AIR-CONDITIONING

SUB. BY:-

RAHUL DABRA
 AIR-CONDITIONING

A lot of our daily comfort depends on heating and air-

conditioning systems and the people who install, maintain and
repair them--heating and air-conditioning technicians.
Heating and air-conditioning technicians (also known as HVAC
technicians) work on heating, air-conditioning and ventilation
systems in residential, commercial and industrial buildings.
These systems are usually quite complicated, consisting of a
variety of mechanical, electrical and electronic components,
such as motors, compressors, pumps, fans, ducts, pipes,
thermostats and switches.
Air conditioners (refrigerated coolers) are the least energy
efficient of all cooling systems, and have high purchase and
running costs. Air conditioners provide cooling or, if they are a
reverse cycle model, both heating and cooling from the one unit.
 Simple energy saving measures such as closing windows and
external doors can keep running costs down. Air conditioners cool
and remove moisture from the air. They re-circulate newly
cooled air reducing the temperature and humidity inside your
home. In heating mode the cycle is reversed which is why systems
that heat and cool are commonly referred to as ‘reverse cycle’.
They can also deodorize, filter and purify air. Actions you can
take to reduce cooling requirements are as follows:
 Caulk and weather-strip to seal air gaps, and ensure that the
attic and exterior walls are insulated to meet or exceed the
minimum recommended levels in order to minimize heat transfer
to the interior.
 Use awnings, blinds, or drapes to keep direct sunlight from
entering the living space. Deciduous trees, planted on the south
and west sides of the house, and wide roof overhangs will reduce
solar heat gain to the interior in summer while having only a small
effect on heating in winter. Light-colored exterior finishes will
also help reduce solar heat gain year-round.
 Turn on the kitchen range hood fan when cooking, if it exhausts
outside, and turn on the bathroom fan while bathing to minimize
moisture build-up in the space.
  Turn off lights and appliances
that are not needed. Plan heat
and moisture-generating
activities (cooking, dish
washing, drying clothes and
bathing) for cooler morning
and evening hours. Consider
using appliances with time-
delay controls. In addition to
generating heat and humidity
at a less noticeable time (after
midnight, for example), your
air conditioner will operate
more efficiently in the cooler
night hours.

Select compact fluorescent lamps and energy-efficient

appliances, since they produce much less waste heat than the
conventional products that they replace. The electricity
consumed by a less efficient refrigerator, for example, is
converted to heat, which is released into your kitchen.
 Becoming informed about all aspects of air conditioning your home
is the way to ensure that the correct choices are made for your
particular cooling needs. This booklet identifies the commonly
available air conditioning equipment and discusses factors involved
in selecting, installing, operating and maintaining an air
conditioning system. It provides the reader with a sound basis for
making a rational purchasing decision.
 There are five main types of air-conditioning units. They are:-
1) Window Air Conditioners
 a.) Window mounted
b.) Fixed (Fascia) Units or Room Air Conditioner
2) Wall-mounted or Split systems
 3) Portable or floor mounted
 4) Ducted systems or Central Air Conditioning
 5) Ductless Air Conditioners
Window Air Conditioners

Window air conditioners are installed to cool one room or area.

Room or window air conditioners on the market today are far
more efficient than ten years ago.
Window units, or the larger version known as through-the-
Wall units, are the smallest of the self-contained machines.
Inside of the cabinet are a compressor, condensing coil,
evaporator coil, blower, controls, and maybe a little ductwork.
The high-end units can have electronics with timers, accurate
temperature sensors, and remote control. They usually come
in two types: models that can be installed in most double-hung
windows, and models that fit in narrow, vertical windows,
which usually require removing the window panel.
 Window mounted

 The most common type, window-mounted units temporarily

slide into double-hung window openings. You can buy a
cooling-only unit or a cooling/heating unit for supplemental
heat if your home is located in an area with moderate
temperatures.
Pros: Low cost, most work with existing electrical wiring in
your home, and they're easy to install.
Cons: They're typically designed only for double-hung
windows. If you have sliding windows, you may need a special
installation kit. If you live in the north, it's best to remove
units at the end of the season.
Fixed (Fascia) Units or Room Air Conditioners

Fixed (Fascia) Units or Room Air

Conditioners are Suitable for single
rooms up to 60 metres2. Fixed units
are single, box-type units mounted
through an external wall or window.
Small capacity units can be plugged
into standard power outlets, while
larger units may need to be 'wired-
in'.

Room air conditioners cool rooms rather than the entire home.
If they provide cooling only where they're needed, room air
conditioners are less expensive to operate than central units,
even though their efficiency is generally lower than that of
central air conditioners.
Wall-mounted or Split systems
Split systems are ideal for air
conditioning one or two rooms up to 60
metres2. If you have a particularly large
room, you may need two split systems, a
multi-head split system or a ducted
system. Split systems are fixed units with
separate indoor and outdoor sections
connected by refrigerant piping. Indoor
units may be wall, floor or ceiling
mounted. Split systems are more
expensive to purchase than window/wall
units but produce less noise and are
usually more energy efficient than
window/wall units.

Split systems have two functioning units:

1.The outdoor compressor: located outside your home channels
the heat out. It also ensures quieter operation. The compressor
can be mounted on a concrete slab or on an external wall of the
house.
 The indoor fan unit: is
installed inside the home in
the room you want to air
condition. It is generally on
the wall, as a console on the
floor, or ceiling cassette. A
free-flow fan is used to
circulate the cool or warm
air.

Split system air conditioners are not just for houses. They are
also suitable for high rise apartments - provided there is a
balcony area with sufficient space to contain the external unit
and the electrical requirements are met. These room air
conditioners are permanently mounted in a wall by attaching a
metal sleeve through the wall and sliding in the AC chassis from
inside. Wall-mounted units also come in cooling-only or
cooling/heating varieties.
Portable or floor mounted
This is a mobile air conditioner on
wheels that can be rolled from
room to room and includes a tube
to exhaust heat out of a window or
through an opening in a wall.
Pros: It's easy to store at the
end of the season.
Cons: Slightly higher-priced than
comparable window units, eats up
floor space, and the exhaust tube
must be installed each time it's
moved.

Suitable for single rooms up to 35 metres2

Portable split systems are generally small capacity units with
separate indoor and outdoor sections connected by a flexible
hose or duct through an open window.
These units can
be moved from
room to room and
plugged into a
standard power
outlet. Some units
can be placed in
an open window so
the hot coil is
outside, while
other types have
an internal hot
coil and a flexible
hose which can be
placed out a
window or door.
Ducted systems or Central Air
Conditioning
Suitable for whole house,
central or zoned system.
Generally less efficient
than split or fascia unit.
Central air conditioners
circulate cool air through a
system of supply and return
ducts.

Supply ducts and registers (i.e., openings in the walls, floors, or

ceilings covered by grills) carry cooled air from the air
conditioner to the home. This cooled air becomes warmer as it
circulates through the home; then it flows back to the central
air conditioner through return ducts and registers. A central air
conditioner is either a split-system unit or a packaged unit.
 Placement of both the inside and outside components is also
important for efficient operation. The outdoor component should
be placed in a shaded area, with sufficient space around it to allow
proper airflow and access for maintenance.
The inside component should be placed in a conditioned or well-
insulated room, and there are many non-mechanical ways of
reducing the work your air conditioner must do to maintain a
comfortable environment that involve blocking and reflecting heat
that enters the house through windows, doors, the roof and attic.
There are three separate components to a ducted air
conditioning system:
· The outdoor section comprising the compressor,
outdoor fan, outdoor coils, low ambient and de-ice thermostats,
reversing valve and other electrical controls.
· The indoor section located either in the roof
space or under the floor, comprising an indoor fan, indoor coil and
other electrical controls.


 Residential central air
conditioning systems that need
to cool and dehumidify uses a
condenser, evaporator coil, and
refrigerant piping to operate.
The means of moving the air
might differ (furnace, air
handler, etc.), but the principal
is the same for all split
systems. The term "split"
refers to the physical
separation of the condenser
and the evaporator. This is in
contrast to a window or wall air
conditioner in which they are
"packaged" together.
 Ductless Air Conditioners

 Ductless air conditioners have four

components that are comparable to
those in central air systems. Rather
than circulating the air through a duct
system, however, a ductless air
conditioner pumps refrigerant
directly from the outdoor component
to the indoor component through
tubing, usually made of copper, and
then distributes the air drawn from
the indoor unit's evaporator coil with
a fan.
Ductless air conditioning is widely used in commercial buildings,
and for ductless households this may be an efficient and easy
alternative to installing and removing a window air conditioner
every year.
 Tonnage according to room size

Choosing the right size room air conditioner is as important as

selecting a reliable brand.

AREA A.C.(apprx.)
100 sq. ft. .8 ton
100 to 200 sq. ft. 1.5 ton
200 to 250 sq. ft. 2 ton
Since every room and home is different, these are general
guidelines. The number of windows and doors, the room's
insulation, the height of your ceiling, the amount of direct
sunlight, the number of occupants, and your geographic
location affect cooling capacity.
DUCTS
Heating and cooling ducts often leak energy. Special techniques
have been developed to test and repair ducts.
Improving the Energy Efficiency of Ducts
In a typical house with ducts located in the attic or
crawlspace, approximately 20 to 40% of the heating or
cooling energy never makes it to the conditioned space.
Because of leaky ducts, the house draws 0.5 kW more
electricity during peak cooling periods.
Duct sealing and insulating provides an 18% increase in
energy efficiency, even higher when combined with heat
pumps and two-speed air conditioners (which operate less
efficiently at full load). develop a simple, inexpensive way
of sealing ducts in homes.
Another problem is that there are often leaks that are
nearly impossible to reach.
The prototype system (see
photo) that resulted from
this research sends a
turbulent stream of
particles ranging from 2 to
20 microns in diameter
flowing through the ducts,
forming deposits of
particles at leaks. The
particles are small enough to
reach the leaks before
settling out of the flow
stream, but large enough to
deposit when they encounter
a leak.
 TIPS FOR ENHANCING COOLING.
 If your air conditioner is exposed to full sun during the day,
provide it with shade from an awning, shade mesh, or a similar
structure. Be careful not to restrict air movement around the
unit.

 Multi-speed fans allow you to select high speeds for fast

circulation and quick cooling.

 Adjustable and rotating louvres also help to direct air

movement more evenly around the room.

 Directional louvres set either horizontally or upwards toward

the ceiling assist in cooling.

 Programmable timers allow the system to be switched on or

off as required.
 Turn your system on only when it is needed. Don’t leave it running
overnight or when you are out during the day as this is inefficient
and uneconomical.
 Install a timer for portable, window/wall or split systems or use a
programmable thermostat (available for many split and central
systems) to turn your unit on and off automatically. Plug-in timers
can be purchased cheaply from hardware and electronic stores.

 Use the economy setting if your system has one. This setting
reduces energy use by maintaining moderate rather than cold
temperatures in appropriate conditions.

 Keep the area you are cooling to a minimum by closing doors to

other rooms not requiring cooling.

 Always keep doors and windows closed when using reverse-cycle air
conditioners. Close drapes and blinds to help keep out the sun.
 Maintain and service your air conditioner in accordance with
manufacturer’s instructions to keep it operating effectively.
In particular, ensure filters are cleaned regularly.

 Use portable or ceiling fans wherever possible—they are much

cheaper to run than air conditioners.

 Use the zoning options of a central system to cool only the

rooms you are using.

 Where possible, choose an air conditioner with a variable

speed compressor or inverter drive - these systems are more
energy efficient and will help to keep running costs to a
minimum.
INSTALLATION TIPS

 Install your air conditioner on the north, east or best-

shaded side of your house.

 Make sure the window area around your air conditioner is

properly sealed to reduce cold air loss.
AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEMS
 The system by which air conditioners provide cooling is
called the Refrigerant Cycle. This system has four major
components common to all air-conditioning systems (see
figure below).

These components and their basic functions are listed

below:-
1. Compressor
2. Condenser
3. Metering Device
4. Evaporator
1. Compressor
Refrigerant is drawn from
the evaporator and
pumped to the condenser
by the compressor. The
compressor also
pressurizes the
refrigerant vapor so that
it will change state
(condense) readily.
 2. Condenser
The high-pressure refrigerant vapor releases heat
through the condenser coils as it condenses into liquid
refrigerant. making it easier to vaporize.
 3. Metering Device
(capillary tube, txv valve) The metering device restricts
the flow of liquid refrigerant from the condenser to the
evaporator. As refrigerant passes through the metering
device, its pressure decreases.
 4. Evaporator
The low-pressure liquid refrigerant absorbs heat as it
vaporizes in the evaporator coils.
The process described above is the Refrigerant System or
Refrigerant Cycle. It is the system on which virtually all
modern Air-Conditioning and refrigeration is based.