Hlajenje z izhlapevanjem ali klimatska naprava:kaj naj kupim?
Številni Avstralci potrebujejo nekaj osnovnih stvari, da preživijo vročino, na primer dezodorant in zalogo sladoleda za nujne primere. Vendar nobena poletna sponka ni pomembnejša od naprave, s katero boste ohladili prostor.
Priljubljena možnost je klimatska naprava split sistem, ena od več vrst klimatskih naprav na trgu. Toda to pogosto primerjajo z izparilnim hladilnikom, ki je na splošno veliko cenejša alternativa tradicionalni klimatski napravi. Toda kateri je boljši? Tukaj je nekaj ključnih stvari, ki jih morate upoštevati pri nakupovanju najboljše hladilne naprave za vaš dom.
Kakšna je razlika med klimatsko napravo in hlajenjem z izhlapevanjem?
Izparilni hladilniki in klimatske naprave s hladilnim sredstvom uporabljajo različne postopke za hlajenje doma. Medtem ko izhlapevalni hladilniki izhlapevajo vodo, da pomagajo pri odvajanju toplote, sistem z razdeljenim hladilnim sredstvom uporablja hladilni plin za hlajenje doma in dva predelka, ki nadomestita vroč zrak v prostoru s hladnejšim zrakom od zunaj.
Čeprav so tekoči stroški za klimatsko napravo s hladilnim sredstvom veliko dražji, hlajenje z izhlapevanjem ni primerno za tiste v območjih z visoko vlažnostjo.
Kako delujejo split sistemske klimatske naprave?
Razdeljeni sistem za hladilno sredstvo vsebuje dve ločeni enoti – notranjo in zunanjo. Ti deli sodelujejo pri zamenjavi vročega zraka v domu s hladnejšim od zunaj in uporabljajo hladilni plin za nadaljnje hlajenje prostora, da se veliko hitreje doseže udobnejša temperatura.
Klimatska naprava z obratnim ciklom je podobna alternativa, ki še vedno uporablja isti postopek z uporabo notranjih in zunanjih komponent, le da ima notranji enoti dodan kondenzator. Klimatske naprave z deljenim sistemom hladilnega sredstva in obratne klimatske naprave naj bi bile precej kompaktne, tihe in učinkovite za delovanje. Toda o tem je vredno razmisliti le, če potrebujete grelno enoto, saj lahko tako ohladi in ogreje prostor.
Kako delujejo izparilni hladilniki?
Evaporativni hladilniki imajo lahko tudi notranjo in zunanjo enoto. V tem primeru je zunanja enota nameščena na strehi, da zbira zrak in ga distribuira skozi mokre hladilne blazine, ki se nato ohladijo z izhlapevanjem. Hladen zrak se nato spusti v dom skozi notranjo enoto.
Toda tu se na splošno podobnosti končajo, saj je največja razlika med tema dvema vrstama aparatov ta, da hlajenje z izhlapevanjem hladi zrak z izhlapevanjem vode. Hladilnik z izhlapevanjem je opremljen z ventilatorjem in mokro hladilno blazino, ki ju ventilator uporablja za zbiranje toplega zraka v napravi, preden ga pošlje na ohlajene vodne blazinice.
Je hlajenje z izhlapevanjem boljše od klimatizacije?
Ali bi morali kupiti izparilni hladilnik ali split sistem klimatske naprave? Tukaj je nekaj dejavnikov, o katerih morate razmisliti.
Podnebje
Po mnenju proizvajalcev klimatskih naprav, kot je Toshiba, hlapilni hladilniki niso za vsakogar. Blagovna znamka pravi, da medtem ko klimatske naprave s hladilnim sredstvom običajno ustrezajo vsakemu podnebju, zlasti vlažnim območjem, izhlapevalni hladilniki ne delujejo tako dobro v okoljih z visoko vlažnostjo, kot so Queensland, Zahodna Avstralija in Severni teritorij. Namesto tega jih je bolje zgraditi za manj vlažna območja, kot so Victoria, Južna Avstralija, Tasmanija in ozemlje glavnega mesta Avstralije.
Vrsta prostora
Če se zamisel, da bi se usedli na kavč z vklopljeno klimatsko napravo, zagrnjenimi zavesami in pripravljeni na popivanje z Netflixom, sliši slabše od doživljanja soparnega dogajanja v resničnem življenju, ki se dogaja zunaj, so morda izhlapevalni hladilniki prava rešitev. Hladilni sistem z izhlapevanjem naj bi učinkoviteje deloval pri odprtih vratih in oknih, ker omogoča prosto širjenje zraka v primerjavi z zaprtim okoljem, ki ga zahtevajo hladilne klimatske naprave z razdeljenim sistemom.
Vse to je očitno zato, ker v nasprotju s tradicionalno klimatsko napravo izhlapevalni hladilnik zraku dodaja vlago. Torej uporaba izparilnega hladilnika v zaprtem prostoru pomeni, da ne bo mogel prejeti suhega, svežega zraka od zunaj. Namesto tega se bo raven vlažnosti še naprej povečevala in sčasoma povzročila, da bo vaš dom nekoliko vlažen.
Vzdrževanje
Če želite čim bolj zmanjšati količino pršic, bakterij in drugih alergenov ter zagotoviti, da bo vaša naprava še naprej učinkovito delovala, boste morali opraviti nekaj vzdrževalnih pregledov. Če dobite izhlapevalni hladilnik, boste morali svoje hladilne blazine servisirati. Alternatively, the filters inside air conditioners must be cleaned (or replaced if necessary) to ensure the air can be effectively recirculated.
Is evaporative cooling cheaper than air conditioning?
Yes, almost always. But cheaper isn’t always better. It really comes down to weighing up the pros and cons of each, such as purchase price and running costs, versus convenience and effectiveness, detailed below.
Upfront price
In terms of upfront price, split system air conditioners tend to have a larger price tag. This can be seen with Kogan’s selection of evaporative coolers which typically retail between $39 and $199, while its selection of split system air conditioners can take you back anywhere between $799 and $1,799.
Brands like Honeywell can bring the price difference closer with more expensive evaporative coolers selling for just over $500, keeping in mind that some split air conditioners like the Rinnai 2.5kG Reverse Cycle Split System Inverter Air Conditioner are available for less than $700. But it’s likely your wallet will still sweat a lot less with evaporative coolers usually costing between $100 and $200.
Running costs
When it comes to price, the main difference between an evaporative cooler and a refrigerant split system all comes down to running cost. If you’re worried about long-term costs of running your appliance, or thinking about replacing your current unit and want to reduce your power bill, it’s worth buying a model with a higher energy rating. Keep in mind that a higher rating doesn’t necessarily mean paying for a more expensive model.
To help you compare the running costs, we’ve looked at the different annual energy costs for an evaporative cooler and a split system air conditioner in various sized rooms.
The yearly energy usage costs for portable evaporative coolers and ducted evaporative coolers detailed below are taken from Sustainability Victoria, which provides an example of how much you might pay depending on what type of appliance you use. This amount is then compared to split system air conditioners. Keep in mind these prices don’t take into account the additional water usage costs for evaporative coolers, although it’s clear refrigerant air conditioners are still significantly more expensive to use.
Small room
For a small room, you’ll generally need an air conditioner with anywhere between 2.5kW and 3kW capacity. So, compared to a refrigerant air conditioner with either a low or high energy efficiency rating, this is how an evaporative cooler in a 12m could impact your power bill:
- Portable evaporative cooler: $5 annual energy cost
- Split system air conditioner with a 2.5-star energy rating: $35 annual energy cost
- Split system air conditioner with 5-star energy rating: $10 annual energy cost
House
For central cooling, you will need a refrigerant air conditioner with at least an 8kW capacity. So, the yearly energy usage costs to use the following appliances in a small house which measures 100m could look like this:
- Portable evaporative cooler: $5 annual energy cost
- Split system air conditioner (2.5-star energy rating): $35 annual energy cost
- Split system air conditioner (6-star energy rating): $10 annual energy cost
If you live in a medium sized house which requires an appliance to cool down an area that measures 160m, you could save just less than $200 by using a standard ducted evaporative cooler instead of a refrigerative air conditioner. If you opt for a ducted inverter evaporative cooler, you can save even more. Considering that an air conditioner usually retails for much more, it may be worth thinking about using evaporative cooling.
- Ducted evaporative cooling: $65 annual energy cost
- Ducted evaporative cooling (inverter): $50 annual energy cost
- Ducted refrigerative air conditioning in the bedroom and living room (1.5-star energy rating): $255 annual energy cost
- Ducted refrigerative air conditioning which only operates in the living room (3.5-star energy rating): $125 annual energy cost
- Ducted refrigerative air conditioning in the bedroom and living room (1.5-star energy rating): $235 annual energy cost
- Ducted refrigerative air conditioning which only operates in the living room (3.5-star energy rating): $110 annual energy cost
In a large house which requires cooling for a space measuring 220m, you could save more than $200 by buying a standard ducted evaporative cooler instead of a refrigerant air con.
- Ducted evaporative cooling: $80 annual energy cost
- Ducted evaporative cooling (inverter): $65 annual energy cost
- Ducted refrigerative air conditioning in the bedroom and living room (1.5-star energy rating): $315 annual energy cost
- Ducted refrigerative air conditioning which only operates in the living room (3.5-star energy rating): $170 annual energy cost
- Ducted refrigerative air conditioning in the bedroom and living room (1.5-star energy rating): $285 annual energy cost
- Ducted refrigerative air conditioning which only operates in the living room (3.5-star energy rating): $150 annual energy cost
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Should I get an air conditioner or an evaporative cooler?
Whether you should buy a split system air conditioner or an evaporative cooler all depends on what you need for your home. But don’t forget to consider things like the climate condition of where you live, and whether your home can provide the right environment for effective airflow.
Plus, the amount you’ll spend ultimately depends on a variety of factors. These include cooling capacity, whether you want a heating function and need to instead purchase a reverse cycle air conditioner, and specific features such as dehumidifying technology. The energy rating of a particular model can also make a difference.
Source:Prices taken from respective retailers, Appliance Online and The Good Guys, correct as of February 2020.
Picture credits:Fizkes / Shutterstock.com, Suti Stock Photo / Shutterstock.com, Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock.com, archideaphoto / Shutterstock.com, 3Dphoto / Shutterstock.com