The question that arises when you want to install an air conditioner in which air conditioner to buy. There are many types and they each have their advantages.
Cooling or warming?
What you should first ask yourself is what do I wish to do with the air conditioning? Should it only cool or should it cool and heat? If you opt for air conditioning with heating, then you should look at heat pump air conditioning. The advantage of heat pump air conditioning is that the investment, which is a lot higher than standard air conditioning, pays for itself after a number of years because it is a very environmentally friendly way of cooling and heating.
Buy mobile air conditioning or fixed air conditioning
If you are in doubt about buying a fixed air conditioner or a mobile air conditioner, the answer is quite simple: only buy a mobile air conditioner if you want to cool one room for a maximum of two weeks a year. Mobile air conditioners are designed to deal with emergencies. A sudden heatwave, a few days of very hot weather, or your regular air conditioning that fails for one reason or another. The advantage of mobile air conditioning is the speed of installation and the price.
Buying guide fixed air conditioning
Even if you only look at fixed air conditioning systems, you will notice that there are quite a few types of fixed air conditioning. They usually have a greater cooling capacity and consume less energy.
Monoblock air conditioning (without outdoor unit)
Split air conditioning (with the outdoor unit)
Multi-split air conditioning (with the outdoor unit)
VRF air conditioning
You can also opt for an air curtain or window curtain, although this is rather to keep the heat out or the coolness in.
You mainly choose VRF air conditioning if you:
need a lot of indoor units; (more than 50 indoor units)
need strong cooling power; (multiple outdoor units to work together)
want to cool and heat at the same time;
good support and maintenance;
For private use or for small and medium-sized companies (SMEs), a VRF air conditioner will almost never be an option because of the special setup and price.
Choosing between split air conditioning and multi-split air conditioning
In 90 percent of the cases, you end up with a fixed air conditioning system that works with one outdoor unit and has one or more indoor units. If only one indoor unit is connected to one outdoor unit, choose a split air conditioner. From the moment two or more indoor units are installed, you end up with a multi-split air conditioner.
Which indoor unit do you choose for your air conditioning?
Don’t let your choice of air conditioner be influenced by the appearance of possible indoor units. All types of indoor units are available with any fixed air conditioner. For example, you can equip any fixed air conditioner with a wall unit, floor unit, or ceiling unit. Always try to stick to one manufacturer for the installation of outdoor units and indoor units.
Air conditioning in your bedroom, at home, or in the caravan?
The place where you want to place your air conditioning plays a major role in your choice. For example, do you want to place it anywhere in the house or only in your living room, bedroom, or maybe even caravan? When making your choice, also consider the noise nuisance caused by an air conditioner. In a living room or workspace, 50dB is not such a problem, but in your bedroom, it can be disturbing.
Placing an air cooler in your caravan can be a very sensible choice during your holiday in the hot summer months. Then preferably choose a mobile air conditioner with a split system, so that the hose fits easily through a hinged window of the caravan and you mainly have the sound of the cooling system outside. This allows you to sleep undisturbed on holiday without being bothered by the heat.
If you place an air cooler in the house, you can also opt for a mobile unit, for example, if you only want to cool the bedroom. A fixed air conditioner is a good choice if you want to regulate the temperature in your house universally and do not want to be bothered by noise pollution. By placing a multi-split unit you can cool every room in the house.
