Heating, Cooling and HVAC

As the summer months become warmer and longer, and winter?s chill makes its mark, Australian households are craving more comfortable, manageable indoor climates. This is where reverse cycle airconditioners that can both heat and cool your home come into their own, writes Kymberly Martin.

There are a number of things to consider before purchasing a reverse cycle airconditioner, including the size of the area you want to heat or cool, energy consumption and aesthetics. However, broadly speaking, the advantages of reverse cycle airconditioners lie in their convenience, cost and safety.

Reverse cycle effectively reverses the refrigerant flow to deliver cool air in summer or warm air in winter. This means the operation of the air conditioner can be internally reversed to provide indoor heating or cooling as needed. Being able switch onto warm or cool air whenever you need it are the big pluses for reverse cycle models.

This type of technology really shines in winter conditions, too, when running costs for a reverse cycle airconditioner can be as low as one third of those for portable heaters or panel convectors. As one industry expert explained to gadgetguy: ?When you use a heat pump or reverse cycle unit in heating mode, you are using electricity to move heat that already exists from outside your home to inside. It might be cold outside but heat or energy is still present, and can be cost effectively moved inside. Heat pumps require about one third of the electricity to move heat as an electric element heater requires to generate it.?

Add to this the longevity of products: you can expect to get up to 20 years out of products from the major brands provided they have been properly installed and maintained.

How reverse cycle airconditioning works and what types are available:-
Reverse cycle airconditioners extract heat from the outside air, even on winter nights, and transfer it inside. A refrigerant is passed through an external coil, absorbing heat from the outside air. This refrigerant is then pumped through a compressor into a fan coil unit (or condenser) inside the home, releasing its heat into the room. Reverse cycle is also one of the most economical forms of heating, can heat and cool and has no exposed elements or flames - a major safety benefit. But that?s not all. This technology can filter and dehumidify the air.

But more on that later.

Types of reverse cycle air conditioners:
There are two main types of reverse cycle airconditioners: split systems and window/wall units.

Split systems
Split systems are given this name because they have separate indoor and outdoor sections connected by piping. They are ideal for cooling or heating one or more rooms up to 100 square metres. As well, they are typically quieter to run than window/wall units.

Window/wall units
Window/wall units are small enough to fit into a standard window frame and are good for heating or cooling single rooms. Smaller capacity window/wall units are easy to install and can be plugged into standard power outlets while larger systems may need to be wired in by a licensed technician. Moreover, these are the most affordable reverse cycle units available, and are good for rooms up to 70 square metres.

Multi-split systems
Mulit-splits come with more than one internal unit connected to an outside compressor and they can heat or cool multiple rooms independently. Mostly these are mounted on a wall, floor or ceiling as a cassette and are suitable for much larger areas, up to 200 square metres.

Ducted systems
One of the more expensive and complex forms of heating or cooling is a ducted system. Ducted systems, which suit larger households or open plan design areas, are great for cooling or heating different parts of the home simultaneously. These systems, which can cost around $6,000-$12,000 including installation, consist of a heat pump (inside or outside or in a roof cavity); ducting (usually installed above a ceiling, to distribute conditioned air through the home); vents (attached to ceilings or walls and sometimes floor ? directing the conditioned air to each room) and a return air vent (grille), to recirculate air back to the system for reheating.

As the summer months become warmer and longer, and winter?s chill makes its mark, Australian households are craving more comfortable, manageable indoor climates. This is where reverse cycle airconditioners that can both heat and cool your home come into their own, writes Kymberly Martin.

There are a number of things to consider before purchasing a reverse cycle airconditioner, including the size of the area you want to heat or cool, energy consumption and aesthetics. However, broadly speaking, the advantages of reverse cycle airconditioners lie in their convenience, cost and safety.

Reverse cycle effectively reverses the refrigerant flow to deliver cool air in summer or warm air in winter. This means the operation of the air conditioner can be internally reversed to provide indoor heating or cooling as needed. Being able switch onto warm or cool air whenever you need it are the big pluses for reverse cycle models.

This type of technology really shines in winter conditions, too, when running costs for a reverse cycle airconditioner can be as low as one third of those for portable heaters or panel convectors. As one industry expert explained to gadgetguy: ?When you use a heat pump or reverse cycle unit in heating mode, you are using electricity to move heat that already exists from outside your home to inside. It might be cold outside but heat or energy is still present, and can be cost effectively moved inside. Heat pumps require about one third of the electricity to move heat as an electric element heater requires to generate it.?

Add to this the longevity of products: you can expect to get up to 20 years out of products from the major brands provided they have been properly installed and maintained.

How reverse cycle airconditioning works and what types are available:-
Reverse cycle airconditioners extract heat from the outside air, even on winter nights, and transfer it inside. A refrigerant is passed through an external coil, absorbing heat from the outside air. This refrigerant is then pumped through a compressor into a fan coil unit (or condenser) inside the home, releasing its heat into the room. Reverse cycle is also one of the most economical forms of heating, can heat and cool and has no exposed elements or flames - a major safety benefit. But that?s not all. This technology can filter and dehumidify the air.

But more on that later.

Types of reverse cycle air conditioners:-
There are two main types of reverse cycle airconditioners: split systems and window/wall units.

Split systems
Split systems are given this name because they have separate indoor and outdoor sections connected by piping. They are ideal for cooling or heating one or more rooms up to 100 square metres. As well, they are typically quieter to run than window/wall units.

Window/wall units
Window/wall units are small enough to fit into a standard window frame and are good for heating or cooling single rooms. Smaller capacity window/wall units are easy to install and can be plugged into standard power outlets while larger systems may need to be wired in by a licensed technician. Moreover, these are the most affordable reverse cycle units available, and are good for rooms up to 70 square metres.

Multi-split systems
Mulit-splits come with more than one internal unit connected to an outside compressor and they can heat or cool multiple rooms independently. Mostly these are mounted on a wall, floor or ceiling as a cassette and are suitable for much larger areas, up to 200 square metres.

Ducted systems
One of the more expensive and complex forms of heating or cooling is a ducted system. Ducted systems, which suit larger households or open plan design areas, are great for cooling or heating different parts of the home simultaneously. These systems, which can cost around $6,000-$12,000 including installation, consist of a heat pump (inside or outside or in a roof cavity); ducting (usually installed above a ceiling, to distribute conditioned air through the home); vents (attached to ceilings or walls and sometimes floor ? directing the conditioned air to each room) and a return air vent (grille), to recirculate air back to the system for reheating.

Inverter technology

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A more recent innovation in reverse cycle airconditioning is inverter technology. Inverter technology, now available from brands including LG, Electrolux, Fujitsu, Panasonic, Daikin, Dimplex, Airwell, Toshiba and Mitsubishi, enables the compressor to operate at variable speeds depending on the output required, and can potentially reduce running costs, particularly over longer operating periods. They also have faster heat up times and maintain more comfortable internal temperatures. Generally, inverter models attract a price premium of up to 50 per cent. So a standard unit would cost you around $599 but an inverter unit would be approximately $899.

You may also like to consider inverter multi-splits. These systems give you the option of airconditioning more than one room when there is limited space for multiple condensers outdoors.

Portable solutions

Another option that is convenient for renters are portable reverse cycle units. Designed for smaller areas (or spot cooling) these are easy to move from room to room or house to house. These units are usually straightforward to connect and disconnect and can be plugged into a standard power point.