Did You Know That Air Conditioning Heats as well as Cools?

Air Conditioning That Heats as well as Cools

When we think about air conditioning it is often in relation to keeping us cool on a hot summer's day. In fact, many business owners might dismiss investing in an air conditioning system because they don't realise that a modern Variant Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system, which works by converting the ambient air into either warm or cool air, is just as effective at warming up a space as it is at cooling it down.

The best way to think about VRF heat pump and heat recovery systems is in terms of maintaining a comfortable temperature for your home or business. When you realise that a modern air conditioning system can be over four times more efficient than traditional heating systems, driving down heating bills by over 80 per cent, the decision to install one becomes very tempting.

So what is involved in VRF technology and what different options are available when having an HVAC system installed in your home or business?

How do VRV/VRF Systems Work

Before going into detail about how the systems work, it is worth explaining the difference between VRV and VRF. When Daikin pioneered the technology back in 1980, they registered the name Variant Refrigerant Volume to describe it. Other firms had to use a different term and the name Variant Refrigerant Flow came into being.

Although each VRV/VRF system features proprietary technology, they all operate along the same basic lines.

As mentioned in the introduction, VRF systems convert the ambient air into either warm or cool air. They are characterised by the following:

• Refrigerant only (no chilled water)

• Inverter compressors (to reduce power consumption with partial heating or cooling loads)

• Several indoor units on a loop

• Ability for modular expansion (this is important for large premises)

In a working VRF system, an outdoor air con unit, comprising one or more compressors, is connected to several indoor units via a two wired cable on a closed loop. Each indoor unit is connected to a control panel (wired or wireless) and there may also be a centralised controller connected to the outdoor unit.

When somebody switches on one of the internal units, the proprietary operations logic adjusts the compressors depending on information about the outside temperature (provided by the outdoor unit), the temperature set by the operator and the operation mode).

Recalculations are made whenever additional indoor units are switched on or off or adjusted, providing fine-tuned control to the conditions in each room.

There are two types of heat-producing VRF systems: heat pump and heat recovery systems.

Heat pump systems are the most popular choice. The indoor units can produce hot or cold air independently. Although heat recovery systems are less popular, they are more sophisticated with indoor units able to mix hot and cold air simultaneously.

Why K2 are our Customers' Preferred HVAC Installers

Having served in the air conditioning industry for over 16 years, K2 Heating and Cooling Solutions Ltd. are familiar with all different types of air conditioning system. For added peace of mind, we have been named as Daikin D1 Business Partners and Mitsubishi Electric Approved Partners and installers. We can even offer an industry-beating nine year warranty.

All sizes of installation are within our competency. Whether you need a small unit to regulate the temperature of a conservatory or a system suitable for a large commercial site, we can complete all works to the highest standards.

We are also able to design entire HVAC installations or work closely with your interior design team to overcome installation challenges.

To really maximise cost-efficiency, we can integrated VRF technology into your home automation systems.

In addition to installation, we can help you with all of your air con maintenance and service requirements, whether we installed the original unit or not.