Selection, installation and operation of split systems. Part 1

Recommendation points

• About choosing a split system
• Split functions and modes
• Noise level of household air conditioners
• Louvers for directing air
• Materials of which the split-block bodies are made
• Indoor unit control panel and remote control
• Air conditioner power consumption
• Warranty terms
• At the end

In this article: modes and functions of air conditioners; what is hidden behind decibels of noise; better air flow guides; the smell and strength of the block body; split control; energy appetites of air conditioners; guarantee – as it is and as it is not; at the end.

Advertising brochures and eloquent managers of HVAC equipment salons, along with service companies from this area, guarantee the future and current split owners of 200% quality devices and services that extend their performance for decades. Key phrases that sound in the psychological processing of potential buyers are “buy and use” and “we are the best no matter what”. Unfortunately, the magic of the words “professionalism”, “many years of experience”, “seasonal discounts”, “they trust us” has a greater effect on the buyer than the technical characteristics of the equipment and the real capabilities of the personnel performing its installation and maintenance. I propose to find out how to choose, install household split systems and how to maintain them during the entire period of use.

About choosing a split system

Most of the questions on the choice of household climatic equipment have already been covered on our website – in the articles “How to choose an air conditioner”, “We buy an air conditioner” and “How to buy a split system and not regret it”, you should add a few touches to them.

Reading the contents of this article will bring you closer to buying an air conditioner that will regularly serve in your home for many years..

Split functions and modes

Modern two-unit air conditioners of any class and price group have an equal number of basic operating modes and functions, the only difference is in the accuracy with which they are executed – expensive models are equipped with sensitive measuring equipment that controls the device in the range of up to 0.5 ° C and in a matter of seconds. Let’s list the capabilities of split systems:

• cooling and heating of the air atmosphere in the room;
• air ventilation. In this mode, the air conditioner units are only half active – only the indoor unit works, and the external one is disabled, i.e. the compressor does not function, the movement of freon through the pipeline between the blocks does not occur. The ventilation mode is intended for the winter season, when hot air heated by heating batteries accumulates at the ceiling, cold air at the floor – ventilation allows you to mix the air in the room, preventing its stratification and creating an atmosphere uniform in temperature at any height from the floor level;
• automatic mode – when it is turned on, the split control unit independently determines the optimal operating mode based on the data received from the sensors;
• dehumidification mode, during which the humidity of the air decreases. Dehumidification is only possible in cooling mode, i.e. when activated, excess moisture is eliminated automatically. In the case of starting the dehumidification mode into independent operation, the temperature of the room atmosphere will decrease by 1–2 ° С, not lower;
• air purification is realized due to coarse and fine air filters, through which the air pumped by the indoor unit is passed;
• temperature mode – allows you to set the required temperature level in the range from +16 to +30 ° С;
• fan speed. Usually, three high-speed operating modes of the ventilation unit located in the indoor hairdryer are allowed;
• the position of the louvers at the outlet of the air flow from the air conditioner, which determines the direction of air supply (from 4 to 7 positions);
• a timer with which you can set the time to turn on or off the split;
• night mode, accordingly, is designed to operate the air conditioner at night when its owners are sleeping. When turned on, the fan of the hairdryer automatically switches to the lowest rotation speed in order to minimize the noise it produces. Depending on the active mode – cooling or heating – the control unit of the split system will gradually increase or decrease the temperature set by the user for several hours by 3 degrees to reduce power consumption.

Some manufacturers or, more precisely, their marketing services often expand the number of functions of their climatic devices, colorfully describing them in booklets – in fact, their equipment does not have any additional modes that are relevant to users, these are just advertising tricks to attract the attention of buyers.

Noise level of household air conditioners

For a layman, and those are 90% of future split owners, the decibels indicated in the model’s passport are just some numbers. Let’s illustrate what the digital values ​​in decibels mean:

• zero decibel value (0 dB) – the threshold level of audibility of the human ear, practically indistinguishable by it;
• you produce sound in the range of 25 to 30 dB when you speak in a whisper;
• the sound range from 35 to 45 dB is typical for a calm conversation between two interlocutors;
• noise from 50 to 70 dB is typical for a street with heavy traffic or communication in slightly raised tones (not shouting).

Acceptable noise level for the indoor unit of the split system during its operation with maximum performance is 40 dB, for the outdoor unit – 56 dB. It should be noted that the level of decibels indicated in the passport and produced by the air conditioner will in fact be higher in the latter case, so it is better to choose a model with a deliberately lower noise range indicated in the characteristics than you need.

Louvers for directing air

The more lamellas (horizontal plastic stripes) in their composition, the lower the likelihood of people in the room being blown out by the cold air flow produced by the indoor hairdryer, since several guides create a precisely directed air stream and do not allow it to start dissipating half a meter from the air conditioner.

Materials of which the split-block bodies are made

Do not be afraid to look ridiculous – personally smell the blocks (there should not be a persistent chemical smell), press the casing of both blocks with a little effort in several places and try to move the casing elements in their places of contact with each other (even minimal backlash and casing deflections are not allowed).

Indoor unit control panel and remote control

Control of the main functions of the split system must be present on the control panel of the hairdryer, i.e. only the on-off button of the device is not enough, otherwise, if the remote control breaks down, you will find yourself in a room with an unbearably hot atmosphere and a working, but uncontrollable climatic device. If the split is equipped with a liquid crystal display, then you need to personally find out how bright it is and whether it is possible to lower the brightness – an overly bright display shines like a spotlight in the evening twilight. Pick up the remote control – is it comfortable in the palm of your hand, how quickly do the buttons respond to pressing, how durable the case is.

Air conditioner power consumption

As a rule, a household air conditioner consumes 0.7–1.3 kW per hour of operation – inverter splits and non-inverter models of Japanese manufacturers are more economical, the energy consumption of inexpensive Chinese-made air conditioners is always high. I would like to note that attempts to save on the power of a split system by choosing a model, the capabilities of which barely allow servicing a room of a given area, will result in high electricity costs – to maintain the specified temperature conditions, a low-power split will constantly work at the limit, i.e. with maximum energy consumption and wear.

Warranty terms

Regardless of the terms announced by manufacturers and sellers, their actual value can be anything, including completely absent. With the beginning of the warm season, the number of climatic equipment salons and teams for the installation of split-blocks increases many times, often their degree of responsibility to the customer is zero – premises for a retail outlet are rented for a short time, a one-day company is registered with government agencies, disappearing without a trace by mid-September. In the case of online merchants who opened their resource store this spring, they are virtual, which means they do not exist initially. Seasonal “leftist” installers do not have any legal registration at all, only a phone number and an email address, it is not difficult to change them. Before purchasing and installing the air conditioner, make sure the legal reality of the seller and installer!

Make sure that the selling company and the installation team really intend to fulfill the warranty obligations: in the first case, a receipt and a completed warranty card with a seal in blue ink are required, i.e. not printed on a color printer; in the second case, the act of delivery and acceptance of work in duplicate with addresses, full names and personal signatures of the parties (in the next part of the article we will return to this document).

Pay special attention to the conditions under which the warranty period for air conditioners of this manufacturer is valid. Among them, there may be mandatory certification of the supplier and installer, strict adherence to additional conditions for installing a split system, requirements for the order and frequency of preventive maintenance of the climatic device.

At the end

The second part of the material, which completes the series of articles on “climatic technology”, will be devoted to the installation of air conditioners – from it you will learn about the correct order of installation work, the necessary materials with which this installation is carried out and about much more. Possession of this information will protect the owners of split systems from deception by installers, who often take advantage of their naivety and perform work with a mediocre level of quality..