When to install an air conditioner during repairs: the optimal period for installing an air conditioning unit

The timing and order of repairs must be planned as carefully as possible.Is it true that without a clear calculation it will turn into an endless natural disaster? It is important to determine the time period when it is reasonable and profitable to install an air conditioner when renovating an apartment.

Determining not only the optimal time for work, but also the season for purchasing and installing equipment will significantly save your budget. We will make this task as easy as possible for you, arming you with the necessary modern knowledge.

After conducting painstaking research, we have identified the most important aspects of installing an air conditioner. They will help you fit into your individual apartment renovation schedule the order of purchasing, installing and turning on the climate control unit.

Brief introduction to the climate system

The main task of an air conditioner is to ensure comfortable temperature and air circulation in the room. Models differ in power, method of moving air flow, price, brand of the manufacturer and other characteristics.

In order to properly plan the purchasing season and the time for installing climate control units during repairs, you need to have a basic understanding of their structure and operating principle.

Classification by device blocks

The main components of the air conditioner can be placed in a different number of housings.

Depending on the number of such blocks, devices are divided into:

• Monoblocks. The most expensive of all types of structures are combined in a single unit. They are characterized by ease of operation, durability, ease of maintenance and repair.
• Split systems. They consist of an external and internal block connected to each other by a tube containing freon.
• Multisplit systems. The advantage is to place several blocks inside different rooms. All of them are connected by pipes to a single external unit.

Choose the desired design, based on the amount in your estimate for the purchase of air conditioners. Typically, split systems are a compromise between price and quality.

The indoor design includes an evaporator and a fan. All other components of the split system are located in the external block, fixed to the facade of the building

The cost of installation in a monoblock is minimal; it comes down to possible work on electrical wiring and in the electrical panel. The longest and most expensive work will be when installing multi-split structures or several split systems.

Operating principle of the air conditioner

All are functioning climate control devices according to one algorithm. Their operation is ensured by the property of the refrigerant liquid to absorb heat during evaporation and release it during condensation. Typically, the substance used is freon, which changes its state under pressure from liquid to gaseous and back.

The external and internal blocks of the split system contain heat exchangers operating in different modes - condenser (for heat) and evaporator (for cold)

The room is cooled when freon passes into a gaseous state. In heating mode, freon turns into liquid.

Laying communication routes

The split system units are connected to each other by wires and metal tubes. This connection is called a communications route, which it is advisable to hide in the wall. Let's analyze the individual stages of installation work. To understand how best to install air conditioning in an apartment, combining the process with simultaneous renovation of the premises.

Freon line circuit

The route must be laid under the guidance of experienced craftsmen. This is where mistakes are especially costly. Highways can be simple or non-standard. The length and cross-section of the component materials of the route are calculated individually.

For the usual installation of a split system you need:

• Mark the dimensions of the indoor unit on the wall of the room;
• Determine the drilling location in the wall for the route to exit to the street;
• Mark a groove from the lower left corner of the block to the hole;
• Prepare sections of tubes, interconnect cable, and drainage hose.

Combine all materials into a single bundle. Place flex on the metal tubes and wrap protective tape around the part of the route that will be located in the hole in the wall and on the street.

Inside the room, carefully place all conductors in the groove. For laying the harness, a groove size of 50x70mm is sufficient. Protect the ends of the tubes in the bundle from dust and moisture. Place the drainage hose at an angle along the entire length of the line.

Take a photograph of the layout of the indoor unit drawn on the wall with the materials secured in the groove. Keep printed photos in a file with your air conditioner documents. They may come in handy during this repair or in the future.

Plasterers working on finishing a room and air conditioners connecting appliances must know all the intricacies of their craft.Choose the best representatives of these professions to lay the highway. During the hottest spring and summer season, it is especially difficult to find them.

Electrical wiring inside the apartment

It is important to have an idea of ​​the power supply to the air conditioner from the apartment panel. The device does not require exorbitant power, but does not like voltage surges.

Electricians work indoors; demand and prices for these services are stable at any time of the year. Therefore, it is better to understand the electrical circuit before starting construction repairs.

Ideally, it would be a good idea to lay a separate cable to the device during renovation of the apartment. And in the electrical panel, power it through your machine

If you decide to install an air conditioner after finishing work, it will be difficult to lay a new cable aesthetically. It is better to find the least loaded line in the apartment wiring, closer to the split system. And include the climate control device in this branch of the network.

The interconnect cable is laid with a reserve. On the outside, its length is approximately 30 cm longer than that of freon tubes. The core cross-section is sufficiently 1.5 mm², you can mount a VVG 5x1.5 cable.

Electricians recommend including a spare electrical conductor, for example, PVA 3x1.5, in the main line between the external and internal units. It may be useful for connecting sensors when repairing the power supply of an external unit.

Calculation of device power

Saving on purchases by purchasing a cheaper air conditioner model due to low cooling power is short-sighted. A weak device will not cope with cooling a large sunny room.

And you can expect such “surprises” as:

• discrepancy between the set temperature and the actual temperature;
• rapid breakdown of the air conditioner due to overheating;
• unnecessary costs for maintenance and repairs.

Determine what is required for a specific room air conditioner cooling power you can use a simple calculation - divide the area of ​​the room by 10. This is with a standard ceiling height of 2.5-3 m. If the ceilings are higher, increase the power in proportion to the height.

Buying an air conditioner that is too powerful cannot be considered rational. It will work loudly in vain and will require large installation costs

For example, for an area of ​​15 m² and a height of 3.5 m, a 1.8 kW device will be sufficient. The attic will require more power, increase by another 2-3% in proportion to the number of people constantly in the room. For the sunny side, add another 10 percent. As a result, the maximum cooling power of a home air conditioner should not exceed 4 kW.

Purchase of climate control equipment

You can buy an air conditioner at any time of the year. Different seasons in regular stores are characterized by the degree to which shelves are filled.

When planning your purchase, you should take into account which selection criterion is decisive for you:

• in spring you can buy the most modern models. The peak of the greatest assortment occurs before the start of demand growth.
• In summer suppliers and sellers maintain maximum prices. In hot weather, split systems are dismantled without regard to price tags.
• Autumn and winter sales of air conditioners are in a restrained mode. Sellers try to attract buyers with discounts.

If you are planning air conditioner installation When renovating your apartment, there is nothing stopping you from buying it in advance. In order to save money, it is better to do this at the end of autumn or winter.

In online trading, the time of year does not particularly affect the range of split systems.But seasonal pricing policy is also present on virtual shelves

All kinds of seasonal promotions, sales, and liquidation of warehouse balances make it profitable to purchase climate control equipment in the fall and winter on all trading floors.

Air conditioner warranty period

When purchasing a device, you should not consider the lowest cost as your main guideline. Air conditioning is not the most affordable of technological advances. You also need to save on it taking into account the time perspective.

Think about why different companies offer almost the same prices for selected model? Is one seller significantly lower? It is quite possible that he has a low-quality product and is not going to work on the market in the near future.

Remember about warranty obligations; they are always obliged to be fulfilled by the company that sold the equipment. And if she stopped working, then climate system repair the buyer will conduct it himself or pay out of his own pocket.

The warranty period for the split system is calculated from the date of purchase, which is indicated in the warranty card, receipt, or contract. One of these three documents is enough to request repairs from a sales organization if the device breaks down during the warranty period

The typical warranty for an air conditioner is one year. It does not depend on the date of installation or on the installation technician. At selected retail outlets, the warranty can be extended to three years. As a rule, in this case, installation is carried out by a representative of the seller. And the second mandatory condition is annual servicing of the air conditioner.

Its cost per installer exit is approximately 1-1.5 thousand rubles.The scope of service work includes checking pipe routes, inspection, cleaning, diagnostics and other operations. If you are planning on your own service split system, valuable recommendations from our proposed article will help you.

Service companies, including those from the staff of a trading company, provide a separate warranty for the installation of equipment. Its period usually does not exceed one year from the date of signing the act of the contractor’s work accepted by the customer.

Choosing a season for editing

You have decided on the model to purchase and have calculated the installation time. All that remains is to decide at what stage of the construction repair it is better to install the air conditioner.

You can break down the installation into separate operations:

• Laying out the split system route We recommend performing this between the external and internal units before finishing work begins. This process is associated with wall gating, drilling holes in the walls. It is accompanied by dust and debris.
• Installation of the indoor unit It is advisable to do this after finishing is completed. It is possible to lay highways in special boxes without gating. Then it is better to install the entire split system simultaneously after the repair.
• The external unit is mounted usually together with laying the route. The cost of installation is about 70% of the total amount of installation services. You can agree with the craftsmen to carry out the fastening of the external unit at any time acceptable to you.

In spring and summer, prices for installation work and maintenance of air conditioners are highest.

In hot weather, installation becomes more expensive due to an increase in the number of orders; in rainy and cold weather - due to the reluctance of craftsmen to carry out facade work at heights

Many owners call service workers to check their climate control equipment in the spring, before the start of the warm season. Increased demand adjusts the cost of services upward.

Installer options

Manufacturers of climate control equipment claim that 90% of breakdowns in the first year of operation occur due to poor installation of devices.

Fastening and connecting blocks can be done using:

• Service from the selling company. A trading company with a long history and good reputation will most likely provide the service at the highest price. But you will have someone to contact if the unit breaks down during the warranty period.
• Specialized services of installation organizations. They are provided by both independent companies and divisions of construction companies. You can invite specialists to consult and perform the most complex operations.
• Do-it-yourself air conditioning system installation. The most economical method, suitable for technically savvy, experienced craftsmen. If you are confident in your abilities, why not. Go for it!

In progress installation of the external unit and there are no secondary operations inside the device. Every very minor careless deviation from the technical requirements leads to major problems in the operation of the air conditioner.

Minor flaws when installing the external unit of a split system can lead to increased noise due to vibration. An incorrect angle of inclination of the drainage hose will direct the collected condensate not outside, but back into the room

Carefully monitor the quality of rolling, do not allow the pipes to bend. The correct operation of the air conditioner depends on them. Defects in working with pipes can lead to freon leakage, disruption of the cooling process, and breakdown of expensive equipment.

Where should I mount it?

An incorrect choice of not only the timing of installation of the air conditioner, but also the location of the split system units leads to a deviation from the standard length of freon lines.

Reducing the route threatens to disrupt the cooling period in the coolant movement cycle. Such an imbalance will cause water hammer on the compressor and will cause failure of the most expensive air conditioner unit.

Too long a pipeline creates an increased load on the device. Constant operation in overload mode will shorten the life of the device.

For complex repairs involving the design, finishing of the room and installation of a split system, the conditions for placing devices are prescribed in the technical documentation.

If the financial issue does not bother you at all, then feel free to install a split system with indoor units in each room on the sunny side of the house. Microclimate designers will advise you on specific locations.

In case of a limited budget for apartment renovation, it is possible to carry out communications for the air conditioner at the rough stage. Their outputs should be reliably protected with special plugs. Installation location indoor unit in the room, choose closer to the window or at the head of the bed. And postpone the purchase and installation of a climate control device until the bright future.

Mobile air conditioners have one drawback - loud noise during operation. But if you have chosen such a device, then it is reasonable to make round windows for the planned replacement of windows

Mobile samples do not require connection to the premises. Such air conditioners can be moved to any room in the apartment. But even they require the installation of a special hole in the window to release warm air outside when cooling or cold air when heating the room.

Before starting repair work, think about the aesthetic side of technical devices. There are many design techniques for discreetly placing an air conditioner in the interior of a room.

The most interesting of them:

• Duct and cassette models are installed in utility rooms, in suspended ceilings. During the renovation of the apartment, air ducts are built for them.
• Colored cases, indoor units in the form of paintings and other artistic examples of climate control devices are skillfully disguised as the style of the room.
• White air conditioners are hidden by the window behind the curtains, behind the shelves, blending into the white wall or door of the room without attracting attention to themselves.

The costs of installing air ducts increase when performing cassette masking after construction renovation of an apartment. You can “drown” climate control devices into specially built niches. Draw your attention away from technology with beautiful decor and green plants.

A successful solution with a ducted climate system device. Structures are designed before renovation begins and installed at the stage of rough finishing of the apartment

When installing a split system in a room after renovation, you should play around with the placement of the indoor air conditioner unit in an interesting way. There is a wide range of different techniques for this case - from complete camouflage to deliberately highlighting the device in the interior of the room.

Air conditioner operating rules

Regardless of the time you choose to install the air conditioner, at the stage of general construction repairs or after finishing, carry out a test run of it. Check the operation of the device in all modes. Do a test run using a special test program installed on the split system.

Operation efficiency decreases when the air filter of the indoor unit of the air conditioner is dirty. Typically, the manufacturer recommends vacuuming 1-2 times a month.

Cleaning the filter is not included in the warranty service of the device. You need to carry out this procedure yourself in accordance with the operating instructions

Instruments are needed to measure the freon level and refill the refrigerant. These air conditioner maintenance operations are carried out by service representatives. Invite them annually for preventive diagnostics of the climate system.

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

Optimal placement locations, choice of installation time, tips for caring for the internal unit of a split system:

Master class on carefully installing a split system after a room has been renovated:

Introduction to all types of home air conditioners, the pros and cons of various designs:

Video materials and expert recommendations will help you determine the best time to install a split system. You will decide whether to install an air conditioner before the start of construction repairs or after its completion based on your new knowledge and personal preference.

Have you already chosen the optimal time to install an air conditioner during the renovation of your apartment? Would you like to share your experience and talk about certain advantages and disadvantages of installing a split system? Post reviews, photos, questions, tips and comments below.