Staying cool this Summer - Know this before purchasing your Split A.C.

The installation process for a new air conditioner is complicated. When customers ask what’s involved in the process, they’re often shocked to learn how much goes into it.

The more worrying fact is that there are many HVAC companies and air conditioner installers who don’t know all the steps that should be part of a good installation. It’s easy to cut corners so that an A/C system runs “good enough”.

But “good enough” often means losing money in energy costs over the life of your system, and decreased comfort for you and your family. This is unacceptable.

Do you want a sleek, efficient machine powering your air conditioning, or a comfort-robbing trashcan outside your home? I’m guessing you’d prefer the former. Well, you’re in luck. In this article, we are going to cover some tips & tricks for a headache free installation! If you’re committed to getting the most from your air conditioning system, read on. By the end, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with understanding each step. It will also allow you to pick a company whose installation process is up to snuff.

Importantly, this is not a DIY guide, poor installations also leads to frequent maintenance problems. Air conditioning installation should always be handled by a professional. Once you read each step involved, it should be easy to see why.

Several factors have to considered during the installation of split air conditioner:

1. Strength of wall to hold the AC

The indoor unit of split AC must be installed on a wall strong enough to hold the unit’s weight. Avoid installations on drywalls as far as possible.

2. Proper spacing between wall and AC unit

The indoor unit of split AC requires at least 15 cm of open space surrounding its top and sides for proper air flow.

3. Appropriate installation height from ground

Mount the indoor unit of split AC at a height of 7-8 feet above the ground for adequate cooling inside the room

4. Correct tilt angle of indoor unit

While fixing the aluminum bracket on wall make sure that the bracket is given a slight tilt angle, so that the indoor unit of split AC, when fitted is also at a slight angle to enable unrestricted flow of the condensed water from the drain pipe.

5. Correct location of outdoor unit

For proper cooling, mount the outdoor units of split AC at location away from direct sunlight and water. Avoid installing the outdoor unit in South direction as it receives maximum sunlight and as far as possible cover the unit with a canopy, to avoid direct sunlight and overheating of PCB inside the inverter AC unit, heat & water are the enemy of electronics! Install the outdoor unit in open space so that there is no hindrance to the heat dissipated from the condenser.

6. Proper placement of outdoor unit

The outdoor unit of split AC must be placed on a flat and rigid surface. This unit contains key components of split AC like PCB, compressor, condenser, fan motor etc. If the unit is not on a flat surface then it will vibrate excessively, which can lead to the breakage of copper pipes, coolant leakage and compressor/condenser damage. Further, the vibrating unit makes lots of noise which could disturb you and your neighbors.

7. Right distance between indoor and outdoor unit

Correct distance between the indoor and outdoor unit plays a very important role in cooling. The coolant at very low temperature flows inside the copper tubes between indoor and outdoor units of split AC. There is always some loss of cooling effect to the atmosphere when the refrigerant flows between the units. Hence to reduce this loss, keep the distance between the indoor unit of split AC and the outdoor unit of split AC as minimum as possible and cover the tubes with insulating foam material. The maximum allowable distance between the indoor and the outdoor units of split AC can be about 15 meters.