Household Tips and Improvements
Learn all the details about split system air con technology and get all your questions answered. AC heating explained. Read more.
A split system air conditioner is a cooling and sometimes heating system that is split into two units. One of those units consists of a compressor and condenser. That unit is usually wall-mounted on the outside wall or placed somewhere on the ground beside the house.
The other part of the split system air con is the indoor unit. It usually consists of the evaporator and the fans for air distribution. This unit is usually a cuboid device that is installed high on the wall.
Photo courtesy of Flickr Images by kenkwsiu
The two units are connected by the wiring and ducts. For that to happen, a hole needs to be drilled through the wall. Luckily for the homeowners, this hole is less than 10 cm in diameter, and it is easily patched up.
Seems easy, but it still needs to be done by a professional. Seek your air conditioning installer at Service Seeking and find an expert who will install your split system quickly at a fair price.
How Does a Split System Air Conditioner Work?
The split system air conditioner works on the refrigerant circulation system. The refrigerant is transforming from gaseous to liquid state and back, extracting the heat from the air in the process. Here are the steps of the process:
- The refrigerant gas is delivered from the compressor to the condenser. This all happens in the outside unit.
- In the condenser, the gas is cooled down until it becomes liquid. Then, it is pushed through a small duct to reach the evaporator.
- The evaporator is in the indoor unit. When the cool liquid reaches it, the evaporator sucks in the warm air from the room, so it can be cooled down by the cold refrigerant.
- The refrigerant removes the heat from the air and gets sent back into the compressor to repeat the cycle.
- The chilled air is returned to the room.
The old models of air conditioning would break down easily because they could not regulate the temperature that well because the compressor had only on and off mode.
The revolutionary inverter air conditioning technology made it possible to reduce and increase the work of the compressor, which resulted in fewer malfunctions, longer lifespan of the parts and more efficiency.
Can a Split System Air Conditioner Be Installed on Internal Wall?
Yes. Normally, this is not the way split system air conditioner installation goes, but it is far from impossible. There are several reasons to try and install the split system air conditioner on an internal wall:
- External walls have no room for the unit
- External walls cannot hold the unit's weight (glass or doors)
- External walls don’t exist in that home
- External walls are blocked
- Installing an internal wall would allow for the air conditioning to cover two rooms
In most cases, the answer to such unorthodox split system air conditioning installation would be to connect the ducts and the piping of the internal and external units through the roof.
There may be some more efficient ways to do this, and that is why you need an experienced air conditioning installer. Different people can quote you differently for such work, so shop around and ask for several quotes before committing to one offer.
Can Split AC Be Used as a Heater?
Only the reverse cycle split air cons can be used as both heaters and coolers. This means that your split system needs to have a heat pump. Moreover, if the outside temperature is not that harsh, more precisely, if it doesn’t go below -10 C, this type of heating is preferable to traditional electric heaters.
The reasoning behind this is the fact that traditional heaters directly convert electricity to heating energy, and that makes them everything but eco-friendly. Your split air conditioner system does this much more efficiently, and it conserves some of that energy.
Your electric heater needs 1 kW of electricity to produce 1 kW of heat. On the other hand, your reverse system doesn’t have to generate heat. It extracts it from the outside air. It requires only 0.33 kW of power to do so. Therefore, it is around three times more efficient.
It is said that the split system air conditioning is even more effective than the fueled heater. Here is a video that explains how and why:
Does Split AC Bring in Fresh Air?
No. Your split air conditioning system does not bring in fresh air. It recycles the air that is already in the room. That is why your AC works best when all the doors and windows are completely shut.
There are some ideas to include a ventilation system into the split system, but that would not have as many benefits as you may think. If this is done because of the belief that the fresh air is healthier, this type of hybrid would be everything but healthy. It would mean for all the bacteria and the germs on the filters to be dispersed into the room.
How Much Does It Cost to Install a Split System Air Conditioner?
The price depends on your air conditioner installer, the difficulty of installation and even the location of your home. Therefore, it is best to ask for some estimates before you hire an air con installer just because you already bought the unit.
The per-hour price of air conditioning installation in Australia starts from $90 per hour. The number of hours cannot be guessed before you calculate the size of your home, check the insulation and even consider the distance your installers need to go to do their job.
You can expect the air con installation to be cheaper if there are no special requirements and everything is in order. If your air-con installers need to work at height, do extra piping because the external walls are not available or something similar – you can expect the price to rise.
To come up with the total cost of your air conditioner installation, calculate the size of your room and choose an air conditioner. Then, list down all the specifics of the situation and the characteristics of your home. Then, you need to add the hours of work needed for installation, as well as the price per hour.
Go to Service Seeking and request quotes from experienced air conditioner installers from all over Australia, and hire the professional with the best price and reviews. That is the last piece of your puzzle. Do some calculations, and you’ll have a good estimate of your costs.