The right air conditioning system for the house: devices, installation and costs
With air conditioning, your house stays nice and cool even in the hot summer months. Many people no longer want to miss this living comfort. The demand for air conditioning units for the home is continually increasing. But for optimal operation, the system must also fit your premises. Bosch explains which air conditioning system is best for your home, the advantages of planning a cooling system when building a house and what you should consider when installing and using the devices.
Table of content
- For quick readers: The most important facts about air conditioning in the house
- How does air conditioning work in the house?
- What type of air conditioner suits my house?
- What do I have to consider when installing an air conditioning system in the house?
- Planning air conditioning when building a house – what options are there?
- Retrofitting air conditioning in the house - is that possible?
- How much does air conditioning for your home cost
- Sample calculation: What does an air conditioning system in the house consume?
- Clean the air conditioning in the house
- FAQ on the topic of domestic air conditioning
For quick readers: The most important facts about air conditioning in the house
- Permanently installed split air conditioning systems in the house are more expensive to purchase and install than mobile air conditioning units but are more efficient and faster in their cooling performance and lower in energy consumption.
- When choosing a house air conditioning system, the basic question is whether you want the device to cool just one room or several rooms and whether you prefer a centralized or decentralized air conditioning solution for your house.
- Single-split and multi-split air conditioning systems consist of one or more indoor units with an evaporator and fan and an outdoor unit with a pump and compressor, therefore, unlike monoblock units, split units are quiet when operating indoors.
- In principle, you have more options when installing air conditioning in a new building than when retrofitting an existing building, as you can take all structural requirements into account in advance.
- Air conditioning systems are best installed and cleaned by a professional technician.
- The total cost of a split air conditioning system for a house is approx. 1,900 to 5,500 euros for purchase, installation and commissioning.
How does air conditioning work in the house?
Installing an air conditioner has many advantages. The devices ensure a significant increase in comfort because they cool your house down to pleasant temperatures and ensure a comfortable climate. This happens when the air conditioning unit sucks in the warm room air and removes the thermal energy from it via a heat exchanger. The systems then blow pleasantly cool air into the room that has been cleaned by microfilters and transport the heat to the outside via a refrigerant circuit. Depending on the model, this is done either via an exhaust hose on the air conditioning unit or via a separately installed outdoor unit. This means that home air conditioning systems not only contribute to greater living comfort on hot days, but also ensure a clean and germ-free atmosphere in your own home. This is particularly beneficial for allergy sufferers.
In addition, with an air conditioner you can not only cool but also heat your house. Many modern systems offer a heating function, so that you can use the device as a temporary heater not only in summer, but also in winter. Air conditioning and indoor air systems can also be combined with heat pump technology for efficient and environmentally friendly operation.
What type of air conditioner suits my house?
Air conditioning systems for the home are available in different types, which are divided into mobile and permanently installed devices:
- Monoblock device: All device components are in one unit. These mobile devices work with an exhaust hose. They are compact, easy to install and relatively inexpensive, but they cause higher operating costs and more noise in the interior.
- Single split device: The device components are divided into an indoor and outdoor unit. Louder processes in particular take place in the outdoor unit, which reduces the noise level of the air conditioning system in the house. In addition, split devices usually work more efficiently than monoblocks, but cost more and are more difficult to install.
- Multi-split device: An outdoor unit can be controlled by several indoor units. As a result, with a multi-split unit you can individually cool several rooms or the entire house using the same air conditioning system.
In addition to choosing the right air conditioning system for your home, you also need to consider the performance of the air conditioner. Each designated room should be cooled sufficiently, but not too much. If the air conditioning is too poor, your house may not be heated adequately or only very slowly. If the performance is too high, the air conditioning system will use an unnecessarily large amount of electricity.
What do I have to consider when installing an air conditioning system in the house?
A permanently installed split air conditioning system should be installed by a qualified specialist company. They know more about the device and you can ensure the warranty. During installation, a refrigerant pipe is laid through the wall, connecting the outdoor part to the indoor part of the device. This usually involves drilling a hole through the wall. The air conditioner indoor unit is mounted either on the wall or in the ceiling. The compressor, which compresses the refrigerant, is attached to the outside of the house wall.
Mobile air conditioning units are equipped with castors and can be set up by you wherever they are needed and a power socket is available. However, monobloc units must be connected to an exhaust air hose, the end of which is hung in the open window or door. This means that warm air is constantly flowing in from outside. The appliances cool more ineffectively and more slowly and are real power guzzlers when used frequently. With mobile split units, both parts are already connected with a flexible refrigerant hose and you have to place the outdoor unit a short distance from the indoor unit, e.g. on the balcony or terrace.
If you live in an apartment block, permanently installed air conditioning systems require authorisation. If you want to install a fixed split air conditioning unit in a condominium, you must first obtain the consent of the condominium owners' association for the structural alteration. If you want to install an air conditioning system in a rented flat, you need the landlord's consent. You can install mobile air conditioning systems anywhere and without authorisation, as they are not permanently installed. As the owner of a detached house, you can retrofit your home with any air conditioning unit you like at any time.
Planning air conditioning when building a house – what options are there?
If you would like to purchase an air conditioning system for your house, a new building has the advantage that you can optimally plan the cooling system in advance and take care of the structural requirements right from the start.
Due to their efficiency, permanently installed split air conditioning units are best suited for air conditioning in new buildings, as they are more powerful and use less electricity than mobile air conditioning units. Split air conditioning systems also cause significantly less operating noise than monoblock units.
When building a house, you should ask yourself in advance whether the air conditioning system should cool the entire house or just one room. Depending on the size of the room, the air conditioning unit should provide appropriate cooling performance in order to work efficiently. To a specific room such as for example, if you want to cool the living room, home office or bedroom to a desired temperature, a single-split air conditioning system is sufficient. If you want a pleasant indoor climate in several rooms or throughout the house, a multisplit air conditioning unit with several indoor units that are controlled by a single outdoor unit is ideal. Depending on where the air conditioning is installed and how the rooms are laid out, some modern air conditioning systems with their high performance even manage to supply several rooms with cool airflow at the same time with one indoor unit. This is particularly advantageous for large, open apartment floor plans and small houses.
Split air conditioners and heat pumps are very similar in structure and have the same basics. When building a house, heat pumps can be used as an alternative to air conditioning. Air conditioning heat pumps have the advantage that they can heat and cool by reversing the refrigerant cycle. However, the cooling capacity of such a heat pump is lower than that of an air conditioning system and it cannot dehumidify, filter or exchange the air.
In modern, larger buildings with many rooms or several floors, an alternative option is to install central air conditioning. Such so-called VRF systems – which stands for “Variable Refrigerant Flow” – combine air conditioning, heating systems and ventilation systems in one concept. Bosch offers VRF air conditioning systems as the Air Flux product series. Unlike decentralized air conditioning units such as split systems, with these full air conditioning solutions, air delivery, filtering and temperature control are not controlled in the room, but rather remotely via an air conditioning center. This allows them to achieve greater performance. While a multisplit system can control a maximum of five indoor devices from one outdoor unit, VRF systems can control up to 500. Central air conditioning systems work very efficiently and provide pleasant air conditioning and/or heating throughout the house all year round. As a rule, fresh air can also be exchanged via the system. The systems also controls the filtering of the supply air and regulates the humidity. All air conditioning units in the house or rooms are connected via air ducts, which must be planned when the house is built. Due to the complex installation and complex technology, it is often difficult or expensive to retrofit a central air conditioning system in the house.
Retrofitting air conditioning in the house - is that possible?
You can always retrofit an air conditioner in an existing building. The house and the air conditioning unit just have to be coordinated with each other. Important factors are the performance, the positioning of the system and the building insulation. When retrofitting an air conditioning unit, good planning is important. For permanently installed split air conditioning systems, structural changes must be made. You can find all the information you need about retrofitting an air conditioning system in our guide.
How much does air conditioning for your home cost
The cost of an air conditioning system for your home can vary greatly depending on the model and is made up of various factors. These include the purchase, installation, operating costs and maintenance.
Mobile air conditioning units, which cost between 100 and 800 euros and do not need to be installed, are particularly affordable. More efficient, permanently installed systems such as split air conditioning are available for around 600 to 2,000 euros. Added to this are the costs of the installation, which can cost between 1,300 and 2,000 euros. When installing a multi-split air conditioning system in the house, also keep in mind that each additional indoor unit costs around 300 euros plus higher installation costs of up to 3,500 euros. The electricity consumption of your home's air conditioning system depends largely on the energy efficiency and efficiency of the system as well as the frequency of use. The long-term operating costs of a split air conditioning system in the house are significantly lower than with monoblocks or mobile air conditioning units.
Sample calculation: What does an air conditioning system in the house consume?
A mobile air conditioning system with a rated output of 2.5 kW (enough for a 25 square meter room) should cool your living room for around eight hours a day for two months in the summer. This corresponds to around 500 operating hours per year. The device has a power consumption of around 800 watts. The average price per kilowatt hour of electricity is currently 36 cents. The annual operating costs are calculated as follows: 0.8 kW x 500 h = 400 kWh | 400 kWh x 0.36 euros = 144 euros. So you pay around 140 euros a year to cool a room. In comparison, a more efficient split air conditioning system in the house with the same output only requires 500 watts due to its continuously adapting inverter technology and, according to the same calculation, would only cost 90 euros annually.
Clean the air conditioning in the house
To ensure that your home's air conditioning system continues to function efficiently for a long time, it should be serviced at least once every two years, or better annually if it is used beyond the summer. This saves energy and reduces electricity costs.
If the air conditioner runs often in summer, it is important, among other things, to clean the internal unit of the device regularly. The cooling process creates a lot of condensation, which can lead to mold formation. You can easily maintain the indoor unit and clean the air filter yourself. You should have the outdoor unit of the air conditioning system with the refrigerant compressor professionally cleaned. The technician checks the mechanical components and lines as well as the coolant. This incurs additional costs of between 100 and 400 euros, depending on whether only a simple check and cleaning is carried out or whether wearing parts and refrigerants need to be replaced. Regular maintenance by a qualified person is often also a condition of the manufacturer's guarantee. The best time to service a home air conditioner is before the start and end of the cooling season. You can find out more about how to clean an air conditioning system in the house in our guide.
FAQ on the topic of domestic air conditioning
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