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Have you ever been to someone's house on a hot summer day and they didn't turn on the AC because they said it either feels like a meat locker in there when they turn it on, or it gives them a headache? Some people may be more sensitive to AC than others, but it's often about the wrong indoor unit placement and improper use.
The same thing is often the case when heating with an air conditioner. People complain it's too loud, or it's blowing right into them and creating an unpleasant feeling of warmth.
It's simply because of the positioning mistakes that some people are missing out on all the advantages an AC can provide for both cooling and heating, and also the lower electricity bills.
Indoor AC unit placement
The air conditioner indoor unit has to be placed where it won't blow air directly into the part of the room where you spend most of your time. It'll be much more comfortable to have the unit cool or warm you indirectly than to have it blow air right in your face.
The preferred position is usually in the farthest position of the room, where the air flow isn't obstructed and allowed to easily distribute throughout the space.
If you have big glass casements or big windows, you might consider placing the AC unit on the side wall next to the casement window so that an air curtain effect is created which will significantly reduce the influence of the outside temperature.
Wall mounted AC unit should always be placed away from any heat sources like kitchenware, any space heaters, but also away from direct sunlight. We don't want the thermostat on the AC unit to receive false readings which could result in either working too hard or not working hard enough.
Indoor unit should be mounted at the proper height, allowing the air to circulate freely. It's recommended to mount the unit 7 feet from the floor level, but it depends on the AC unit model and the arrangement of your living space.
Single vs. multiple indoor AC units
It's usually impossible to achieve comfortable and high-quality air conditioning with a single indoor unit, unless you have medium or small rooms and the unit is placed in a way to blow the air towards other rooms in the apartment or a house. But it doesn't mean it can't achieve satisfactory results. It all depends on your floor plan and the ability of the air to circulate through the rooms.
Since the indoor unit has an ambient temperature sensor on it, it might receive the information that the set temperature has been reached, while the desired temperature in other rooms isn't there yet. The temperatures may equalize with longer use, if the AC unit has been left to work all day.
In other cases, a single AC unit won't be able to reach the set temperature at all. The compressor will have to work at maximum power without ever reaching the temperature maintenance mode, resulting in noisy operation and higher electricity consumption.
Outdoor AC unit placement
It's never a good idea to place neither the indoor nor the outdoor unit in a confined or narrow space. It's important to allow the air coming out of the indoor unit to circulate freely.
Placing an outdoor unit in a confined space, or a corridor might interfere with it's exhausting. It should be placed on an exterior wall, not in a garage or in the attic.
Outdoor unit is mounted on steel supports which are fixed to the wall. It's always better to use stainless steel screws and supports of higher quality metals to prevent them getting rusty. Especially if you live by the sea, or in conditions where rust is likely to occur.
Distance between the indoor and the outdoor AC units
It's recommended to have the distance between the two units as small as possible. This is because of the potential energy loss and increased load on the units. Although not always achievable, it's best to have the indoor unit and the outdoor unit on the same wall, making the distance between the units only the thickness of the wall.
The external condensate discharge pipe
Most air conditioners don't have a built-in pump to help drain the condensate. That's why it's important to consider the placement of the discharge drain pipe.
A pipe is connected to the bottom of the AC which drains the condensate produced by the indoor unit when cooling, and the outdoor unit in heating mode. The amount of condensate depends on the humidity in the air and the power of the air conditioner. During hot summer days, the amount of condensate can be up to one liter per hour.
To avoid water retention, the pipe has to have a constant elevation drop and should lead into the sewer or storm water drain.
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