Why early planning is important
Last summer, did you also struggle through the night sweating or unsuccessfully open all windows and doors in your home office to keep a cool head? Then you probably considered an air conditioner for your own home. Remember that air conditioning specialists are busy not only in summer, but also the rest of the year. Whether for cooling or heating: to enjoy the benefits of an air conditioner soon, early planning is worthwhile. But what should owners consider when they want an air conditioner, and what should they pay attention to?
Which air conditioner for which room size?
Different factors
When planning an air conditioning system for your home, the size and number of rooms to be cooled or heated are crucial. The performance of the air conditioning system should be adapted to the room size to ensure adequate and energy-efficient cooling. The greater the cooling capacity, the higher the energy consumption. The cooling capacity is given in kilowatts (kW). Decisive here are the heat gains entering a building or room; accordingly, the cooling loads must be calculated individually during planning. External and internal heat sources affect a room. The heat to be dissipated is generated by people, electrical devices and lighting, as well as solar radiation through the window areas or heating via the building facade. The heat loads depend significantly on the orientation, the location of the building, and the nature of the building facade. The air conditioning unit must dissipate the resulting heat loads, which means that the wattage of the air conditioning unit - usually given in kilowatts (1,000 W = 1 kW) - must be taken into account. If you want to use the air conditioner for heating, the heating load, not the cooling load, is decisive.
In summary, this means:
Various factors play a role in calculating performance. To ensure that you neither purchase an air conditioner that consumes too much electricity nor one that does not provide enough cooling or heating capacity, an efficient air conditioner should always be planned by a specialist company .
Single-split or multi-split air conditioner?
How many rooms need to be cooled?
Split air conditioning units offer an optimal solution for cooling or heating small and large rooms. Depending on the requirements, you can choose between two variants: The single-split variant or the multi-split variant. Single-split systems consist of one indoor unit and one outdoor unit. Accordingly, these are only suitable for individual rooms. For particularly large or multiple rooms, we recommend the multi-split variant. Here, up to eight indoor units can be connected to one outdoor unit.
Where do I place a split air conditioner?
The right location for indoor and outdoor units
In addition to room size, location plays a big role when you are planning an air conditioning system.
The outdoor unit requires sufficient space and can be installed, for example, in the garden or on the facade of your house. For an apartment, the balcony is suitable. Please note: For owner-occupied and rented apartments, you need permission before attaching the unit to the exterior walls.
For the indoor unit , perfect air circulation must be ensured. In addition, there should be no heat source near the unit. Thanks to the wide variety of models, a suitable place for the indoor units can usually be found quickly. Here you have the choice between wall, floor, and ceiling units.
Tip: Also ensure that the outdoor and indoor units should be easily accessible for cleaning and maintenance. In addition, an electrical supply is required for the operation of the units. Our specialist companies will be happy to advise you on where to best place your air conditioner.
Which air conditioner is best for my home?
Criteria for air conditioners
Energy efficiency: When choosing an air conditioner, efficiency is an important decision factor. With energy-efficient inverter technology, energy efficiency classes up to A+++ (energy efficiency classes from A+++ to D) can be achieved. In addition to the energy efficiency class, you can also look at the SEER value (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio), which indicates the energy efficiency of operation over a year. This should be at least A+.
Filter technology: Modern air conditioners significantly improve air quality through built-in filter systems by filtering pollen, house dust, fine dust, viruses, and even odors from the air. Especially during hay fever season, this is a big plus for allergy sufferers. Here too, you should opt for high-quality filters for air conditioners that meet your needs – from dust-free to antibacterial.
Comfort: When planning your air conditioner, you should also consider comfort aspects. This mainly includes quiet operation. The sound pressure of the indoor and outdoor unit is given in decibels as an objective acoustic measure. For a comfortable night's sleep, an air conditioner in the bedroom should also have a night mode with an even lower noise level.
For greater comfort, smart control is also crucial. Smart air conditioners can be controlled from anywhere via smartphone and are also compatible with voice controls such as Alexa, Google Home, and co.
Last but not least, drafts are an important comfort issue. Air conditioners with person detection have built-in sensors that detect the presence and position of people in the room and precisely direct the airflow – either directed at the people or away from the people, as desired.
Heating solution: Modern split air conditioners have an integrated heating function. Because in reverse operation, the devices correspond to the structure of an air-to-air heat pump. The heating function is particularly useful during the transition period – i.e., in spring and autumn – when you are not yet using the full heating capacity. We have summarized the function and further information on sensible operation for you in the blog article "Heating with air conditioners".
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