Mobile air conditioners are the easiest way to get rid of the heat

Recommendation points

• Types and design of mobile air conditioners
• Pros and cons of mobile air conditioners
• Choosing a mobile air conditioner from three models
• How to choose a mobile air conditioner
• At the end

In this article: the device and principle of operation of a mobile air conditioner; characteristics of mobile climatic devices; selection of the best model from three air conditioners; how to choose a mobile air conditioner.

Among the air conditioning systems of other classes, the mobile air conditioner has one, but significant advantage – its installation does not require installation work at all. In other words, if the state of the climate in the house requires conditioned air immediately, and there is no desire to wait for the installation team to arrive to install the split system, just like fiddling with window window installation – a mobile air conditioning unit will solve these problems.

Types and design of mobile air conditioners

Mobile air conditioning units are divided into monoblocks and split systems. Structures of the first type are similar in structure to window air conditioners, only the arrangement of the units in them is not horizontal, but vertical. In the upper compartment there is an evaporator and a ventilation unit, in the lower compartment, separated from the upper metal partition, there are a compressor, a condenser and a fan that removes heat from it. Air from the room is pumped into the upper section of the air conditioner through the air intake, usually located on the back side of the monoblock – after filtration and cooling, it enters the room back into the room from an opening equipped with louvers.

The air necessary for cooling the condenser also enters the lower section from the rear side of the device – after passing through the condenser heatsinks, it heats up, after which it is discharged outside through a flexible air duct stretched, for example, through a window vent or into a specially prepared hole. The standard diameter of the air duct, similar to the corrugated hose of a vacuum cleaner, is usually 150 mm, its length is about 1500 mm.

In addition to the models of mobile air conditioners, which only process the internal atmosphere in the room, monoblocks are produced that can supply the room with a small amount of fresh air. In this case, the monoblock is equipped with not one, but two corrugated hoses, one of which supplies air from the street to the condenser, the second one – takes hot air back to the street.

The condensate formed during the operation of the mobile air conditioner is collected in a 4-5 liter storage tank located at the bottom of the monoblock – it must be emptied periodically, otherwise the compressor of the device will automatically turn off.

Compared to conventional split systems, the mobile split air conditioner is arranged differently – the compressor is located in the indoor unit. The external unit, connected to the internal copper pipes through which the refrigerant circulates, contains the condenser and the ventilation system. Installation of a mobile split is as simple as that of monoblock models – it is enough to hang the external block on the facade of the building, while any serious fastening is not required for it due to its low weight (10-15 kg), it is only important not to damage the circuit from copper pipes. The indoor unit of such an air conditioning system is installed on the floor. Compared to monoblock models, some of which can introduce fresh air into the serviced room, mobile split air conditioners are not able to perform this operation..

Since air from the external atmosphere enters the room through the gaps formed in the window frame after passing the air exhaust corrugated hose through it, some manufacturers complete their products with special window blinds with a hole for the diameter of the flexible hose – the height of such a plug can be adjusted to the size of the window opening. There is another solution – making a round hole in the window glazing, or directly in the wall, in this case the outlet for the corrugated hose is equipped with a special fitting with a plug that covers the hole in the autumn-winter period.

Depending on the model, mobile air conditioners not only carry out cooling, filtering and dehumidification of air, but also operate in ventilation mode. Models in the upper price range are equipped with an inverter compressor control system.

Mobile air conditioners are operated at a temperature range from +16 to +35 ° С in a manned room, if the temperature is above or below the permissible range, the device may fail. Mobile air conditioning units are produced, which, in addition to cooling, heating the air – they are equipped with heating elements, i.e. can work in fan heater mode. In addition, in some models, the reverse of the refrigeration cycle is implemented – the room is heated due to the operation of the system in the heat pump mode, as a result of which cold is removed from the room and heat is supplied. Reverse operation of the mobile air conditioner is possible at temperatures from +5 to +21 ° С.

Mobile air conditioning systems can be equipped with an air ionizer, their control is carried out from the panel on the monoblock, the remote control, the operating modes can be set using a timer.

Pros and cons of mobile air conditioners

The general advantage of mobile monoblocks and split air conditioners, as already mentioned, is in easy installation – in other characteristics, they differ slightly from each other.

Compared to models of two blocks, the monoblock air conditioner is more mobile – it can be moved from room to room by moving the hose that removes the heated air from one window to another. As a window air conditioner, a mobile monoblock is easy to transport from one house to another, for example, from a city apartment to a dacha, but it is much easier to install. The weight of climatic devices of this class ranges from 20 to 50 kg, so each monoblock is equipped with wheels and a handle, allowing it to be transported without much effort.

Prices for air conditioners of this class start from 8,000 rubles, which makes it easier to create the necessary climatic conditions in the entire apartment (by moving the monoblock from room to room) without installing several stationary split systems, the acquisition, installation and subsequent maintenance of which will cost a lot.

The list of negative characteristics of a mobile air conditioner opens up a rather high noise level accompanying the operation of the device – about 50 dB. The source of noise is the compressor – due to the fact that in the monoblock all units are located in the same building, and are not divided into less and more noisy (a unit with a “noisy” compressor in split systems is installed outside the building), the maximum power of mobile climate systems does not exceed 4 kW, otherwise the sound produced by the device will be too loud.

The intensity of air cooling using a mobile air conditioner equipped with one corrugated hose is lower than in the case of using a conventional split system, since the internal atmosphere of the manned room is used to cool the condenser. The fact is that the monoblock body has two air intake and two air exhaust holes – the first two are located in the upper section of the air conditioner, the last two are in the lower section. The air is pumped into the upper section, cooled and removed back into the room, however, the air entering the lower section does not return to the room, but heats up and is released into the external atmosphere. Therefore, during the operation of a mobile air conditioner, a small difference in air pressure is created between the atmospheres in the room it serves and in the combined rooms, as a result of which warm air from adjacent rooms is pumped into the air-conditioned room, reducing the efficiency of the climatic device.

On a hot day, the corrugated hose, which removes heat from the condenser, heats up to high temperatures (up to about 70 ° C), i.e. if you accidentally touch it with your hand, a person may get burned. Another inconvenience associated with the air duct hoses is that they are rather short, so it will not be easy for households to conveniently locate the air conditioner in the room, they will have to take into account the location of window and door openings.

Mobile split systems, in comparison with monoblock air conditioners, make less noise – after all, one noisy unit (a condenser with a ventilation unit) is taken out of the room. In addition, they cool the room more efficiently because they do not need an air duct to pump air out of the room.

As with monoblocks, the disadvantage of mobile split air conditioners is associated with the limited length of copper pipes that form a line with the circulation of the refrigerant in it. Another common drawback is the need to empty the condensate container, the filling of which has to be monitored by households..

The last and most significant drawback of mobile split systems is their high cost – the price of such climate systems exceeds the prices for conventional split systems at least two to three times.

Choosing a mobile air conditioner from three models

The models of mobile air conditioning systems described below are chosen arbitrarily, the main selection criterion is approximately equal power of the device when operating for cooling.

(*) – the terms given in this line are not the limit, they are called by the manufacturers of this equipment.

EACM-10 EZ / N3, ECO Wave series, Electrolux

So, the characteristics of models of air conditioners from three manufacturers are collected in a table, we will examine them:

• the largest size and weight of the monoblock of the Electrolux brand, its cooling capacity is slightly higher than that of the other two models, which allows the device to cool air in a room up to 25 m² (optimal – 20 m²);
• two models out of the three considered, produced at the Ballu and Timberk enterprises, are capable of operating in the room heating mode (heat ventilation);
• remote control using the remote control is available only for Electrolux and Timberk monoblocks;
• the air conditioner of the Swedish manufacturer Electrolux is a little quieter;
• the abbreviation “eco” used in the name of the Electrolux model, judging by the technical and operational characteristics, is nothing more than an advertising move;
• night mode of operation, i.e. quieter and smoother operation of the air conditioning system, available for monoblocks of Swedish and Israeli manufacturers;
• all three models are charged with R410A refrigerant, which is safe for the Earth’s ozone layer. However, the type of refrigerant has no practical value for the owner of the air conditioner;
• unfortunately, manufacturers Ballu and Timberk did not describe the type of heating element with which mobile air conditioners are equipped;
• the lowest retail price is the Ballu monoblock, the most expensive is the Timberk mobile air conditioner.

BPPC-09H, Air Master Series, Ballu

Conclusion: Based on the comparison of characteristics and the lowest cost, the BPPC-09H mobile air conditioner manufactured by Ballu is recognized as the best choice. This device is able not only to cool, but also to heat the air – the optimal area of ​​the served room is 18 m². However, the owner of this climate system will have to control it only from the panel on the device, since the monoblock is not equipped with a remote control.

AC TIM 09H P2, Timberk

How to choose a mobile air conditioner

The cooling power of the appliance should be slightly higher than necessary – in this case, the air conditioner will operate with less noise, because the full power mode often does not need to be used. It should be borne in mind that sellers in HVAC salons often name the maximum area of ​​the room that this model can cool – guided by such data, you will purchase an air conditioning unit of insufficient power that can lower the air temperature in the room by only 2–3 ° С. Find out the optimal area that a mobile air conditioner can serve, its value will be in the middle, between the minimum and maximum square.

If the mobile monoblock will be periodically transported from one house to another, for example, if its owner lives in rented apartments, then you should not buy a large and heavy model.

Many manufacturers of mobile air conditioners indicate in the operating instructions that the device independently removes condensate from the storage tank – it is dehumidified when hot air is thrown from the condenser section to the street. Indeed, in conditions of low humidity in the room, this method of condensate drainage will work, but with an increase in the moisture content in the air, households will be forced to drain the condensate manually, otherwise the air conditioner will turn off. Therefore, it is important to find out from the sellers the volume of the condensate accumulator – optimally 5 liters.

Before paying for a climate device you like, you need to find out how noisy it is by turning on the air conditioner in the maximum cooling mode – the noise test should be carried out in a small, isolated from the general sales area and, preferably, not cluttered with furniture..

At the end

Mobile air conditioners are less efficient than stationary climate systems. However, in the summer heat, when an impressive queue is built up for conventional split systems, the warehouses of trading companies are half empty, and you have to literally run after teams that install air conditioners – in these conditions, the choice of a mobile climatic device is quite appropriate.

The next article in a series of materials on climatic technology will be devoted to the most popular class of household air conditioners – split systems.