Air Conditioning Installation

Eco temp Ltd. specialise in the installation of fixed air conditioning systems within the UK.

The team is controlled by Robert Bellone, who has over 10 years experience in the air conditioning industry. Some of Eco temp Ltd. clients have remarked that almost all other contractors offer only one range or brand of air conditioning product. Eco temp Ltd. do not wish to treat each client the same as each other as we believe that each client and their project is totally individual.

There are a variety of products and manufacturers available and unfortunately there are some that prove to be rather problematic and unreliable. Eco Temp Ltd. have utilised all the major manufacturers before committing to using them so there are no hidden surprises for our clientele. Ultimately, following numerous years within the industry and many installations nationwide we have major confidence within the following named brands; Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Fujitsu, Hitachi, York and Toshiba. Our preferred brand after our experiences is the Daikin brand, and this is what we will endeavour to recommend consistently within the air conditioning market, however we do look upon other brands as per each project individually. All the while we shall converse with our client and offer our advice, and in turn we shall listen to our client and their input with the utmost regard.

The most common styles of air conditioning indoor unit are listed below:

Wall Mounted

This unit is often used in domestic applications and server rooms. The wall unit is the quickest to install and the cheapest to buy. So ultimately that normally means it shall be the lowest installed price. The unit is hung on a wall above head height and blows hot or cold air into a room directly, with return air taken from the top of the evaporator coil.

Floor/Low Wall

This unit is used when there is no ceiling void or limited wall space. It is slightly more expensive to buy than a wall unit but takes about as long to install. It is a little like a radiator except it blows hot or cold air rather than using water.

Cassette

This unit is often used in offices and large open plan areas requiring large area conditioning. The cassette unit is fixed from the roof above a ceiling void and the white fascia panel is the only part of the unit you shall see. It takes longer to install this unit and requires more materials than a wall mounted coupled with being more expensive to buy; however it distributes the air in all directions so therefore providing more efficient coverage and a more gentle air flow.

Ducted

This unit is one of the quietest and most desirable forms of air conditioning! It is, of course, the most expensive to buy and install but it means that the client sees nothing other than inconspicuous air diffusers in the ceiling. The unit is mounted, as the cassette, above a ceiling and ductwork is installed to carry the air to the diffusers. This gives a very comfortable environment and extremely good coverage.

The good thing about air conditioning is its flexibility. You can run any of the above from one outdoor condensing unit, which is called a “single split”. Or you can run a number of indoor units from one outdoor unit; this is called a “multi split”. Although multi split systems may be more expensive for two to three systems than opting for single split systems, across 5 way systems as per the Daikin 5MXS90 it becomes more affordable due to decrease in materials used and time saved on external condensing unit mounting.

So there aren’t many applications that can’t be heated or cooled by air conditioning. The vital part of any installation is to consider these points:

1. What indoor unit style would be most suitable for the application?
2. Where can the condensing unit (outdoor) be sited?
3. How long would the interconnecting services need to be, and which route would they take?
4. Can we use a gravity drain to run away the condensation or do we need to utilise a condensate removal pump?
5. Are there suitable power supplies within the building?
6. How large is the area to be conditioned?
7. What is the room’s purpose, or is there a set temperature that needs to be consistently achieved?

Once these points are established a budget price can be provided. Clearly there are other factors that determine the design of the unit but these are the basic points.

In the first instance, if, after reading this, you would like to investigate your options further, the next step is to contact Eco Temp Ltd. so they can establish exactly what is required. One of their specially trained design engineers will be on hand to assist.

With all technology there is a number of different phrases and terminology used however this can be confusing, let us shed light on a few below:-

Inverter

The compressor is the systems heartbeat. An older style of unit would turn the compressor on at full power, when the set point temperature was achieved, the unit would turn off. The cycle would repeat continuously throughout the day. This was expensive as turning this old style of compressor on and off drew a lot of electrical current. The new “inverter” driven units have compressors that can fluctuate their load depending on what is actually required. You can compare it to a car engine and the accelerator. When you need more heating or cooling, the inverter compressor speeds up. When you need less it slows down, rarely turning off. This means the unit is hardly ever drawing any load electrically. Experts have suggested that inverter driven units can save up to 40% on running costs!

ECA

This stands for Enhanced Capital Allowance. It is a government run incentive to financially reward companies who choose to install energy efficient products. If a company has qualifying equipment installed and they make profit in that financial year, they can claim 100% of the equipment and installation cost back against their tax, increasing dramatically the company cash-flow. Please refer to www.eca.gov.uk