If you are in the market for a new air conditioner unit, you would probably by now have been flooded by an abundance of options on the market. In evaluating the pros and cons of each, the task of installation would probably have come up. While most choose to engage the services of a professional aircon installation Singapore firm, you may wish to attempt a DIY installation.

Unfortunately, there is no standard installation process, each type of aircon requires a different procedure. In the current air conditioner industry, four types of aircon units dominate the market, namely:

• Portable air conditioner
• Window air conditioner
• Split air conditioner
• Central air conditioner

In this article we give a brief overview of how their installation processes differ from one another.

Portable Air Conditioner

The portable air conditioner boasts the easiest installation process, and as it name suggests, can be easily shifted to any room with a window or outlet. Only two main steps are required here:

Firstly, the outlet needs to be sealed tight using a window kit. This involves attaching a foam piece and window piece to the outlet while pulling out any expansion pieces. The result is a nice tight seal on your space.

Secondly, hook up the vent from the air conditioner to the outlet panel and plug the system into a grounded outlet.

Window Air Conditioner

Another model of aircon that is relatively easy to install is the window air conditioner. However unlike the portable air conditioner, once installed, its position is relatively permanent.

The first step is to set the set the air conditioner unit on the bottom sill of your window before securing it.

The rest of installation process is identical their portable counterparts, but special consideration needs to be paid to the size of the window. Window aircon units need to fit within the frame of the window and centered. Thereafter, the side vents can be pulled out and nailed into place, thus creating the air seal.

Split Air Conditioner

The term split refers to how the system is split in two. The condenser and other loud components are kept outside while the actual vent system is placed in the room. An additional benefit is that no direct window is required here.

Three separate micro systems need to be installed here:

• Outside condenser. This unit is responsible for venting out the hot air from the system, creating noise in the process. By keeping it outside of the house, the residents are spared from the disturbance.
• Inside vents. The vents disperse cool air into the room, and are smaller than the window aircon unit as only half of the system is now inside the room.
• Connecting wires and tubes. The key component in the split aircon unit are the connecting wires and tubes between the condenser and the vents. These transport the refrigerant and heat, allowing the vents to cool the room. Careful planning, and laying of the wires and tubes are key to setting up the split air conditioner.

Central Air Conditioner

In contrast to the previous three types of air conditioners which were intended to cool a single room, the central air conditioner is used to cool entire buildings. However, it does not directly cool the rooms per say, rather it acts as a central nervous system that empowers individual split air conditioners.

Three key components are involved here:

• Air flow. Since all individual aircon units are part of a larger system here, good circulation in the air vents is key. Cool air has to be delivered to the room while hot air is carried out, without the two ever mixing.
• Similar to air flow, proper refrigerant circulation is required in order to carry heat out of individual rooms, into the central system and finally out of the building.
• A central thermostat is often used to regulate temperatures throughout the building. It acts as the brain of the system and controls individual aircon units.

Should You Hire Professionals to Install Your Aircon?

As demonstrated in this article, depending on the type of aircon being installed, the difficulty involved varies wildly. If you do not have prior experience or do not have the confidence to carry out the installation, then professional aircon service firms should be engaged. After all, incorrectly installed units may end up costing you more in the long run due to corrections or increased need for maintenance.