Basic HTML Version
magazine
37
01732 759725
If you are thinking of installing air
conditioning, the first thing to do is call
in an expert; if you are building new
premises, do this before you install a
heating system.
By an expert I mean an air conditioning
specialist, as handling the refrigerant gas at
the heart of virtually all systems requires
both the installation company and the
installer to hold an ‘F-Gas’ certificate
– a measure brought in to stop ozone
depleting gasses being released to the
atmosphere.
An air conditioning system that is
efficient and performs the way you want it
to needs careful planning and selection of
equipment; this, too, requires a specialist,
not a builder or a plumber. Expert installers
can be found on the internet or in local
directories, but one of the best sources is a
recommendation from someone you know
who has just had a system installed that
they are happy with.
Another reason why it’s important to
talk to an expert before installing a heating
system is that modern air conditioning
provides some of the most efficient
heating available, so much so that some
major organisations have capped off their
gas supplies and now use air conditioning
for all their heating too.
This is due to the development of the
heat pump, fundamentally a traditional air
conditioning circuit in reverse. The normal
cooling circuit takes heat from inside a
building and transfers it to the outside,
by compressing and then condensing
refrigerant – this is why you feel warm air
coming from the external units of an air
conditioning system and why the backs of
fridges are hot.
Heat pumps take heat from the
outside air and transfer it to the inside.
Theoretically, as long as the air is above
absolute zero, some heat can be extracted,
but in practice heat pumps can function
down to -25°C in the case of air-to-water
systems. Heat can also be extracted from
water or the ground, which stays around
13°C whatever the ambient temperature.
Higher end VRF (variable refrigerant
flow) systems can heat and cool different
parts of a building at the same time. This
is useful if large windows cause one side
of a building to heat up when in the sun,
while the other shivers in the shade; or if
a server room needs cooling in the depths
of winter.
The real advantage of heat pumps
is that they produce 3-5kW of heat for
every 1kW of electricity consumed. As a
result, the Government classifies them
as renewable energy systems for the
purposes of the Capital Allowance scheme.
This means that if you buy a new system
you can subtract the whole cost from your
corporation tax bill in the first year.
Virtually all modern air conditioning
units have heat pump capability, except
mobile units and so called ‘window
Office environment
Air conditioning is for life,
not just the summer
Tony Nielsen explains why businesses should choose a permanent
air conditioning system and employ a professional to install it
rattlers’, the square boxes you see in 1970s
US TV series balancing on window sills or
protruding out of the wall. Thankfully these
have all but died out.
Some may be tempted to buy a mobile
unit as the cheapest option – don’t do it.
These will not do the job you want them
to: it is well worth paying a little extra for
a properly designed permanent system.
What’s available
The main types of air conditioning are
splits and VRF.
Splits come in single or multi types.
Modern air
conditioning
systems can be
used for heating as
well as cooling
An air conditioning specialist
will position units for maximum impact
Continued...
Some may be
tempted to
buy a mobile
unit as the
cheapest
option –
don’t do it!