With the successive heat waves of recent years, many people have chosen to equip themselves with reversible air conditioning, to improve the comfort of their homes. It is better to take the time to think well about your project, to find the equipment that best suits your needs.
There are few types of air conditioning, developed by many manufacturers and at all prices, to cool your home during the hottest periods. However, performance is not the same between different devices and different criteria must be taken into account. Three main models are currently on the market: the reversible air/water heat pump, the mobile air conditioner and the single/multisplit air conditioner.
The reversible air/water heat pump, the special option
In certain cases, particularly in regions where heatwave episodes are rarer, it is also possible to choose a reversible air/water heat pump for cooling your living rooms.
This heating system has enhanced capabilities to heat your home in winter. In reverse cycle, it gives you opportunity to cool your beloved home by a few degrees during the summer. It is exclusively reserved for homes equipped with underfloor heating.
In fact, cooling cannot be offered in the case of a central heating circuit made up of radiators, because of the risk of condensation. This solution is also preferred if you wish to equip yourself with a heating/cooling system that can also ensure the production of domestic hot water. An option not possible with an air/air heat pump.
The mobile or fixed air conditioner, the cheapest one
It is often considered the most practical and accessible cooling solution when you have to deal with a sudden rise in temperatures or a heatwave. This type of air conditioning is, in fact, easy to move and does not require the arrival of a technician for its installation and commissioning.
The mobile air conditioner is not too much expensive to purchase. However, this type of device is also very energy intensive. It runs exclusively on electricity and its performance index is ultimately very limited. Mobile air conditioner consumes on average 2.5 times more energy than reversible air conditioning.
In addition, the freshness provided by the monobloc air conditioner remains very limited compared to a model with reversible air conditioning (only between 2 and 3°C less). This equipment is all the more energy consuming as it requires the passage of a flexible duct allowing the evacuation of hot air through a half-open window.
Even when caulked, this opening lets warm air from outside into the room you are trying to cool. Finally, the noise level of the device in operation is high, and can be disturbing if you want to cool a bedroom. A wall-mounted version also exists with the split monobloc air conditioner, to avoid taking up space on the floor. The latter requires drilling an air outlet in the wall. Its level of performance remains relatively low, just like its mobile counterpart.
The single or multi-split air conditioning, the most efficient
Otherwise called an air/air heat pump, reversible air conditioning is made up of an outdoor unit and one or more indoor units. We therefore speak of a monosplit project for installation in a single room, and multisplit when several rooms in the home are equipped.
The quantity of indoor units therefore depends on the number of rooms chosen, but also on the volume to be covered. The purchase price of a reversible air conditioning also takes into account these different criteria, and represents a larger budget. The exterior unit is connected by refrigeration connections to interior units which can be wall-mounted splits, consoles, or even recessed ceiling cassettes. In the latter case, it is then a ducted solution installed in the attic or a false ceiling, for maximum discretion.
Reversible air conditioning mainly uses renewable energy to operate. By drawing calories from the air (outside in winter for heating, inside in summer for cooling), it produces more energy than it consumes electricity for its operation.
Now, the vast majority of models offered by different air conditioning manufacturers are called reversible. This therefore means that you no longer need to bother with different equipment, the air/air heat pump becoming a 2-in-1 device that can cool and heat your home, and meet your needs in terms of comfort, in all seasons. This notion of comfort also involves various options, standard or add-on, developed by manufacturers to meet all your needs: Wi-Fi connection for remote management, air filtration, temperature adjustment to the nearest degree, etc.