What is an air conditioner? How does an air conditioner cool you?

An air conditioner is a piece of equipment that treats and controls the air temperature, humidity and cleanliness. It transfers heat and humidity from one space into another.

At the heart of every air conditioner is a compressor, which is a pump that circulates refrigerant through the cooling system. This refrigerant acts as a medium which extracts heat from one space and dissipates it into another. By circulating cool, dry and clean air through the room, an air-con helps keep you in cool comfort. The optimal temperature should be in the region of 24 degrees celsius at relative humidity range of 55 - 65%.

What is a Compressor?
A compressor is the "heart" of the refrigeration circuit. It is a pump that circulates refrigerant through the system, just like the human heart circulates blood. This refrigerant is the medium which extracts heat from the room and dissipates it outdoors.

Why are Carrier's multi-split twin compressors superior ?
Carrier's revolutionary twin compressor system :

• Is the only system that cools 5 rooms and 6 rooms respectively at one time
• gives both power and economy
• gives up to 50% in energy savings when cooling only one or two rooms

What is a Fan Coil Unit ?

The Indoor Fan Coil Unit (FCU) is the part of the split unit housing the cooling coil that cools the room. Carrier's fan coil units come with a double effect air purifying filter. A revolutionary feature comprising an electrostatic and carbon activated filter. This filtering technology attracts airborne microscopic particles like dust, pollen, viruses, smoke and odour to give you odourless, cleaner and healthier air. Only Carrier offers the double effect air purifying filter as a standard feature found in all multi-split FCUs.

What is the difference between a window unit and a split system?

A window unit is a self-contained packaged air conditioner. All components are housed within the unit. It is installed through an opening in the wall and no inter-piping connection is required.

A single split unit, as it's called, comprises 2 parts that make up a system air conditioner  the outdoor Condensing Unit (CDU) and the indoor Fan Coil Unit (FCU). The CDU consists of the compressor and a heat rejecting condenser coil. The FCU is a cooling coil that cools the room. Interconnecting piping between CDU and FCU is required to run this system.

A multi-split unit consists of 1 condensing unit connected to more than 1 fan coil unit thus having the capability to cool multirooms. The CDU can be single compressor or multi compressors. Because of the design, single split units and multi-split units are quieter than window units.

How to choose an air-conditioning system for the house?
To choose an air-conditioning system for your house, you need to:

1. Decide on the areas that require air-conditioning.
2. Have an aircon specialist determine the cooling capacity required.
3. Determine the types of air-con that you want.
4. Consider your budget.

• Checklist: Air Conditioner Maintenance
• Checklist: Monthly Maintenance
• Checklist: Spring Cleaning