INTRODUCTION:
Buying an air conditioning installation package in the UK can be a difficult decision for most business, building or home owners. There are various manufacturers, different system types and many factors to take into consideration, not just the bottom line price of the initial installation.
The following details will enlighten you to what you need to consider before going ahead with an air conditioning system installation in your office, retail shop or commercial building. Please follow the links to get further information to support this article in more detail if you so wish.
DESIGN:
A professional air conditioning installation company will provide a quality design service, offering you with the ability to understand what you are getting. A comprehensive quote will be supplied which will detail exactly what you are getting and why. After all I think this would be anyone's minimum requirement when they are about to spend a large amount of money, but you will be surprised how many companies don't supply this attention to detail.
A design must take into account the following factors:
1. Heating and cooling loads of the room/s.
2. Air flow distribution to maximise comfort for the occupants.
3. Ease of installation to maximise speed of installation for minimal disruption and system cost.
4. Cost of the system to match the client's budget.
5. Running costs, including ease of maintenance and electrical consumption.
6. System type to satisfy the requirements.
A comprehensive quotation should be provided, detailing the following:
1. Design requirements.
2. The scope of works.
3. The equipment supplied.
4. Installation time.
5. Warranty of the installation and the equipment.
6. Exclusions, works etc that are not supplied.
7. Price.
8. Payment terms.
9. Contractual information supporting both parties.
10. Technical information for equipment and materials.
COST:
This is always the main consideration for any business for an air conditioning installation, but the initial cost is not the only cost you should consider. This mistake can cost you dearly later on down the line. The following should be addressed and understood to make you the important long term savings:
1. The quality of the installation is very important, top line equipment and installation materials should always be used, as well as a professional installation by qualified & experienced engineers who work from a detailed design to industry standards to a quality assurance level as quoted by the installation company. If you pay bottom price, you normally get bottom quality, air conditioning companies need to make profit just like any other business! There is always a balance though so don't be afraid to discuss this with the installer.
2. Running cost is the most important aspect to consider when designing or buying an air conditioning installation. Why? Because it cost's around the same to run it over its lifetime as it does to purchase the installation!
3. If the design of the installation is wrong, the system will not work properly, meaning it will run and run, using up electricity, costing you something for nothing and also increasing your carbon emissions. Also, the more a system works, the more breakdowns you are likely to get, so damage limitation is important.
Typical examples of bottom line costs influencing decisions are commonly seen where a single indoor air conditioning unit is installed when a twin indoor unit is required. The single is cheaper to buy than the twin, less labour to install, equipment and material costs. The installer quotes the cheapest price possible with the poorest (unknowingly to the client) quality installation and the client see's a saving and accepts the quote. You get complaints of warm and cold spots within the room, people are uncomfortable, running costs are sky high, the unit breaks down and nothing can be done but start again which is not on the clients agenda and budget for a solution to a problem that could of been resolved in the design and tender stage.
If the twin system was accepted, at a higher bottom line cost, the system would work comfortably, occupants would be comfortable, no hot or cold spots and a generally more professional installation would mean limited breakdowns if any at all (as long as they are maintained annually).
COMFORT:
The comfort of the occupants is important to a satisfactory air conditioning design and installation solution. You use air conditioning to make an environment comfortable, so it doesn't make sense to buy air conditioning if it will make the occupants un-comfortable. A comfortable temperature range for humans is 21 to 25 degrees Celsius, 21 for males, 25 for females with 23 the average I advise as the recommended set temp.
Air conditioning systems will provide air from the indoor unit's at a temperature from 0 to 20 degrees Celsius, depending on the outdoor ambient temperature ranging from 20 to 40 degrees Celsius. The indoor air off temperature is relevant to the outdoor ambient.
Air conditioning works by the indoor unit absorbing the heat via a heat exchanger, not by blowing cold air into a space. You must however, design a system that provides air flow to the right places, this air should then return to the unit as it has absorbed the energy or heat in the air.
I am yet to find someone who can sit in an office all day under a single air conditioning unit that blasts 0 to 5 degree air onto them at a rate like a desk fan would, it's just not very comfortable at all! The best way to combat this is to use a ducted unit, you can put up to four ducts on a ducted unit, each duct has a diffuser grille that blows the air out 360 degrees at ceiling level, at a nice and slow rate allowing it to gently & comfortably fall down onto the occupants which provides the comfort level you require at a budget both the installer and client find acceptable.
SYSTEM TYPES:
Air conditioning systems are extremely technical. Systems are a combination of electrics and plumbing on a high end scale. The systems are becoming extremely efficient and offer more possibilities than others.
There are many different types of indoor units, they are as follows:
1. Wall unit, quickest and cheapest to install.
2. Cassette unit, common in offices, installed in suspended ceilings.
3. Ducted unit, the most expensive per unit but the most comfortable and energy efficient.
There are a few different types of outdoor units, they are as follows:
1. Single split system.
2. Multi-split system.
3. VRV System.
It is important to understand what system you would like or what you are getting. This way you can compare quotes if you went to multiple suppliers, then you can make an intelligent decision based on some technical knowledge
MAINTENANCE:
Maintenance is important because it allows the unit to work as it should, 100% efficiently. If the filters and heat exchangers are blocked, it will not work as efficiently as it could do, sometimes up to 50% less. The unit will then develop problems and cost money to fix it via breakdowns and excessive electrical consumption.
Standard maintenance is provided for each winter and summer season, so two visits a year. A decent air conditioning company will be able to undertake this work, provide you with a maintenance contract and have some quality assurance which is applicable to a good maintenance strategy.
ENERGY CONSUMPTION:
Any purchaser of air conditioning should assess the energy consumption of the system they require or has been quoted as a solution. Energy labelling is seen on consumer goods like washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers. The same applies to air conditioning units.
Air conditioning units have a electrical efficiency rating or EER in cooling and a co-efficiency of performance CoP in heating. Air conditioning standards are typically an average of 3.5 EER and 4 CoP. In other words, they give off 3.5kw of cooling and 4kw of heat to 1kw of electricity.
All systems have different EER and CoP, it depends on the type of manufacturer, the type of system and the configuration. The supplier will be able to provide the EER and CoP within the technical details in the quotation.
CARBON EMISSIONS:
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