How to choose the air conditioner for your home

With the arrival of summer everyone begins to worry about the arrival of the heat and the best way to defend themselves from the summer heat, especially if there are children, the elderly and people suffering from particular pathologies in the house. So if you also mean buy an air conditioner and you don't know which model to choose, we will try to suggest some fundamental criteria to find the most suitable one for you.

First of all, it is essential to focus on new products, because they are equipped with the latest generation cooling technologies. In fact, the most modern air conditioners ensureenergy efficiency greater than older appliances because they require a smaller refrigerant charge, as required by the new European legislation on fluorinated gases.

Air conditioner: how to choose it?

When buying an air conditioner, one must first of all distinguish between heat pumpsi.e. appliances that are capable of both cooling and heating, and air coolers that on the contrary can only make the room in which they are installed cooler. Air conditioners therefore work in a rather rudimentary way: the speed of the air can be regulated but not its temperature.
THE air conditioners instead they are also able to dehumidify the air and therefore allow you to set both the temperature and the desired humidity level.
For this reason it is essential to always check that the selected air conditioner has the dehumidification function. In fact, this option makes it possible to optimize the energy savings of the appliance since, sometimes, activating the dehumidification function can be sufficient to achieve immediate benefit.
These devices also have specific sensors that stop them when the set parameters are reached.
In general, then, it is always better not to install a heat pump in those regions where winter is very harsh, while it is advisable when the room to be air-conditioned is no larger than 50 square metres.

After these very brief introductions, let's now see what are the characteristics and parameters to consider to evaluate the quality of an air conditioner.

Cold energy efficiency

The energy efficiency classes cold are shown in the energy label (compulsory since 2004) and indicate the electricity consumption of the air conditioner.

Cooling capacity and air conditioner power

This is another important parameter in the choice of the appliance and is expressed in kW or in Btu/hr (British Thermal Unit): the higher these values are, the more powerful the system is.
From this it follows that the higher the Btu the larger the area that the appliance will be able to cool.
Therefore, when choosing an air conditioner, it will be essential to do some calculations and carefully evaluate the cubic meters that we intend to air-condition.
Another factor to take into consideration is the exposure of the house: an attic, for example, heats up more quickly than an apartment on the first floor.
If, on the other hand, you need to air conditioning different environments the choice should fall on multi-split air conditioners, which can be connected to each other through a single external unit. In any case, the doors of unused rooms must always be closed and if you decide to use a split for each room, it is better to opt for an air conditioner with a dual or trial function"inverters“.

Pay attention to energy consumption classes

Naturally, higher cooling capacity results in higher energy consumption. For this reason it is always better to choose a product with a high energy consumption class.

Quality and safety certifications

If the air conditioner has obtained many certifications (such as ISO14001, ISO9001, Eurovent, THERE IS) its cost will be higher. At the same time, however, you will have the certainty that you have purchased a device that can guarantee efficiency and savings.

Portable or fixed air conditioners?

To air-condition several rooms it is also possible to use the portable air conditioners that can be transported easily and do not involve the purchase of multiple devices. However, these devices are not free from defects because they tend to be noisier than fixed ones. Furthermore, portable air conditioners have a higher cost than wall-mounted ones but do not require installation by specialized personnel. However, their use requires a greater expenditure of energy since in order to function they must necessarily draw the hot air from outside the room in which they are located.

Filters to purify the air

Especially in the city, the air we breathe contains many but modern allergens air conditioners are equipped with filters antibacterial, anti-pollen and anti-odour. In this way these devices purify the air we breathe and represent the perfect solution for all those people who suffer from respiratory diseases or allergies.

Regulatory refrigerant fluids

Another precaution to keep in mind when choosing an air conditioner is to always check that it only contains refrigerant fluids named R410A, R134 and R407C, even better theR32. Otherwise there is a risk that the purchased device will become illegal. R32 is a new type of pure refrigerant gas and thanks to it it is possible to reduce harmful emissions for the greenhouse effect by about a third compared to the less recent R410A.

Inverter technology air conditioners

When the room reaches the set temperature, i air conditioners equipped with function with inverters they do not turn off but continue to work in order to keep it stable. In this way the power of the motor is reduced to a minimum and sudden changes in temperature are avoided, at the same time preventing the motor of the device from turning on and off continuously. Thanks to this technology, the savings are approximately 30% more than the older models.

Digital thermostat and timer

These functions allow you to program the switching on and off of the air conditioner even when you are not at home.
In any case, it must be considered that it is not advisable to cool the environment excessively since excessive changes in temperature are not healthy. Also you always have to turn off the air conditioner of the bedroom before sleeping at night and carry out proper maintenance of the system by cleaning the filters. In any case, the difference between the external and internal temperatures must never exceed 5-7°C.

Source: www.abbassalebollette.it