Where can I put the air conditioner: choosing the best place for installation in a private house and in an apartment

Power and technical characteristics of the device

The efficiency of cooling the room in the heat directly depends on the power of the compressor installed in the air conditioner. Therefore, just installing an air conditioner at home is not enough; you must first determine the power. If this indicator is not taken into account, then you can buy a device that will not be effective.

You need to navigate in terms of power based on the area of ​​\u200b\u200byour apartment. For example, for every 10 sq. m will require 1 kW of power supplied by the device. It turns out that for a room of 20 sq. m it is necessary that the air conditioner has a power of at least 20 kW.

Experts recommend buying a device that has more power than is necessary, even following from the calculations.The most important thing is that it should not be smaller.

The most basic functions that almost every air conditioner has are as follows:

1. The mode of cooling and heating the air in the room.
2. ventilation mode.
3. Purification and elimination of excessive air humidity.
4. Support of necessary temperature in the automatic mode.
5. Adjustment of power of an air stream.

These are the most basic options inherent in every model today. More expensive devices are additionally equipped with a more advanced set of functions:

1. The air conditioner can operate in air ionization mode.
2. Additionally, the device can be equipped with kahetin filters.
3. "Winter start" system.
4. Also, air conditioners can be equipped with modern plasma cleaners.

Of course, all this increases the cost of the air conditioner model. But here you need to decide: do you need these innovations or do you need a set of standard options. It is worth adding that all modern appliances have a remote control that makes it easier to manage them. and also shows information about the operation of the device and its settings.

Where to install air conditioning in the apartment?

Where is the best place to put the air conditioner in the room? Does it depend only on interior design or specific technical requirements for individual devices? It turns out that the place of the air conditioner in the room cannot be accidental. Our health depends on it. Therefore, it is worth knowing the basic rules of where it is best to place the indoor unit. The location of the outdoor unit is regulated by separate requirements.It is best to install the air conditioner during finishing or renovation work, then the easiest way is to hide the pipes in the walls or in the plasterboard assembly that bring the cooled air inside.

Fixing the outdoor unit

Installation on the wall of a multi-storey building

Now let's logically move on to another part of the split system - the external unit. Many questions may arise here as well. In general, where can you fix it?

If you install it on the bare wall of a 16-story building, while you live on the tenth floor, then get ready to shell out a considerable amount periodically, firstly, during its installation, and secondly, during preventive maintenance. The ideal place to mount the outdoor unit is, for example, a balcony or other convenient place.

Air conditioning in the glazed loggia

Outdoor unit installed very low

It is undesirable for the unit to be installed on the sunny side. Direct sunlight will heat the device, its efficiency will decrease, and it will fail faster. The unit is best installed on the leeward side of the wall. If the wind is strong, it will be difficult to remove heat from the room, which will lead to fan failure. Unfortunately, not all residents of apartment buildings can follow these recommendations, since the windows of their apartment most often face one side and it is this side that can turn out to be sunny.

It is forbidden to install an external device in the following places:

1. Next to a tree.
2. Close to the ground.
3. Close to gas communications.

Firstly, if the external part of the air conditioner is installed next to the crown of a tree, then the heat exchanger of the unit will periodically become clogged with leaves and other debris flying from the trees in the wind.In addition, branches can constantly beat against the body of the unit, which sooner or later will lead to its breakdown. If there was no other place where the outdoor unit could be installed, it will be necessary, contrary to love for wildlife, to shorten the crown of a nearby tree.

Secondly, if the air conditioner is fixed at a low height, then it will be constantly polluted not only by the earth itself, but also by snow. If the reasons for such installation are due to technical necessity, then you can purchase or make a special stand yourself.

Thirdly, the air conditioner should not be installed near the gas pipe. In the event of a gas leak, this could lead to an explosion.

Not every neighbor will agree to plug his ears

It is impossible not to say that an ethical question may also arise. The outdoor unit makes noise during operation, which will create some inconvenience for people living in the neighborhood. You will not avoid trouble if it monotonously hums over the window of your neighbors. Troubles can also arise if the condensate from the tube regularly drips onto the heads of passers-by.

You can share your impressions, wishes and knowledge based on personal experience by leaving a comment at the end of the article.

We also recommend that you read additional material. Read articles:

• How air conditioner works.
• We repair the air conditioner.

ducted air conditioner

• An external, compressor block, which very externally resembles a conventional split system module.
• An internal device that is much larger and more efficient than a standard air conditioner.
• Diffusers and grilles through which air will be taken from the outside and supplied to each room.

Typically, ducted air conditioners work on the principle of mixing in a small part of the outside air, and therefore have natural restrictions on heating the air flow. Very often, as additional devices to them, a heater is used to enable full heating of the air.

In addition, a heat exchanger can be installed as a “help” to the duct air conditioner.

Benefits of using a duct type air conditioner

All the advantages are visible to the naked eye, the main of which is the possibility of air conditioning large houses with many rooms. In addition, there is also a decorative component. All equipment and air ducts are hidden behind the trim. There is another indisputable advantage of using a ducted air conditioner: thanks to this equipment, you can design a system that meets all the requirements of users.

The disadvantages of such an air conditioning system

The main disadvantage is the high cost of the equipment itself and components. The smaller the serviced premises, the longer such a device will pay off. In addition, with such a system, it is impossible to adjust the ambient temperature in each room; it is not without reason that it is called the central air conditioning of a private house. Also, the installation of devices and air ducts is very expensive, which, by the way, are quite noisy.

What to consider when calculating

The air conditioning system is an engineering structure that requires accurate calculations of the required power of the equipment. When making calculations, many factors must be taken into account:

• The volume of rooms.Many for their calculations are guided by the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe premises - this is wrong.
• Number of window openings.
• North-south orientation.
• The number of people who are most often in the room.
• The area and amount of equipment that can generate heat.

Where to install the air conditioner

standard placement of a wall-mounted split system

There are many schemes for the location of the air conditioner in the apartment, which are shown in the examples below.

Most often, installers try to place both blocks as in the first picture. This option satisfies many rules for installing an air conditioner in an apartment: the recommended length of the route is taken into account, cooled air cuts off heat from the window, the external unit does not interfere with neighbors, cold air flows are unlikely to affect the main places of people's recreation.

split system with an outdoor unit on the facade of the balcony

If the room has a balcony, then the layout of the air conditioner in the apartment may look like in the second picture. The outdoor unit is hung on the facade of the balcony, and the indoor unit on the nearest wall suitable for installation.

When there are two windows in the room, the indoor unit can be fixed between them, and the outdoor unit can be installed as standard under one of them.

split system in a room with two windows

It was not mentioned above that not only ducted air conditioners are installed in a multi-room apartment, but also multi-split systems with one outdoor unit and several indoor ones. Room modules can be either one type, for example, only wall-mounted, or several: wall-mounted + cassette + floor-ceiling.

The figure below shows two multi-split systems, each consisting of one outdoor and two indoor units.

two multi-split systems in the apartment

It is quite realistic to choose a multi-zone air conditioner with a large number of indoor units. Their maximum number per one outdoor reaches 9.

The outdoor unit can be placed on the balcony if it is not glazed or there are windows that are constantly open to ensure air circulation

This is important for blowing the condenser, which can overheat in a confined space, and the device will turn off. When the apartment is located on the top floor, it is quite possible to place an air conditioner on the roof, as shown schematically in the picture

rooftop or balcony outdoor unit

A ducted air conditioner with recirculation and ventilation for several rooms looks like this.

ducted air conditioner with air ducts

The location of the track may also look different.

passing the route to the outdoor unit

Air conditioner installation rules

To determine where to hang the air conditioner in the apartment, you need to know the rules for its installation:

• The flow of cooled air should not be directed towards people or places of their permanent residence;
• There should be no obstacles in the area of ​​1.5 meters in front of the block;
• Do not hang the split system near an open fire or heating appliances;
• For a wall-mounted air conditioner, a minimum distance of 15 cm from the ceiling is provided;
• It is desirable to provide direct cutoff of the sun's rays with cooled air.

These are the basic rules for installing an air conditioner in an apartment, based on which it is easy to choose where to hang it.

Video and useful video on the topic

The consultant shares advice on choice of climate technology:

Buying an air conditioner is always a long and delicate process.Especially for those who have never done it before.

But if you take into account all the above tips, correctly calculate the power and decide on the set of functions, then you can get a device that will make the microclimate in the house or apartment really comfortable.

Do you want to supplement the above material with advice on choosing or focus on the products of another worthy manufacturer whose name we did not mention in this article? Write comments in the block below, express your opinion, do not hesitate to ask questions to our experts

Why install air conditioning in the hallway?

In summer, as the temperature rises, the demand for air conditioners increases dramatically. In rooms where air conditioners are installed and operate, a fairly comfortable microclimate is formed.

But owners do not always have the opportunity to install climate control equipment in all rooms - they need to reduce electricity consumption or there is no financial opportunity. But I want to create a comfortable microclimate throughout the apartment.

It is the solution to the issue of savings and the ability to provide cool air to all living quarters of the apartment that pushes the owners to look for alternative solutions, including:

• installation of one powerful air conditioner in one of the rooms;
• installation of one air conditioner in the hallway.

At the same time, it is worth noting that the installation of a household air conditioner in the corridor is considered more acceptable - this is the passage part of the apartment, in which no one lingers for a long time.

If, however, one of the rooms is chosen as the place of deployment, then in order to cool the entire apartment with one device, it will be necessary to set a lower temperature, which can lead to colds and other diseases of those who will be in this room.

By installing an air conditioner in the corridor, it is indeed possible to achieve cooling of the entire apartment, but this will only happen if the power of the equipment is correctly selected and it is correctly located in the hallway.

One of the most common options for installing an indoor unit of an air conditioner in a corridor is to place it above the front door. This method allows you to exclude installation work inside the apartment. All communications connecting the blocks and removing drainage are located outside the apartment on the landing

When choosing one air conditioner for the whole apartment, it is necessary to take into account an important parameter - the cooling capacity of the device (cooling power). It is indicated on all equipment in kW or special units of measurement - Btu (British thermal unit).

To select the required power, it is necessary to calculate the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe apartment. So, for 10 square meters, an air conditioner with a power of 1 kW (3412 BTU) is suitable.

It is worth noting that in order to cool all the rooms in the apartment, a sufficiently powerful device will be required, which, in terms of its geometric parameters, will have impressive dimensions.

Corner installation of the air conditioner

You can install the air conditioner in the corner of the room where another way is simply impossible due to the architectural features or the size of the room. Some manufacturers have corner models of split systems with a very attractive design and compact dimensions.But this is the least desirable location of the air conditioner in the kitchen or room, since in any case, the distribution uniformity will suffer and the formation of different temperature zones cannot be avoided.

At the same time, sometimes the question arises of where to place the air conditioner in the room, if there is an opening 70 cm wide between the window frame and the wall, and there is no other place to choose. In this case, corner mounting is justified. When the landlord chooses this option, then the location of the doorway should be taken into account - you can not hang the device in front of him, as the air will go to another room.

When can the air conditioner not be plugged in?

Climate equipment can be connected to a household network both in an apartment and in a country house, but certain conditions must be met for this. Otherwise, there is a risk of an emergency.

So, it is forbidden to connect air conditioners to the outlet if:

• no good grounding;
• the electrical wiring is in poor condition (for example, there is only old-style aluminum wiring in the room, which cannot withstand the load from the air conditioner);
• there are no devices that equalize voltage drops (this is especially dangerous in houses with wooden floors);
• the cable has insufficient section for connection, etc.

Climate equipment requires good electrical wiring. It is sensitive to voltage drops and can become unusable in case of any problems on the power line.

Before installing and connecting a household air conditioner to the network, you need to check the operation of the electrical outlet using a special tester

You can check the performance of the outlet at home.To do this, you just need to buy a tester and read its instructions.

Typical mistakes when installing air conditioners

Incorrect installation of the air conditioner is a common thing. It also happens that a mistake leads to the fall of the structure. The reason for this is the high cost of installation services provided by special firms, as well as the presence of non-professionals in this field. For example, skilled workers provided by the firm will charge almost half the cost of the air conditioner itself for their 2-3 hour installation of an air conditioner. Therefore, in order to save money, the owners prefer to hire an unskilled worker. The result of such an installation is different: for some, the air conditioner lasts for years, while for others it does not.

Note! Often, non-professionals do not pay attention to the material from which the facade is made, what load it will withstand, etc. Here is a list of the most typical and common mistakes that are made when installing air conditioners:

Here is a list of the most typical and common mistakes that are made when installing air conditioners:

1. Freon tubes are too often and excessively bent. Then the load on the compressor increases, and it fails faster.
2. Installation of a condenser unit on a glazed loggia. As a result, air circulation deteriorates.
3. Installing an air conditioner in a room with appliances that emit high-frequency electromagnetic waves. These include: lathe or drilling machine, welding equipment.
4. Installing the evaporator unit in a skewed fashion: condensate flows out onto the floor.
5. Installing an air conditioner above a heat source.

When these errors are already made during the installation process, you will have to fix them. To do this, you need to understand the meaning of the error and the reason:

1. If, after installation, the air conditioner creates a draft, it is enough to change the direction of the air flow, which is changed by the position of the damper on the device.
2. When heating indoors, the outdoor unit is covered with ice. In this case, the product does not have an automatic defrosting system. It is enough to turn on the air conditioner in the cooling mode, after which the plaque will gradually melt.
3. During the hot period, fresh air does not come from the installed air conditioner, there is no cooling effect. It is necessary to check the filters, close the windows in the room, turn on the heating device, replace the air conditioner with a more powerful one.
4. If the air flow is weak, the filters are cleaned.
5. If water is flowing from the air conditioner, the drain channel is blocked. It could be an ice block. You will have to call the master, who will warm up the unit.
6. When a line noise is heard during the operation of the installed air conditioner, the bearings may be worn out or the fan may be out of balance. A master is hired to diagnose and repair the product.
7. The compressor gets very hot - a sign of low freon pressure. It is enough to refuel the air conditioner with freon and check everything for leaks.

If you follow all these steps, you can be sure that the installed air conditioner will last for many more years.

We determine the place

Self-installation of the air conditioner starts with the choice of a place for installation.Since most split systems are formed from at least two components, you will need enough space for their installation. You also need to take into account the direction of air flow, and follow the manufacturer's requirements.

Technical requirements

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the requirements that the manufacturer makes for installing the indoor unit of the air conditioner. By following the rules for installing the air conditioner, you can install it with the highest quality, and ensure the optimal mode of operation of the equipment.

The main requirements include the minimum allowable distance between system components and obstacles:

• 15 centimeters to the ceiling;
• 30 centimeters to the side walls;
• 150 centimeters to the obstacle to which the cooled air flow will be directed.

The specified distances are average and it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the technical documentation attached to the equipment. For example, some manufacturers require up to 30 centimeters between the ceiling and the air conditioner.

Mounting location options

Installation of an external air conditioner unit, in the classic version, near a window or on an open balcony. In case of balcony glazing window air conditioner installation possible on the railing, subject to their sufficient reliability. Also, air conditioners are attached directly to the walls, not far from the windows. Up to the second floor, the blocks are mounted at the maximum available height.

Air conditioner installed on the balcony

When deciding how to install an air conditioner on your own in a private house, they proceed from the possibilities of the walls. If the house is sheathed with a ventilated facade, special fasteners are used. If there is a reliable base, the blocks can be fixed on it.

As for split systems, when determining the installation location, it is necessary to remember the allowable distances between the blocks. These parameters are indicated in the technical documentation. It happens that the manufacturer does not regulate the minimum distance, which facilitates installation. In this case, you can put blocks on top of each other, using the "sandwich" method.

It is somewhat easier with the distance between the blocks at the maximum length, as a rule, it is within 6 meters. It is permissible to extend the system, however, this will require refueling with freon.