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Air conditioning systems are tailored to each business, which means that there are an almost infinite number of possible configurations. However, most commercial air conditioning systems can be classed into three main types: single-split system, a multi-split system, and a VRF (sometimes known as VRV) air conditioning. In this week’s blog, we thought it worth providing you with a few pointers on the main differences between them.
Split-system air conditioning is well known as perhaps the most affordable of all three. It’s generally best suited for use in small commercial buildings to provide heating and cooling to individual rooms. For this reason it’s often used in places like small offices, shops and cafés. If it’s needed to heat a larger space, several are often used in combination. Something to remember, though is that you’ll need to have enough space outside your premises to have one outdoor unit for every indoor one. (Hence: ‘single’ split.)
Split-system air conditioning is renowned as being energy-efficient, and it’s versatile enough to be used for a wide variety of other applications, too. One of the aspects that makes it so cost-effective is that it’s cheaper than installing a central system – and because each one is self-contained, if one of them breaks down it doesn’t affect the smooth functioning of the others.
As you might imagine, multi-split works in the same way that single-splits do, but their biggest advantage is that they allow a greater number of indoor units for every outdoor one. Businesses generally prefer to have as few outdoor units as they can, especially if they want to keep the outside appearance of their building intact.
Another major item in the pros column is that by using multi-split air conditioning, you’re not limited to simply using a single type of indoor unit, so you can use a combination of wall and ceiling mounted air conditioning units for your needs. This obviously requires a bit more time, effort and cost to set up, but many businesses find the final results to be well worth it. Like anything else, it just depends on the specific needs of your business.
The acronyms start for Variable Refrigerant Flow, or Variable Refrigerant Volume. Originally developed under the second moniker, the term was eventually copyrighted, which is why you’ll hear most industry experts calling it VRF. It’s got a reputation as being the best solution for larger locations, such as hotels, retail spaces, and mixed-use buildings such as those which house a combination of offices and flats. They’re efficient, reliable, and notably easy to control, which makes them a particularly popular choice.
Here at Askews, our specialist heating and cooling engineers know these systems inside out. As well as installation, we provide a routine service and maintenance service which can solve many issues with your systems before they even occur! Give us a call on 01282 863 to discuss your plan, or click here to get a free quote.