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Split systems with forced ventilation mode - prices. Duct air conditioners - fresh air air conditioners

Split-S online store offers a large catalog of modern climate technology from leading manufacturers: Ballu, Carrier, Daikin, Dantex, General Climate, General, Fujitsu, Gree, Hitachi, LG, Midea, Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy, Panasonic, Samsung, Toshiba and many others.

They are convenient and easy-to-use devices necessary to maintain desired temperature in room. The main advantages of such equipment:

• compactness and small size;
• a wide range of functions;
• profitability;
• ease of installation and management;
• different choice power;
• great offer of shapes and designs.

Types and types of household air conditioners

Similar climatic devices are installed in large apartments, country houses and small offices. Monoblock models and split systems are divided by the number of blocks. If more than one is connected to the outdoor unit internal devices, then this is a multi split system.

• Split systems are air conditioners consisting of two blocks - external and internal blocks. Internal, as a rule, wall-mounted, mounted indoors. External put outside. A connecting route of freon pipes is laid between the blocks and electrical connections. Household split systems are widely used in apartments, offices, cottages, small houses.
• Multi split systems are household air conditioners that consist of several indoor units and one outdoor unit. Internal are installed in different rooms so that you can set your own temperature and other climate control parameters for each of them. Multi split systems are installed in large apartments or private houses and offices. One outdoor unit is installed outdoors.

How to choose the best home air conditioner?

Before buying climate equipment, it is important to pay attention to the size of the room, the place where the indoor unit will be located, and what additional functions are needed.

Ducted air conditioners have not received such widespread, like ordinary wall-mounted ones, and many ordinary people simply do not have the slightest idea about them. Meanwhile, for some of the potential buyers, such a device would seem the most suitable. We invite the reader to take a closer look at this type of climate control equipment and the features of its installation.

What is a duct air conditioner, its purpose and design features

ducted air conditioner designed to distribute cooled air through a network of air ducts. It can be used to serve several rooms or evenly cool one room with a large area or complex configuration (for example, U-shaped). The heated air from the service area is also supplied to the air conditioner through the air ducts.

Channel air conditioner: general view

All ducted air conditioners are split systems, that is, they consist of an outdoor (mounted on the street) and an indoor (located in the room) blocks interconnected by freon ducts and electric cables. Indoor unit, unlike wall model, has the simplest design: in a living room or office, the air ducts in any case have to be hidden with a false ceiling, so that the air conditioner itself will not be visible.

Installation options for a duct type air conditioner

In industrial premises, the appearance of the equipment is not given much importance. Usually it is a kind of box on which there are intake and discharge openings (air ducts are connected to them), as well as fittings for connecting freon pipelines and a condensate removal system.

Inside the box there is everything the same as in any other split system:

• heat exchanger;
• fan;
• electronic control board;
• drip tray for collecting condensate.

Cooling large volumes of air is accompanied by the formation of a significant amount of condensate, so some models have a built-in pump to remove it - it is called a drainage pump.

Schematic diagram of a duct air conditioner device

Another difference from the wall-mounted model is the use of a more powerful fan in the indoor unit. This is due to the need to push air through long ducts with high aerodynamic resistance.

Operating principle

A ducted air conditioner works in exactly the same way as any other. The basis of the device is a heat pump. It consists of a closed circuit filled with a special gas (refrigerant) (two radiators connected by pipes) and a compressor that makes this gas move in a circle.

The principle of operation of the elements of the duct air conditioner

"Pumping" of heat is carried out due to the alternating compression and expansion of the refrigerant. Compression takes place in the external radiator of the circuit, while the temperature of the gas rises significantly so that it becomes hot. Due to the temperature difference, heat exchange begins between it and the outside air, during which the refrigerant gives off thermal energy taken from the air in the room. To make heat transfer more intense, the external radiator is blown by a fan.

The increase in pressure in the external radiator is carried out by installing a certain device at its outlet - a throttle, which passes gas in very small quantities. Thus, the refrigerant discharged by the compressor accumulates in front of the throttle and is highly compressed. The simplest version of the throttle is a long thin tube (capillary).

The compression pressure is selected in such a way that the gas condenses during cooling, that is, it turns into a liquid. The fact is that during condensation, the gas releases much more heat than just when it cools, so the efficiency of the heat pump in this mode increases greatly. Because of this process, the outdoor heat exchanger is called a condenser.

Through the throttle, the liquid refrigerant gradually seeps into the indoor radiator located in the room (in the indoor unit). The pressure here is low, so the liquid evaporates, turning back into a gas. The internal radiator, respectively, is called the evaporator.

This is how the air conditioner works

It turns out that a small amount of gas occupies the entire volume of the internal radiator, that is, it expands. Because of this, the refrigerant cools down greatly and begins to heat up from the internal air (there is also airflow here). Having absorbed a certain amount of heat, the gas enters the compressor, which pumps it into an external radiator, and the whole cycle repeats.

Most modern air conditioners are designed in such a way that it is possible to redirect the refrigerant flows and thereby turn the external radiator from a condenser into an evaporator, and the internal one from an evaporator into a condenser. In this case, the heat pump will begin to “pump” heat into reverse side, that is, the air conditioner will operate in heating mode.

Note that the heat it delivers will be, so to speak, gratuitous, that is, the user will warm himself, paradoxically as it sounds, from the cold street air. Of course, for this you will have to spend a certain amount of electricity (compressor operation), but in a ratio not 1:1, as is the case with electric heaters, but approximately 1:4. That is, for every 1 kW of electricity consumed, the user will receive about 4 kW of heat.

It is clear that with a decrease outdoor temperature this ratio will be less and less favorable until at some point the efficiency of the air conditioner is not at all zero. Therefore, it makes sense to operate this device in heating mode only at those outdoor temperatures that are recommended by the manufacturer.

Kinds

Duct air conditioners are divided into several varieties according to the following features:

By the pressure of the fan of the indoor unit

Head is pressure, respectively, it is measured in Pascals (Pa). Air conditioners are:

• low-pressure, with pressure up to 50 Pa;
• medium-pressure, with pressure up to 150 Pa;
• high-pressure, with pressure up to 300 Pa.

The higher the aerodynamic resistance of the air ducts connected to the air conditioner, the stronger the pressure required to force air through them.

By mode of operation (type of electrical circuit)

There are two options:

The inverter air conditioner does not turn off - it sets the optimal cooling power and works constantly in this mode.

You should be aware that sellers often attribute advantages to inverter air conditioners that do not actually exist. The desire to increase demand for these models is quite understandable: an inverter cooler costs 1.5–2 times more than a conventional start/stop air conditioner of the same capacity.

Here are the most common myths:

1. An inverter air conditioner saves energy: at the same time, breathtaking figures are reported - up to 30%. However, any attempts to find information about where, by whom and under what conditions the research was carried out turn out to be fruitless. Speaking theoretically, the inverter model may turn out to be even more costly: it has an additional consumer in the form of an inverter control board, plus some losses are characteristic of its power circuit.
2. Shutdown-free operation prolongs the life of the compressor: in response to a similar claim experienced craftsmen It is advised to recall the compressors of Soviet refrigerators, which worked in the start / stop mode for decades and did not break. The same can be said about the compressors of the first imported air conditioners that appeared in the USSR in the 80s. They regularly served for a very long time, until the device was changed due to obsolescence or the loss of an attractive appearance. Thus, we can conclude: the compressor is a very tenacious unit, even if it operates in the start-stop mode.
3. The inverter air conditioner is less noisy: the compressor in the split system is specially placed in the outdoor unit so that it cannot be heard in the room, so its operation mode does not affect the internal noise background. "Sound" produces the indoor unit's fan and the moving air flow, which the inverter does not have the slightest influence on.

The only real advantage of inverter air conditioners is that they maintain a stable temperature (in the "start-stop" mode, it constantly fluctuates within 3 degrees), and most importantly - they supply less cold air. The latter circumstance reduces the likelihood of a cold, which is especially true during sleep, when a person is most vulnerable.

However, we have to admit that over time, inverter air conditioners have more and more not direct, but, so to speak, indirect advantages. The fact is that manufacturers rely on this type of coolers, as the most advanced. Therefore, all the most modern developments, for example, the latest economical compressors are primarily used in them. It can be expected that soon the production of start / stop air conditioners will completely stop.

Availability of additional features

Some models of "ducts" have an extended set of features:

Quite a different matter - in the presence of the function of mixing fresh air. The device itself carries out its intake through the air duct drawn through the wall in an acceptable amount, which will not lead to a noticeable change in temperature and overload. When the air conditioner is turned off, the air duct is automatically blocked by a solenoid valve. Typically, the volume of fresh intakes is 8-15% of the volume of air pumped through the cooler, but if necessary, this figure can be temporarily increased to 20-30%.

The duct system consists of two subsystems: one - supply - cooled air is distributed to the premises, the other - exhaust - heated air from the premises is delivered to the air conditioner. Diffusers are installed on the supply air ducts, grilles on the exhaust air ducts.

When designing an air conditioning system, consider the following:

1. Both diffusers and grilles should be located at the top - on the ceiling or at the top of the wall, but at the same time they should be on opposite sides premises.

   An example of the arrangement of gratings

2. Air ducts should be located behind the false ceiling and inside the partitions.
3. Each duct should be laid so that it has as few turns as possible - they increase the aerodynamic drag.
4. The optimal cross-sectional shape of the duct is a circle. In a rectangular channel, the air forms vortices at the corners, which leads to an increase in aerodynamic drag. However, rectangular ducts, even square ones, with the same cross-sectional area, have a lower height, so they are more preferable in a room with low ceilings.

   Example of ducting

5. Air ducts made of plastic and galvanized steel provide the least resistance to air flow. The latter are non-combustible, which is important for rooms with a high degree of fire safety. But if desired, the air duct can be made independently even from cardboard. For the same purpose, plywood is often used. The easiest way to install flexible corrugated ducts, but it is recommended to use them only as a last resort. In long sections, they sag, and in the attachment points they are pinched, so that the aerodynamic drag of the track eventually increases greatly.
6. Diffusers and grilles should be selected so that at the maximum supply of cooled air, its speed in them does not exceed 2 m/s. Otherwise, the airflow will produce a noticeable noise. If the diameter or shape of the duct does not allow you to use the diffuser that you think is suitable, use a special adapter.

   Example of using an adapter to connect the grille to the duct

7. In places of branching on lines with less aerodynamic resistance, diaphragms should be installed, with the help of which their cross-sectional area can be partially blocked. Such an adjustment will make it possible to balance the system. Without it, almost all the air will rush into the channel with the least resistance.

   Throttle valve locations

8. With a significant duration of the air ducts, it is necessary to provide inspection hatches for removing dust.
9. Easily removable elements should be provided in the sheathing of the suspended ceiling and partitions, by dismantling which you can get access to the diaphragms and inspection hatches in the air ducts.

To avoid the formation of condensate, the supply air ducts must be wrapped with heat-insulating material from the outside.

Duct calculation

Calculation channel system air conditioning is quite complicated and should only be entrusted to qualified specialists. In short, the procedure looks like this:

1. For each room, produce thermotechnical calculation, on the basis of which the required cooling capacity is determined.
2. The cooling capacity determines the approximate volume of cooled air that the air conditioner should supply to a given room. For models with cooling capacity up to 20 kW, approximately 165 cubic meters of air must be supplied to provide 1 kW of air. m / h, for more powerful (up to 40 kW) this figure is about 135 cubic meters. m/h

Knowing the diameter of the air ducts, the material and the speed of air movement (it depends on the volume of supply), the aerodynamic resistance of each branch and the entire system as a whole is determined.

Selection of a ducted air conditioner with an influx of fresh air

First of all, the device must be selected according to the main characteristics.

By pressure

The pressure developed by the fan of the indoor unit must exceed or at least be equal to the resistance of the air ducts.

Advice. Those who doubt the correctness of the calculation of air ducts should pay attention to the models of "ducts", in which the pressure can be adjusted over a wide range.

By flow (volume of cooled air supply)

The characteristics of the duct air conditioner indicate the maximum supply of cold air, but you need to understand that the device can provide it only with zero resistance on the discharge side, that is, without connecting to air ducts. If they are connected, then the supply, and, accordingly, the refrigeration power, will be the smaller, the higher the aerodynamic resistance of the system will be.

This dependence is called the pressure characteristic and is displayed in the form of graphs or tables in the product passport. The user should look at the graphs of several models and select the one that can, with the calculated aerodynamic resistance of the system, provide the required flow rate (recall that it depends on the required cooling capacity).

It is important to pay attention to the brand of the air conditioner. The best reputation is enjoyed by the products of companies:

• Daikin, Mitsubishi Heavy, Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba, Fujitsu General (Japan);
• Samsung Electronics, Lg Electronics (South Korea), Electrolux (Sweden);
• Dantex (Great Britain).

Of the Chinese, the most reliable are air conditioners of the brands Midea, Gree, Ballu.

Some models are equipped with a built-in drain pump. Usually it is low-power - it can raise water by only 40–50 cm. But if it breaks down, the air conditioner will perform an emergency shutdown, so that the user does not face a condensate leak. Another thing is a pump installed separately: the air conditioner will not react to its failure. But among such pumps it is easy to find quite powerful ones - capable of lifting water by 8 m or pumping it through a 20-meter horizontal pipeline.

High-pressure duct-type air conditioner with a drain pump: diagram

If your air conditioner is equipped with a fresh air mixing function and you want to operate it all year round, purchase an electric heater for heating outdoor air in winter time. Frosty air must be heated even if the device will work only for cooling, otherwise the flow entering the room will be unacceptably cold.

Installation

The device must be installed in the following order:

1. Select a place to install the outdoor unit. It is desirable that it be located in a cool place - on north side buildings, or at least in the shade. If you live in a high-rise building, place the block next to the balcony so that it is convenient to work with it. At the same time, it must necessarily be lower than the indoor unit, but not further away from it than the manufacturer allows.

   Requirements for installing an outdoor unit for an air conditioner

2. In the place where it is supposed to install the indoor unit (it is desirable that it is strictly above the outdoor one), a hole with a diameter of 80 mm is drilled in the wall for laying inter-unit communications. If there is a fresh air mixing function, a wider hole will be needed - its diameter will depend on the diameter of the duct.
3. Outside, on the brackets previously screwed to the wall, the outdoor unit is installed so that it stands strictly horizontally (marking the holes for the dowels on the wall should be done according to the plumb line and level). The minimum allowable distance between the unit and the wall is 10 cm.

   Fixing the brackets to the outer wall

4. The indoor unit is attached to the room. It is best to screw it directly to the ceiling or wall - this will eliminate vibrations. If the device has to be installed on a less durable support, for example, a metal frame of a suspended ceiling, it is necessary to use vibration damping inserts.

   Installing the indoor unit

5. connects electrical part. A separate wire is laid from the switchboard to the indoor unit. The cross section of the conductors depends on the consumed electrical power, but it cannot be less than 1.5 sq. mm. The line must be connected to the network through a circuit breaker. Further, according to the diagram given in the instructions, the terminals of the outdoor and indoor units are connected with wires.

Freon pipelines are mounted in the following order:

Note! Cutting - only with a pipe cutter, when using a hacksaw, chips will fall into the pipes, which should not be allowed in any way. The tightness of the joints is checked using soap suds, for which air must first be pumped into the system.

Then we install a drainage reinforced tube. It serves to drain condensate. Attached to the drain pipe with a threaded flange or heat shrink tubing if the flange was not included.

In the instructions for some "ducts" it is prescribed to arrange in drainage system water seal with a clearly defined height of the water column. It is necessary to do this: the fan in such a model is installed so that the condensate collection pan is in the rarefaction zone, and in the absence of a water seal, moisture removal will be difficult.

At the end of the work, the following operations are carried out:

1. Outside, freon pipelines, drainage and electric cable are fastened with clamps to the wall or hidden in a box, after which the hole in the wall is blown with mounting foam.
2. The system is being evacuated. Vacuum pump should work for an hour - during this time, the moisture is guaranteed to have time to completely evaporate and leave the refrigeration circuit.
3. Following the pressure, a refrigerant is launched into the system from a cylinder, after which the air conditioner is turned on in test mode.

If everything works fine, air ducts are connected to the indoor unit. It is better to do this by means of flexible vibration damping inserts made of rubberized fabric or tarpaulin.

Service

For the device to work properly, the following steps must be performed at regular intervals:

If this is not done, the volume of air pumped through the evaporator will be significantly reduced. This will lead to the following consequences:

• the air conditioner will not be able to maintain the temperature in the room at the user-specified mark;
• the device may fail due to overload;
• The evaporator will freeze from the lack of warm air, due to which water may flow out of the indoor unit after shutdown.

The frequency of maintenance work is indicated in the manual for the device.

Advantages and disadvantages

By choosing a ducted air conditioner, the buyer benefits from the following:

However, you will have to come to terms with some inconveniences:

1. Due to the need to install a suspended ceiling, ducted air conditioners can only be used in fairly high rooms.
2. Unlike a multi-split system, a “duct” does not allow you to set your own temperature regime in each room.

Please note: the calculation of the air conditioning system is quite complicated and requires the involvement of specialists.

Many perceive the duct air conditioner as a purely industrial device. This opinion is erroneous: as can be seen from this article, in a cottage or apartment with high ceilings, it will also be quite appropriate. You just need to correctly design the system and, using our advice, choose the right model.

Difficult air exchange is one of the actual problems modern buildings. This is especially true of residential and administrative buildings built in the 70-90s. last century. The reason is the lack of effective centralized systems supply and exhaust ventilation and difficulty in natural air exchange due to replacement wooden windows on sealed PVC windows. Due to a violation of normal air exchange, a limited amount of oxygen enters the room, which entails a decrease in efficiency and a deterioration in well-being.

Installation wall-mounted air conditioners with air supply from the street effectively solves the problem of difficult air exchange and ensures the supply of fresh air into the room from the street during the operation of climate control equipment. Studies have shown that when using air conditioners with fresh air from outside reduces the content of CO2 in the air by 2.5 - 3 times.

Traditionally classic wall systems did not provide for such an option as the admixture of fresh air from the street (unlike duct-type systems). The first device of this type appeared in the Daikin "Ururu Sarara" line. The system proved its effectiveness in practice, and subsequently similar models of devices appeared in other manufacturers of climate equipment (Haier, Hitachi and others).

How to choose the type of product in question

Most of these devices with an air supply function belong to the segment of medium or premium models. In addition to this function, they are equipped with inverter compressors and have a multi-stage air purification system from various contaminants and impurities.

In addition to the traditional indicators of cooling and heating power (and, accordingly, the area for which the device is designed), for air conditioners with the function of inflow of fresh air from the street one more indicator matters - productivity (or maximum air consumption). The optimal indicator is considered to ensure the replacement of the entire volume of air in the room within 2-3 hours continuous work conditioner.

Buy high-performance and multifunctional air conditioners with air supply at the lowest prices you can in our online store. In the catalog you can find expensive models premium class leading Japanese brands, as well as more budget models of Chinese and Australian manufacturers of climate technology.

Modern ecology, especially in cities, leaves much to be desired. Therefore, the presence of fresh air in a residential area is, first of all, a concern for the health of everyone who lives there. But if in country house to do this, it is enough to open the window sash, then in the conditions of gassed and dusty urban atmosphere, such a solution looks doubtful.

Air conditioner

How to provide yourself with fresh air? Many people see a way out in the installation of an air conditioner, mistakenly believing that it takes in outside air, purifies, cools (or heats) it, and releases it into the room already in this form. However, this is not at all the case.

An air conditioner is a device used to create comfortable conditions in room. First of all, this applies to summer, when unbearable heat sets in on the street, when it is difficult not only to walk along the street, but also just fall asleep at night. What does the air conditioner do in this case? Cools the air. But what kind of air? The same one circulating in the room. Yes, he cleans it of harmful impurities as much as he can. A cheap one does not clean well, trapping only large particles of dirt and dust, as well as accidentally flying insects, on a special grate. Expensive "catches" pathogens, pathogenic fungal spores, pollen and other allergens and smaller dust particles. However, the air remains the same and each time the percentage of oxygen in it decreases, and the percentage of carbon dioxide increases. And the apparent freshness is due to its purification from harmful impurities and cooling. But after all, harmful impurities do not disappear anywhere - they settle on the air conditioner grille, which should be cleaned regularly, otherwise the condensate that accumulates there can become comfortable environment for the development of bacteria, mold and other unhelpful microorganisms.

An alternative to traditional recirculation air conditioners can be an air conditioner that has a mode supply ventilation. However, at the moment, this additional function is poorly developed for the indicated devices and, if it is used, the air conditioner starts to emit increased noise. And the more air you need to "draw in" from the outside, the louder this noise. Is it comfortable for those living in the apartment? Hardly. Although a person gets used to everything ...

According to the norms, for one person in the room, 30 cubic meters of fresh air are needed per hour. Air conditioners with forced ventilation, in which the indicated function is set to the maximum, can provide an influx of fresh air in the amount of about 20 cubic meters per hour. This is clearly not enough.

Another mistake of those who want to buy an air conditioner is the opinion that it is able to heat the air, providing warmth in the house in winter. Yes, it heats up the air. However, he is able to do this “painlessly” for himself only if the temperature outside is above zero. If you try to turn it on in the heating mode at sub-zero outdoor temperatures, very soon it will simply break. For cheap models, the compressor will fail, and for expensive ones, the equipment itself will refuse to ruin itself and simply will not turn on. The real benefit of such a split system is only in autumn or spring, when it is plus outside. The risk here lies in the accelerated rate of formation of condensate, which should be removed in time - otherwise the device may break.

And finally, installation. As you know, the air conditioner consists of two parts - internal and external, called blocks. The installation of an outdoor unit is equivalent to a redevelopment, for which a permit is required. If this action is inconsistent, the unauthorized air conditioner installer may be complained about by neighbors, the city, or Management Company. The main threat in this case is the obligation, by a court decision, to dismantle the unauthorized structure. And the installation process itself involves the use of a perforator, the “zeal” of which some particularly old and fragile walls may not withstand.

ventilation unit

Another class of devices that perform more important and vital purposes is supply ventilation installations (or, in other words, ventilators).

Installation is carried out with special equipment to perform diamond drilling. Its high accuracy allows punching a hole in the wall without any concern for its overall integrity and is acceptable even in a newly renovated room. At the same time, on outer wall no need to hang any outdoor units - just install a protective grill with a visor. It can be painted to match the color of the wall. Such an action is not considered redevelopment and does not require additional permission.

Part ventilation unit, placed indoors, has an attractive body made of safe eco-materials. Its main advantages:

• wear resistance;
• fire safety;
• heat resistance;
• high sound insulation.

The ventilation unit draws in fresh, oxygenated outdoor air, cleans it and delivers it to the room already in this form. In winter, an additional function of heating the air up to comfortable temperature. What is most interesting, the greater the difference between the external and internal temperature the more efficient the heating will be. In the most simple models although there is no function for setting the desired temperature, there is a power regulator.

Using the iFresh installation as an example, let's consider several speeds at which the ventilator fan can operate:

• the first, providing fresh air supply in the amount of 40 cubic meters per hour, is absolutely silent and especially comfortable at night;
• the second, supplying air in a volume of 80 cubic meters per hour, is suitable for daytime use;
• the third involves active ventilation in the presence of a large number of people and provides the room with air in the amount of 120 cubic meters per hour.

At the same time, active purification of the air supplied from the street is ensured, due to which, no matter how terrible the street atmosphere is, only clean, oxygenated air is inside the room. A similar effect is achieved due to double filtration through dust and active carbon filters, which trap all harmful particles - dust, industrial gases, pathogens. microorganisms, chemical compounds etc. As a result, there is always enough fresh air in the room, and everyone who is in it feels great.

Summing up, we note that the use of air conditioning is limited to hot summer days and off-season, and we need fresh air every day.

If we talk about the material component of the issue, then from the point of view of the efficiency of investing money, the installation of forced ventilation is a more rational and priority choice. Having provided yourself with clean, oxygenated air, you can decide to install an air conditioner for "hot days".