What Are The Different Types Of Air Conditioning?

You may be considering air conditioning for your home, or business. You look online and the information is conflicting, not clear even. This article will explain, simplify and not confuse.

What Are The Benefits Of Air Conditioning?

Air conditioning is becoming more and more popular, conservatories can become warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, home offices which are occupied for long periods of time can be conditioned and the temperature controlled without the need to have the heating on for the whole house. Large office and building temperatures can be controlled.

To add to the benefits, it is much more efficient than any other kind of heating/cooling.

What Are The Main Air Conditioning Systems Available?

1. Single Split Air Conditioning

Below is the basic schematic

The first system is called a single split system.

Very basically this means there is one outdoor unit and one indoor unit with interconnecting pipe work in-between the two units.

The outdoor unit, no matter what manufacturer you choose, predominately looks the same. Keeping it simple they either sit on the ground or are bracketed to the wall.

The indoor unit comes in a few different forms:

1. Wall mounted
2. Floor standing
3. Ceiling mounted
4. Cassette type

They all do a same job, they all are positioned somewhere different inside the room, mainly to suit the customers preferences and the rooms requirements.

Important: These systems can run in heating, or cooling mode.

The Indoor Units now come in a range of colours too!

2. Multi Split Air Conditioning

Below is the basic schematic

The second system is called a multi split system.

With this system there is still one outdoor unit but this time the outdoor unit can typically run up to seven indoor units, again with interconnecting pipe work in-between the outdoor unit and the indoor units.

The different types of indoor unit are as previously mentioned, and as followed:

1. Wall mounted
2. Floor standing
3. Ceiling mounted
4. Cassette type

Important: These systems can run in heating, OR cooling mode. However, the indoor units have to be all in either heating or cooling at the same time.

The Outdoor Unit for both the single split and multi split system look simialr, howver the multi spilt outdoor unit will typically be larger.

The below image shows a typical outdoor unit

3. VRF Air Conditioning

The third system is called a VRF system.

VRF systems are nearly always installed in large buildings.

VRF stands for Variable Refrigerant Flow

Let’s put it another way; A VRF and VRV system are both cars, but one is a Ford, the other a Vauxhall, all with their own little extra features. Do not be told otherwise.

There are two different types of VRF system:

1. The 1^st type offers Cooling OR Heating. In the trade this is known as a Heat Pump System or 2 Pipe System.
2. The 2^nd type offers Cooling AND Heating. In the trade this is known as a a Heat Recovery System or 3 Pipe System.

The Heat Recovery System is the most efficient of all systems and the most diverse, this system is also the most expensive.

Myth Buster Fact #1

The optimal temperature and efficiency all air conditioning systems run at is between 21 and 22 degrees and can heat to this, or cool to this.

This is the proven perfect temperature when you are sitting at a desk or relaxing in your chair. There is a misconception that they are as efficient to cool the temperature lower than this, or heat higher than this. Although you maybe able to obtain lower and higher temperatures, the system efficiency drops off, a lot and is not recommended.

Myth Buster Fact #2

Air Conditioning Companies will speak about VRF and VRV systems. VRF and VRV systems are essentially the same thing.

Daikin is a Japanese air conditioning manufacturer. A VRV system is Daikin’s trade-marked name for their own VRF system. It is no more complicated than that!

VRV stands for Variable Refrigerant Volume

We hope this article helps.

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