable protection against operational errors, there are self-diagnosis systems and many additional functions.

Important! As a rule, expensive models have very modest dimensions and produce very little noise.

Middle class

The second category, which includes mid-range air conditioners, is represented by such brands:

• Toshiba;
• Electrolux;
• Panasonic
• Gree;
• Zanussi;
• Hyundai.

These are good reliable devices that are almost as good as elite in quality. Maybe they have fewer additional features, but they cost significantly less.

Important! The system of protection against improper operation is not so impressive, but it is usually enough.

Budget models

Finally, the third category is relatively cheap, but quite high-quality and reliable devices from the following companies:

• LG
• Samsung
• Ballu;
• General
• Dantex;
• General Climate.

Third-class models can vary greatly in quality - among them you will find air conditioners that are almost as good as elite ones, but it is easy to stumble upon those that will last very short. There are more defective products than among models of other classes.

Important! Protection against improper use is weak or absent altogether. In addition, the noise from these devices is much greater.

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Stock footage

Consider all the above factors in the complex to choose an air conditioner for a room of 20 square meters. m or any other area. If you miss something, the result may not ultimately satisfy you or cause serious problems with the operation of expensive equipment.