Your advice to Split Air buyers.

[mick2me]

Following the threads here about, professional installers concerns over DIY systems.

What would your advice be to anyone who was considering buying units for DIY fitting?

[Andy]

Following the threads here about, professional installers concerns over DIY systems.

What would your advice be to anyone who was considering buying units for DIY fitting?

My advise would be like all purchases that amount to an sort of value; shop around, look at what can be bought and the cost. Don't just buy what is the cheapest capital cost, it's cheap for a reason.

One example recently a 600kW chiller I was 20% more expensive, but I told the customer that it was no mistake that the other company was taking short cuts. On investigation the other chiller was using 30% plus more energy for the same duty, had a smaller foot print and was 2500kg lighter. Basically a big compressor on small heat exchanger. The other chiller would have been cheap to buy but way more expensive to run and more likely to breakdown.

Also if you want to fit the unit yourself, consider a chiller water (Wet) system. No gas lines, same wall ceiling and concealed celing units and heat pump heating possible also

http://www.rhoss.com/schedaprodotto.asp?scheda=14

Or what we in the trade call window rattlers, a through the window or wall unit, a single unit that does the job
There is also a DIY split that has push in fittings on the pipes.
http://www.argoclima.com/

Kind Regards Andy

[CavesOfTQLT]

On investigation the other chiller was using 30% plus more energy for the same duty.

Exactly. All those people buying ACs off of ebay and B&Q will have a shock at the increase in their electricity bills because they didn't realize that their el-cheapo units have a D energy rating. And that's assuming the efficiency hasn't been further eroded by poor installs...

[mick2me]

Yes good advice both, but I expected reasons why they should not do it themselves, I was talking of units that need refrigeration lines connecting.
Not the push fit Jobbies, from B&Q.

I think my first advice would be pay the extra for an inverter from a reliable manufacturer. Short term expence = long term energy savings, queiter unit, less wear an tear on parts by cycling on and off etc.

The next ensure that if they are not capable of doing the refidgeration or electrical side, ensure that they can get expert help at a fair price, before they buy the unit.

[Andy]

Yes good advice both, but I expected reasons why they should not do it themselves, I was talking of units that need refrigeration lines connecting.
Not the push fit Jobbies, from B&Q.

I think my first advice would be pay the extra for an inverter from a reliable manufacturer. Short term expence = long term energy savings, queiter unit, less wear an tear on parts by cycling on and off etc.

The next ensure that if they are not capable of doing the refidgeration or electrical side, ensure that they can get expert help at a fair price, before they buy the unit.

Hi Mick

I would say the domestic A/C market in the UK is quite a new one. Mainstream contractors are not geared up for this type of application. In time specialist domestic contractors will establish themselves, but at the moment we are in limbo land.

It costs to train staff, put vans on the road and to insure them, never mind the on going training to keep up with market changes and legislation.

If you have a labour force set up to install quickly and effeciently in a commercial enviroment, and you are stretched to handle the work load in the summertime, you will be looking a premium to fit splits in an enviroment that you are unfamiliar with, or to fit splits that someone has bought on the cheap, which are an unknow quantity.

Hope this helps

Kind Regards Andy

[mick2me]

Mainstream contractors are not geared up for this type of application.

I think you hit the nail fair and square on the head there Andy

Perhaps employ an extra apprentice to carry out such work.
With appropriate caveats for the customer about DIY units.

In fact my missus is looking for a new job, all offers on a postcard please.