Experts in Tropical Cooling & Energy Management
Copyright 2010 All rights reserved
Controls & Automation
Electrical Contractors
Process Cooling & Drying Systems
Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
Chillers & Cooling Towers
Electrical Contractors
Process Cooling & Drying Systems
Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
Chillers & Cooling Towers
Environment & Energy Systems
Environment & Energy Systems - QBSA Unlimited Design license refrigeration airconditioning & mechanical services
Superior Zoned Ducted Air Conditioning Systems
Why is this system better than others?
To be perfectly truthful, at the outset, it should be noted that no single system has all the answers. There are benefits and penalties with each type of system. The trick is to pick the system that is going to have more benefits for you than penalties. The information below is to help you make that decision. To cut straight to the chase - scroll down.
To be perfectly truthful, at the outset, it should be noted that no single system has all the answers. There are benefits and penalties with each type of system. The trick is to pick the system that is going to have more benefits for you than penalties. The information below is to help you make that decision. To cut straight to the chase - scroll down.
RAC's (Room Air Conditioners or sometimes called box or through-the-wall air conditioners) are usually the cheapest to buy and install and the most expensive to operate. This is the reason why in Australia, it is getting harder to buy them as MEPS (Minimum Energy Performance Standards) implemented by the government has excluded many of these from being imported or manufactured locally.
They are ideal if you are a temporary resident in your home or building and want to take it with you when you go or you are not allowed to cut penetrations in the walls.
They are also great if you don't care what they cost to run or you are unconcerned about sustainable living. They usually last about 5 years in a tropical environment. After that, the case and coils deteriorate and operating costs soar as the heat rejection ability of the external coil falls away due to corrosion. Generally somone with some carpentry skills can install one. The noise level from them is significant when they are operating.
If you really, absolutely want a Room Air Conditioner - we can supply you with one.
They are ideal if you are a temporary resident in your home or building and want to take it with you when you go or you are not allowed to cut penetrations in the walls.
They are also great if you don't care what they cost to run or you are unconcerned about sustainable living. They usually last about 5 years in a tropical environment. After that, the case and coils deteriorate and operating costs soar as the heat rejection ability of the external coil falls away due to corrosion. Generally somone with some carpentry skills can install one. The noise level from them is significant when they are operating.
If you really, absolutely want a Room Air Conditioner - we can supply you with one.
Wall Hung Splits are an improvement on RAC's. They are the favourite of many builders because they are not usually overly difficult to install, are very forgiving in wide ranges of load and are in the middle of the price range. The are generally an all-round machine and have better operating cost than RAC's. They are, however, more expensive to purchase and install and a license is required in Australia to install one, as pipework and refrigerant gases need to be handled in the process.
It needs to be remembered however that just because the installers like them, they are not necessarily the ideal unit for the end user. Their downside is they impact on the aesthetics of a room. The are a prominent feature in a room because of their size. Drainage of condensate water is often an issue which forces their installation locations to be restriicted to external walls unless expensive internal drainage is fitted. Getting pipes down the internal walls to them can also be challenging and there are many machines in existance that don't sit on the wall properly because they are being held off by pipes not correctly fitted.
A disturbing modern trend has appeared where the refrigerant pipe with thin white insulation (low R value) is being installed in tropical areas in walls and ceilings by installers due to its low cost. These people generally don't have to live with the mid-term consequences if this action. It is the building owner who wears the cost. In years to come, plasterers are going to become very wealthy fixing ceilings below these pipes. The summer humidity levels in northern areas of Australia will cause these pipes to sweat when the Split is operating and the water will drip on ceilings and destroy them over time. Where they are buried in masonary walls, mould and mildew growth inside the wall cavity will create massive headaches for the owners.
Noise levels are less than RAC's but still audible. Large splits can be quite noisy due to the large air volumes needed to throw some distance into the air conditioned space.
A typical 4 bedroom house can have 7 x Split condensers occupying a wall outside ( ie: 4 x bedrooms, 1 x lounge, 1 x kitchen, 1 x dining room). This is a lot of real estate for machines to occupy and they don't do much for the external aesthetics.
Wall hung Splits usually have a realistically useful life of about 8 years in tropical climates.
We are happy to supply and install wall hung splits if you think these are right for you.
It needs to be remembered however that just because the installers like them, they are not necessarily the ideal unit for the end user. Their downside is they impact on the aesthetics of a room. The are a prominent feature in a room because of their size. Drainage of condensate water is often an issue which forces their installation locations to be restriicted to external walls unless expensive internal drainage is fitted. Getting pipes down the internal walls to them can also be challenging and there are many machines in existance that don't sit on the wall properly because they are being held off by pipes not correctly fitted.
A disturbing modern trend has appeared where the refrigerant pipe with thin white insulation (low R value) is being installed in tropical areas in walls and ceilings by installers due to its low cost. These people generally don't have to live with the mid-term consequences if this action. It is the building owner who wears the cost. In years to come, plasterers are going to become very wealthy fixing ceilings below these pipes. The summer humidity levels in northern areas of Australia will cause these pipes to sweat when the Split is operating and the water will drip on ceilings and destroy them over time. Where they are buried in masonary walls, mould and mildew growth inside the wall cavity will create massive headaches for the owners.
Noise levels are less than RAC's but still audible. Large splits can be quite noisy due to the large air volumes needed to throw some distance into the air conditioned space.
A typical 4 bedroom house can have 7 x Split condensers occupying a wall outside ( ie: 4 x bedrooms, 1 x lounge, 1 x kitchen, 1 x dining room). This is a lot of real estate for machines to occupy and they don't do much for the external aesthetics.
Wall hung Splits usually have a realistically useful life of about 8 years in tropical climates.
We are happy to supply and install wall hung splits if you think these are right for you.
Ducted systems Now we are starting to talk. If you are serious about tropical air conditioning, a ducted system is a great choice.
But not all ducted systems are the same.
Constant volume ducted systems feed the same amount of air into a space and the temperature is varied. The only way to have different temperatures in different zones is to set the temperature being delivered to care for the zone demanding the most cooling and reheat the air to the other zones with heaters. It doesn't take much to figure out that cooling and reheating the air is hopelessly wasteful of energy.
Unfortunately many homes are fitted with constant volume systems and are attempting to cool multiple rooms (zones) without any form of zone control. This is the wrong application for this type of machine and just doesn't work properly. Invariably some are too cold and some are too hot because there is no control. If you have one of these systems, we can help you, as usually these systems can be retrofitted with advanced electronic zone controls to correct this problem.
But not all ducted systems are the same.
Constant volume ducted systems feed the same amount of air into a space and the temperature is varied. The only way to have different temperatures in different zones is to set the temperature being delivered to care for the zone demanding the most cooling and reheat the air to the other zones with heaters. It doesn't take much to figure out that cooling and reheating the air is hopelessly wasteful of energy.
Unfortunately many homes are fitted with constant volume systems and are attempting to cool multiple rooms (zones) without any form of zone control. This is the wrong application for this type of machine and just doesn't work properly. Invariably some are too cold and some are too hot because there is no control. If you have one of these systems, we can help you, as usually these systems can be retrofitted with advanced electronic zone controls to correct this problem.
Variable Air Volume systems (VAV) control differently and are the state-of-the-art systems. They are found in airport lounges, government buildings, theatres and anywhere there is good quality air conditioning. They keep the air at a constant delivery temperature but vary the amount of it delivered to the zone. They are also our choice of systems to install.
Size: These require smaller machines as they are very efficient, and the electronic system can move the cooling power around the building to meet load requirements.
An example is where a typical house in North Queensland that is fitted with 16kW of cooling power in wall hung splits can usually be successfully cooled by a single 10kW ducted VAV plant.This makes a lot of sense. Not much real estate is used on the external wall, The total electrical wiring requirement is smaller. It's neater, quieter. It doesn't get much better.
Control: Amongst VAV systems there are a number of forms of control. Some systems control the volumes delivered by dumping excess air volume into an unused or little used room or zone. This just adds excees heat to the air and wastes cooling energy. If you are interested in saving energy costs, these systems are not for you.
Other systems use conventionally controlled duct mounted dampers to control the air volume to each zone. The penalty with these is that at low volumes (ie: with the damper nearly closed) the air speed from the ceiling mounted grille is low and that affects how well distributed the air in the zone is. If it is poor, there will be hot and cold spots in the same room. These systems usually have a cold spot immediately under the grille and the rest of the room is too hot.
Our systems feature a unique Pulse Width Modulated Zone Control system that solves all the issues associated with distribution of air in VAV systems. This is something special that has been developed by our engineering staff and used in many places.
Examples: Westpac Administration building in Cairns, the luxury South Pacific cruise ship Oceanic Discoverer, the TTNQ (Tropical tourism Offices North Queensland) offices, Qantas Club at the Cairns Airport, domestic homes, churches, theatres and many more.
Read an AIRAH (Australian Institute of Airconditioning, Refrigeration and Heating - Industry magazine) article on the installation by our designer for the Oceanic Discoverer. - Click here.
Cost: If you seek the cheapest, nastiest systems, because you don't have to wear the long term consequences, or don't care about sustainability, then our systems are not for you. If however you want longevity, good control, energy efficiency, reasonable purchase and installation cost, then you are in the right place. Remember, with air conditioning in tropical regions, the quality of the system is virtually proportionate to its puchase and installation cost. If you own the building, it's in your interests to get value for the money you spend.
Engineering: It is wise to have these systems properly designed by suitably qualified people.
What's the purchasing process?
Installation:
1. When you call us we come out and do an appraisal, and quote a price.
2. When you ready, you place the order, pay a deposit, the system is engineered, a construction program is prepared and the equipment arranged for your application. This is usually a few days. Once the installers start, if there are no interruptions, it takes a couple of days to complete the installation.
3. The Duct Installers will install the machine, the duct and the ceiling mounted registers and grilles.
4. The Refrigeration mechanics connect up the pipes and drains.
5. The Electricians fit the controls and power to the machine.
6. The commissioning technicians start the machine, check it and set it up to operate in your application and provide you with your warranty information.
Warranty: Manufacturers warranty for the electronic control system is 5 years and the A/C unit is 5 years. Installation warranty is 12 months.
Size: These require smaller machines as they are very efficient, and the electronic system can move the cooling power around the building to meet load requirements.
An example is where a typical house in North Queensland that is fitted with 16kW of cooling power in wall hung splits can usually be successfully cooled by a single 10kW ducted VAV plant.This makes a lot of sense. Not much real estate is used on the external wall, The total electrical wiring requirement is smaller. It's neater, quieter. It doesn't get much better.
Control: Amongst VAV systems there are a number of forms of control. Some systems control the volumes delivered by dumping excess air volume into an unused or little used room or zone. This just adds excees heat to the air and wastes cooling energy. If you are interested in saving energy costs, these systems are not for you.
Other systems use conventionally controlled duct mounted dampers to control the air volume to each zone. The penalty with these is that at low volumes (ie: with the damper nearly closed) the air speed from the ceiling mounted grille is low and that affects how well distributed the air in the zone is. If it is poor, there will be hot and cold spots in the same room. These systems usually have a cold spot immediately under the grille and the rest of the room is too hot.
Our systems feature a unique Pulse Width Modulated Zone Control system that solves all the issues associated with distribution of air in VAV systems. This is something special that has been developed by our engineering staff and used in many places.
Examples: Westpac Administration building in Cairns, the luxury South Pacific cruise ship Oceanic Discoverer, the TTNQ (Tropical tourism Offices North Queensland) offices, Qantas Club at the Cairns Airport, domestic homes, churches, theatres and many more.
Read an AIRAH (Australian Institute of Airconditioning, Refrigeration and Heating - Industry magazine) article on the installation by our designer for the Oceanic Discoverer. - Click here.
Cost: If you seek the cheapest, nastiest systems, because you don't have to wear the long term consequences, or don't care about sustainability, then our systems are not for you. If however you want longevity, good control, energy efficiency, reasonable purchase and installation cost, then you are in the right place. Remember, with air conditioning in tropical regions, the quality of the system is virtually proportionate to its puchase and installation cost. If you own the building, it's in your interests to get value for the money you spend.
Engineering: It is wise to have these systems properly designed by suitably qualified people.
What's the purchasing process?
Installation:
1. When you call us we come out and do an appraisal, and quote a price.
2. When you ready, you place the order, pay a deposit, the system is engineered, a construction program is prepared and the equipment arranged for your application. This is usually a few days. Once the installers start, if there are no interruptions, it takes a couple of days to complete the installation.
3. The Duct Installers will install the machine, the duct and the ceiling mounted registers and grilles.
4. The Refrigeration mechanics connect up the pipes and drains.
5. The Electricians fit the controls and power to the machine.
6. The commissioning technicians start the machine, check it and set it up to operate in your application and provide you with your warranty information.
Warranty: Manufacturers warranty for the electronic control system is 5 years and the A/C unit is 5 years. Installation warranty is 12 months.
Now we're talking!
If you are ready to receive a quote - Click here. Contact us now.
