Universal air conditioner: if you want to put it on the ceiling, if you want – on the wall

Recommendation points

• How the floor-ceiling air conditioner works and works
• Pros and cons of universal split systems
• Universal air conditioner – comparison and selection
• At the end

In this article: the device and the possibilities of floor-ceiling split systems; positive and negative characteristics of universal splits; overview of three models of floor-ceiling air conditioners.

With all their advantages, monoblock air conditioners and split systems have one common drawback – limited location. The window window is installed only in the wall opening, the split hair dryer is hung on the wall to the ceiling, the mobile air conditioner and column split can only be installed on the floor. And if, for example, you have windows from ceiling to floor or there is no desire to “decorate” the walls with an internal split block – although it is attractive in appearance, it looks inappropriate in rooms decorated in the “classic” style. There is a solution – floor-to-ceiling split system.

How the floor-ceiling air conditioner works and works

Climatic systems of this class consist of two blocks, i.e. refer to split systems. The external block is arranged in the same way as in other splits, but the design of the indoor block is somewhat different – its flat body is much thinner, wider and longer than the hair dryer block of a conventional split system, it looks more like a convection heater.

On the upper (front) end of the hair dryer block there are louvers through which prepared air enters the room, an air intake is made along the lower (back) end, air is pumped into the device, blown off the heat exchanger with it and returned back to the room by a sufficiently powerful centrifugal fan. The condensate formed during the cooling of the room atmosphere is collected in trays, one of which is installed on the reverse side of the front panel, the second along the lower end. Models of floor-ceiling splits belonging to the lower price segment are usually designed for installation only in a vertical or horizontal position – respectively, they do not have one of the two pallets. The accumulated condensate is drained from the pallets through plastic pipes to the outside of the wall or to the sewer system.

Floor-ceiling split systems are produced by many manufacturers, they differ in power – models with a cooling power of no more than 3.5-4 kW are suitable for domestic needs, more powerful (semi-industrial) are suitable only for large rooms with an area of ​​35 m² and higher. Indoor units of low-power universal splits are equipped with axial fans, units of semi-industrial models are equipped with centrifugal ventilation units that develop higher air pressure.

Depending on the model, universal split systems are equipped with conventional and inverter compressors, additional filters for fine air purification, temperature sensors with an accuracy of 0.5-2 ° C, electromechanical and electronic control, they can work only for air cooling or for cooling and heating. Remote controls, as a rule, are included in the mandatory package of floor-ceiling splits of any price segment.

The cramped premises of offices and supermarket halls are equally full of people, office equipment and trade equipment – each person and each device constantly generates thermal energy, as a result, the atmosphere of the rooms becomes stuffy, it is impossible to transfer it. Attempts to improve the situation with wall splits are ineffective, since they are not designed for such a high load, only cassette air conditioners help out, spreading cool air in four directions at once, but their installation requires a suspended ceiling. In these conditions, universal air conditioners are indispensable – a powerful flow of prepared air, produced by them, spreads along the ceiling (for ceiling installation) or along the wall and ceiling (for floor installation), quickly cooling the hot air gathering near the ceiling and without creating a draft that blows people in. As the air moves from the hair dryer, its wave becomes less and less intense, as it gradually descends to the floor, obeying physical laws.

Office workers are well aware of the situation when a cold stream from a conventional split, usually turned on in the summer heat at full capacity, blows a draft of the desks of some and does not fall on others at all – the first group freezes and asks to reduce the intensity of the device, and the employees from the second group insist on the preservation of the turbo mode. So – if you equip office rooms with a large number of workplaces with wall-ceiling split systems, you will be able to create an equally comfortable atmosphere for all employees.

The indoor unit of a universal air conditioner is installed on the floor in cases where French windows from ceiling to floor do not allow placing a conventional split unit on the walls – for this reason, split systems of this class are popular among owners of sales areas with a large glazed wall area. Installation under the ceiling is suitable not only for large premises, but also for small ones, in which there are always a lot of people and equipment – the capacity of universal air conditioners is quite enough to maintain climatic conditions at the required level even in such difficult conditions.

Pros and cons of universal split systems

Among the positive characteristics, it should be noted the high performance of air conditioners of this class, the ability to mount on a wall near the floor or under the ceiling (not for all models), low noise during operation and automatic condensate drainage. Their uniqueness lies in the ability to lower the temperature of the warmest layer of air accumulating at the ceiling; the capabilities of air conditioners of other classes at this moment are much lower, because the air flow cooled by them enters mainly the central layers of the atmosphere in the served room. Such splits are ideal for rectangular rooms and corridors, as they are able to deliver cool air to the most distant corners of such rooms..

Negative characteristics of universal air conditioners:

• they are not suitable for rooms whose ceiling and walls are not rectilinear – any protrusions will distort the direction of the air flow, which will lead to drafts;
• the body of the indoor unit-hair dryer is larger, and its weight is greater than that of conventional splits, i.e. there may be problems with a lack of space for installation;
• the efficiency of operation in heating mode is lower than that of air conditioners of other classes – warm air enters the under-ceiling volume of the atmosphere, i.e. its coldest bottom layer is weakly heated;
• for ceiling installation, the minimum ceiling height in the serviced room should be about 3000 mm; for installation at a lower height from the floor, a strong cold stream can blow out people’s heads.

Universal air conditioner – comparison and selection

As in previous reviews, we will study three models of floor-to-ceiling splitters from different manufacturers, but with the same cooling capacity. These will be models Daikin, Midea and General Climate.

(*) – means the temperature range outside the served room, i.e. on the street.

FLXS35B / RXS35J, Daikin

As you can see from the table, the characteristics of floor-ceiling air conditioners of different price segments differ significantly from each other:

• Daikin and Midea models use environmentally friendly refrigerant R401A, and the General Climate split is filled with outdated R22 freon;
• a wider operating temperature range for the Daikin split system, the smallest for the General Climate split;
• when operating at maximum power, Daikin air conditioner emits less noise than Midea and General Climate units, the noise of which is the same;
• the longest warranty period for the floor-ceiling model Daikin, the shortest for the General Climate device;
• the weight of the Daikin indoor unit is 1.5 times lower than the other two models;
• the compressor with inverter control is completed only with the split Daikin;
• the energy efficiency of Daikin and Midea air conditioners are close to each other, however, the air conditioning unit of the Japanese manufacturer consumes less electricity – thanks to the inverter compressor;
• the greatest distance of the freon line and the height difference between the blocks is for the Daikin split system, the smallest for the General Climate device;
• in terms of the number of working days per year, the Daikin floor-to-ceiling split is in the lead – it will regularly heat the room to -20 ° С, the other two units – only up to -7 ° С;
• all three models are made in China;
• Air conditioners Daikin, Midea and General Climate participating in the review do not add fresh air, their standard equipment does not include fine air filters – must be purchased separately;
• split system General Climate is not able to produce dehumidification in enhanced mode, only in general – in the “air cooling” mode;
• the average price of a Daikin model is twice the prices for Midea and General Climate air conditioners.

MUB-12HRN1-Q / MOU-12HN1-Q, Midea

Conclusion: based on the analysis of technical and other characteristics, configuration and functionality, as well as the average market price for the floor and ceiling air conditioners participating in the review, the MUB-12HRN1-Q / MOU-12HN1-Q model of the Midea brand is recognized as the most successful purchase – provided technical support (prevention) during the service life, this device will correspond to the optimal price / quality ratio.

GC / GU-CF12HR, General Climate

At the end

Split systems of the class considered in the article are too powerful for domestic use, however, in office and educational institutions, in the absence of an effective central air conditioning system, these devices are able to successfully fulfill their task – creating and maintaining a comfortable atmosphere.

In continuation of the series of reviews on climatic technology, the next material will be devoted to cassette split systems, whose indoor units are built into suspended ceilings.