If you’re looking for a way to keep your home or office cool and comfortable all year round, you might want to consider ducted air conditioning. But what is ducted air conditioning, and how does it work?, how to install it? And more importantly, what are the benefits of choosing it?
In this article, I’m going to explain everything you need to know about ducted air conditioning, including its benefits, drawbacks, and costs. I’ll also share some tips on how to choose the best ducted air conditioning system for your needs and budget. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear idea of whether ducted air conditioning is the best option for you.
What is Ducted Air Conditioning System?
Ducted air conditioning is a system that cools or heats the air in a central unit and distributes it through ducts and grilles to different rooms or areas. It is also known as central air conditioning. It is a discreet and quiet option that can be controlled remotely and can provide even air distribution and reverse cycle conditioning. It is suitable for open plan spaces, commercial or domestic. It may have more energy and cost efficiency than other systems.
A ducted air conditioning system consists of an outdoor unit, which contains the condenser and compressor, and an indoor unit, which contains the air handler and fan. The outdoor unit is usually located on the ground or on a wall bracket, while the indoor unit is usually located in the attic, basement, or garage. The indoor unit connects to a network of ducts that run through the ceiling or floor, delivering cool or warm air to different zones or rooms. The system can be zoned to allow different temperatures and airflow in different areas
But you may be confused as to how ducted air conditioners work. Ducted air conditioners have three main components: the indoor unit (usually installed in the ceiling), the outdoor unit, and the ductwork.
With the combination of these three units, ducted ACs perform refrigeration cycles that keep your home or office space uniformly cool and dehumidified throughout the day. In simple words, ducted air conditioners work by:
- Using refrigerants to cool the coils
- Deploying fans to blow the cool air past these coils and into the ducts
- Leveraging the network of ducts to blow the cool air into several rooms.
But to better understand how ducted air conditioners work, let’s take a closer look at the inner workings of this entire system.
How Ducted Air Conditioners Work
When thinking about revamping the cooling mechanism at your home, office, or any other commercial space, you will definitely come across the option of installing ducted air conditioners. But before you make such an investment, you need to know beforehand how ducted air conditioners work. Ducted air conditioners use several components to keep your home or any commercial space cool throughout the day.
Evaporator
This component can be found in the indoor unit of your ducted air conditioner. They are essentially coils containing a low-pressure refrigerant liquid that soaks up the heat from the warm air inside your room. So, after blowing over the evaporator coils, this warm air becomes cooler and is now ready to be sent back to your rooms. This in turn converts the low-pressure refrigerant liquid in the coils into a high-pressure gas.
Compressor
Now, this high-pressure gas is sent to the compressor for cooling. The compressor is a component in the outdoor unit of your ducted air conditioning system. When the gaseous refrigerant blows into this compressor at a higher pressure, it is converted into its liquid form, readying it to be sent into the evaporator coils of your indoor unit.
Condenser
However, before passing into the evaporator coil, the refrigerant in its liquid form is passed through the condenser coils of your outdoor unit. These coils help dissipate some of the excess heat from the liquid refrigerant. Once this is done, the liquid is ready to cool your room with the help of the evaporator coils in your indoor unit.
Ducts
Among all the components of your AC, the ducts (or ductwork) are the key to understanding how ducted air conditioners work. The ducts in such an AC are connected to the indoor unit. The warm air in your room is pulled in through this ductwork and sent into the evaporator. Upon blowing over the chilled evaporator coils, this air becomes cool and a fan sends it back to your room through these same ducts.
Through the collaborative efforts of the evaporator, condenser, and compressor in your AC, ducted air conditioners are able to keep your entire house, office, or commercial space cool and dehumidified more efficiently. But what makes them better than traditional split and window ACs?
Benefits of Ducted Air Conditioners
Now that you have understood in detail how ducted air conditioners work, you may be contemplating getting one. If you have a large indoor space to cool, then you should definitely opt for such an air conditioning system. This is because they offer a variety of benefits over traditional ACs.
Efficient & Affordable
Ducted air conditioners have been found to save more energy with regard to larger spaces when compared to regular split and window ACs. This makes them more efficient and affordable for large homes or commercial properties.
Reduce Capital Investment
For business owners, it is crucial to understand how ducted air conditioning works because it can help reduce capital investments. When you buy a ducted air conditioning system for your business premises, you only need to buy one ducted AC rather than several indoor and outdoor units of multiple split ACs.
Gain Zonal Control
A centralised ducted air conditioning system not only cools your entire building/premises uniformly but also has additional features. For example, ducted ACs enable you to gain zonal control of your entire AC system. With this, you can shut off the AC in areas of your building that are unused, all from a single central console.
Multiple Applications
Those who understand how ducted air conditioners work know that these AC systems are perfect for a variety of applications. For example, you can install them in commercial properties like shopping malls and hotels. Moreover, you can use them to regulate the temperatures inside an entire office building. However, very few people know that ducted ACs are also great for larger homes.
How to Install Ducted Air Conditioners?
With the higher efficiency in cooling, many businesses as well as residential homes are opting for ducted air conditioners over split and window ACs. However, despite knowing how ducted air conditioners work, installing them can be a whole different ball game. To install a ducted air conditioner, you will need the help of expert AC installation services in Dubai. This is because such experts follow industry-approved procedures such as:
- Assessment and Planning
- Design and System Selection
- Pre-Installation Preparations
- Installation of Indoor Unit
- Installation of Indoor Unit
- Installation of Ductwork and Vents
- Electrical and Control Wiring
- System Testing and Commissioning.
However, even after the installation of a ducted air conditioner, you may still need the help of experienced technicians when it comes to maintenance. This is because duct cleaning is something that needs to be done routinely for such AC systems.
Final Thoughts
Learning about the different components in ducted ACs and how they function in coordination with one another can give you an in-depth insight into how ducted air conditioners work. So, if you are planning to invest in an AC or HVAC system for your home, office, hotel, shopping mall etc., then a ducted AC or HVAC can be an affordable, efficient, and easy-to-maintain option for you.
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