With the summer we return to talk about air conditioners. Although there are several ways to cool down naturally, air conditioners are still the most sought after solution. But here are 10 tips to guide you in your choice
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With the summer we return to talk about conditioners. Although there are several tricks to cool off naturally, air conditioners are still the most sought after solution. But here are 10 tips to guide you in your choice.
Mostra Convegno Expocomfort, the largest biennial event of civil and industrial plant engineering, air conditioning and renewable energy, has drawn up a guide and provided some tips for choosing air conditioners and for use them to the fullest saving on bills and trying to affect the environment as little as possible.
First of all you have to distinguish between heat pumps, i.e. appliances capable of both heating and cooling, and coolers, capable only of cooling the room in which they are installed. In general, it is advisable to avoid installing a heat pump where the winters are very cold and the cold source is air. Furthermore. it is advisable to choose the heat pump when the room to be air-conditioned is small enough (no more than 50 square meters).
How to choose the conditioner? There are many parameters and characteristics to take into account when evaluating the quality of an air conditioner.
Index
The cold energy efficiency classes
They indicate the electrical consumption of the appliance and are indicated on the energy label which has become mandatory by law since 2004.
The marks of safety and quality
The more the device has collected certifications, the higher the cost, which however guarantees efficiency and savings. Some examples: Eurovent, ISO9001, ISO14001, CE.
The cooling capacity
It is expressed in Btu / h or in kW. The higher these values are, the more powerful the system is.
Energy consumption
It goes without saying that the higher the cooling capacity, the higher the energy consumption. For this it is better to choose a product that has a high class of energy consumption. Here is the scale:
AA: great
A: good
B: more than average
C: medium
D: mediocre
E: low
F: very low
G: very bad
Le higher classes (AA-AB) usually have the technology inverter, while often the air conditioners with on-off technology they do not go above class C. In this regard, a distinction must be made between these two families, the on-off and inverter air conditioners. The technology of the former is very simple and less expensive, but has a high consumption, because the compressor, as soon as the appliance is turned on, immediately goes to maximum power and remains there and then stops when the set temperature has been reached. On the contrary, inverter air conditioners are equipped with a so-called "modulating" technology that uses only the power necessary to reach the set temperature value.
The noise
Portable air conditioners tend to be noisier than stationary ones
Watch out for coolants
Be careful not to buy appliances that may be outlawed after a few years. For this reason it is necessary to check that they contain only fluids called R134, R407C and R410A.
Inverter technology
When the room reaches the programmed temperature, the appliances equipped with this function do not switch off but continue to operate to keep it stable. In this way the engine power is reduced to a minimum and sudden temperature changes are avoided (max +/- 0,5 ° C).
Digital timer and thermostat
They allow you to program the switching on and off of the appliance even at times when you are not at home.
Mobile or stationary air conditioners?
The mobile or portable ones cost more than the fixed ones but do not need to be installed by specialized personnel. Their use, however, requires a greater energy expenditure, because to work they have to draw on hot air outside the room in which they are placed.
Heat pumps or coolers?
Heat pumps consume on average 67% less electricity than a traditional electric radiator.
However, it should be borne in mind that it is not advisable to cool the environment too much because the sharp changes in temperature are not good for health. It is also a good idea to turn off the bedroom air conditioner before going to sleep and carry out proper maintenance of the system by washing the filters. And the temperature? n any case, the difference between the external and internal ones must never exceed 5-7 ° C.
The number of rooms to be air-conditioned. For this, when you can opt for the installation of a single split in the corridor adjacent to the rooms. Better an “on-off” air conditioner which, on the one hand, consumes more current, on the other hand provides a constant flow of air that does not change once the corridor-hallway temperature reaches the set one, unlike the models with inverters. In this way the air maintains the thrust necessary to reach the rooms to be cooled. In any case, it is advisable to close the door of the unused rooms. If you choose to put a split for each room it is better to choose a dual or trial “inverter” air conditioner.
Read the MCE guide for air conditioners
READ also:
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- Air conditioning: 7 mistakes to avoid to save energy and money this summer
