Hlađenje isparavanjem ili klimatizacija:Što trebam kupiti?

Postoji nekoliko osnovnih potrepština koje mnogi Australci trebaju da prežive vrućinu, poput dezodoransa i zalihe sladoleda za hitne slučajeve. No nijedna ljetna namirnica nije važnija od uređaja kojim ćete rashladiti sobu.

Popularna opcija je split sustav klima uređaja, jedan od nekoliko tipova klima uređaja na tržištu. Ali to se često uspoređuje s hladnjakom isparavanjem, općenito mnogo jeftinijom alternativom tradicionalnom klima uređaju. Ali što je bolje? Evo nekih ključnih stvari koje morate imati na umu kada kupujete najbolji rashladni uređaj za svoj dom.

Koja je razlika između klimatizacije i hlađenja isparavanjem?

Hladnjaci s isparavanjem i klima uređaji s rashladnim sredstvom koriste različite procese za hlađenje doma. Dok evaporativni hladnjaci isparavaju vodu kako bi pomogli u odvođenju topline, rashladni split sustav koristi rashladni plin za hlađenje doma kao i dva odjeljka koji zamjenjuju vrući zrak u prostoriji hladnijim zrakom izvana.

Dok su tekući troškovi za rashladni klima uređaj mnogo skuplji, hlađenje isparavanjem nije prikladno za one koji se nalaze u područjima visoke vlažnosti.

Kako rade klima uređaji split sustava?

Split sustav rashladnog sredstva sadrži dvije odvojene jedinice – unutarnju i vanjsku. Ovi dijelovi rade zajedno kako bi zamijenili vrući zrak u kući hladnijim izvana i koriste rashladni plin za dodatno hlađenje prostorije kako bi se puno brže postigla ugodnija temperatura.

Klima uređaj s obrnutim ciklusom je slična alternativa koja još uvijek koristi isti proces koristeći unutarnje i vanjske komponente, osim što ima kondenzator dodan unutarnjoj jedinici. Klima-uređaji s podijeljenim sustavom rashladnog sredstva i obrnuti klima uređaji kažu da su prilično kompaktni, tihi i učinkoviti u radu. Ali to vrijedi razmotriti samo ako vam je potrebna grijaća jedinica jer ona može i hladiti i grijati prostoriju.

Kako rade evaporativni hladnjaci?

Evaporativni hladnjaci također mogu imati unutarnju i vanjsku jedinicu. U ovom slučaju, vanjska jedinica se postavlja na krov kako bi skupila zrak i distribuirala ga kroz mokre rashladne jastučiće, koji se zatim hlade isparavanjem. Hladan zrak se zatim ispušta u dom kroz unutarnju jedinicu.

No tu sličnosti općenito prestaju jer je najveća razlika između ove dvije vrste uređaja u tome što hlađenje isparavanjem hladi zrak putem vode koja isparava. Hladnjak za isparavanje dolazi s ventilatorom i mokrim rashladnim jastučićem koji ventilator koristi za prikupljanje toplog zraka unutar uređaja, prije slanja na jastučiće natopljene vodom na hlađenje.

Je li hlađenje isparavanjem bolje od klimatizacije?

Trebate li nabaviti evaporativni hladnjak ili split sustav klima uređaja? Evo nekoliko faktora o kojima treba razmisliti.

Klima

Hladnjaci s isparavanjem nisu za svakoga, tvrde proizvođači klima uređaja poput Toshibe. Robna marka kaže da, iako će klima-uređaji s rashladnim sredstvom obično odgovarati svakoj klimi, osobito vlažnim područjima, evaporativni hladnjaci ne rade tako dobro u okruženjima visoke vlažnosti poput Queenslanda, Zapadne Australije i Sjevernog teritorija. Umjesto toga, bolje ih je graditi za manje vlažna područja kao što su Victoria, Južna Australija, Tasmanija i Teritorij glavnog grada Australije.

Vrsta prostora

Ako vam ideja da se smjestite na kauču s uključenom klimom, spuštenim zavjesama i spremnim za uživanje u Netflixu zvuči gore od iskustva stvarnog sparnog događaja koji se događa vani, rashlađivači s isparavanjem mogli bi biti pravi izbor. Kaže se da sustav hlađenja isparavanjem radi učinkovitije s otvorenim vratima i prozorima jer omogućuje slobodno širenje zraka, u usporedbi sa zatvorenim okruženjem koje zahtijevaju rashladni split sustav klima uređaja.

Sve je to očito zato što za razliku od tradicionalnog klima uređaja, hladnjak s isparavanjem dodaje vlagu u zrak. Dakle, korištenje hladnjaka za isparavanje u zatvorenom prostoru znači da neće moći primiti suhi, svježi zrak izvana. Umjesto toga, razina vlažnosti nastavit će se povećavati i na kraju uzrokovati da vaš dom bude pomalo vlažan.

Održavanje

Kako biste smanjili količinu grinja, bakterija i drugih alergena, kao i osigurali da vaš uređaj nastavi učinkovito raditi, morat ćete izvršiti neke provjere održavanja. If you get an evaporative cooler, you will need to get your cooling pads serviced. 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