How to choose a floor air conditioner
Floor air conditioners are a popular segment of HVAC equipment with specific differences, pluses and negative aspects. In this “family” there are not too many individuals, but each of them has its own characteristic differences. Before you go to the store for equipment that creates a comfortable environment in the room, it is worth finding out what the difference is. How does a floor air conditioner without an air duct differ from its counterpart with a corrugated pipe, what is the specificity and complexity of connecting a floor split system, and what should be preferred?
Content
- Classification of floor air conditioners
- What is a good stationary floor option?
- About mobile floor air conditioners
- Generation of mobile units without duct
Classification of floor air conditioners
The modifications of floor air conditioners presented in a rich assortment are divided into two subspecies.
- Split systems installed from the floor plane at a distance not exceeding 50 cm. Floor-ceiling air conditioners are also included in this category, which can be placed both in the ceiling zone and in the lower part of the wall. Due to this arrangement, the cooled stream supplied by the air conditioners is not directed directly at the person, therefore it does not endanger health.
- Mobile equipment with and without an air duct, an indisputable advantage of which is the ability to move equipment from room to room, transport the device to the cottage during the hot holiday season, move it from apartment to apartment.
Following individual considerations and preferences, future owners choose the best look for them, the best floor air conditioning with a focus on the specifics of installation, location and operation. There are no fundamental differences in the degree of equipment in the modifications. Most of them can work in two modes: heating, cooling. They are controlled by remote controls, equipped with protection devices and systems that control the operation of compressors and the direction of air. Among them are models with antibacterial treatment, filtration and air ionization.
Hazardous to users and the environment, freon has been replaced in recent releases with safe refrigerants. New floor-mounted air conditioners for the home are no longer bulky structures such as impressive refrigerators, they do not spoil the design of the processed room with an aesthetic appearance.
What is a good stationary floor option?
It is composed of two blocks by analogy with a conventional split system. In fact, it is such, only a miniature indoor unit is located close to the floor, fixing it on the wall. Installation of a floor air conditioner of the presented subspecies is performed in a standard way for all split systems. The outer part is led outside the building, mounted on the roof or on the wall using special stainless brackets on the wall. The outer part can be located on a regularly ventilated balcony, porch, loggia.
The main condition for installing the outdoor unit is a constant flow of air from the street. Therefore, basements and rooms without ventilation are categorically excluded.
The interior is equipped with floating shutters and a grill. With the help of tangential fans, vertical blinds and horizontal dampers, the direction of two air flows is formed, due to which the circulation is optimized. Any of the modifications can operate with the supply of one stream, however, the doubled version creates the most favorable temperature background for the users and the supply vector of the treated air mass safe for those present.
About mobile floor air conditioners
The mobile climate technology has much in common with window-type air conditioners. All working parts also fit in a single housing, by analogy, a heated mass of air is dumped most often into the window. Portable air conditioners of the floor type are preferred by those who do not need a fixed installation for some reason, if they plan frequent moving, the use of equipment in the country, etc..
Owners will not have to think about how to install a floor air conditioner of a mobile variety. The process is simple and absolutely not time-consuming, but there are certain difficulties: providing a path for the removal of heated air to the outside, which can be carried out not only through the corrugated hose removed into the window, but also through specially made holes in the walls.
Their main drawback is the relatively high noise level, because the most “sonorous” organ cannot be separated from the system and carried out. In a number of modifications there is no automatic condensate drainage system, because of which water will have to be drained from the tray with your own hands.
Tip. Get models with a large capacity to collect condensed moisture. From a small tray it will be necessary to merge it too often, since when a certain volume of the tray reaches the limit, the home floor air conditioner will turn off spontaneously.
Generation of mobile units without duct
A promising solution that made it possible to abandon the impressive minus of floor air conditioners – from air duct hoses. The uncomplicated principle of operation of this type of outdoor air conditioner is based on the ability of substances to transfer or receive thermal energy during the transformation of the state of aggregation:
- At the bottom of the case of the evaporative equipment is a container of water. Water from the tank is pumped by a small pump, fed to a porous filter to wet it.
- The warm air taken in the room by the fan is directed to the moistened porous filter.
- As a result of passing through a wet filter, the processed air mass cools, the water molecules located on the surface of the filter pass into a gaseous phase state.
Condensate in the “water” technique does not form at all, because floor-mounted air conditioners mobile without an air duct work only to generate cold, without generating heat at all. Since there is no condensation, a tray and drainage pipes leading to moisture are not needed, since there is no heat, hoses are not needed in order to bring warm air out of the premises. So, there can be no complications with the installation and movement of mobile evaporative equipment.
However, there is a minus, which is easy to guess for people who know how the floor air conditioner of this category works. The water supply in the tank will need to be constantly replenished. A special indicator will signal the need to add water. It’s difficult to determine the frequency of the topping procedure, since it depends on the materials of decoration and the quadrature of the room, on the level of humidity and other nuances.
The optimal condition for the excellent functionality of an evaporative air conditioner is the presence of an ajar window. It will work perfectly in a living room or in an office room equipped with a ventilation system.
Together with you, we examined all the outdoor air conditioners on the market: we studied how to choose them, compared the design features. To draw conclusions and decide what to keep in priority is a personal matter for each of the future owners. However, the information received will to a large extent help to make a choice, independent of the seller’s desire to sell slow-moving or appetizingly profitable goods..