Scientific and technological progress with an enviable frequency offers new items of household appliances, which surpass the old models in terms of operational and technical characteristics. There are two types of split systems on the market: conventional and inverter. According to the principle of operation, they practically do not differ from each other, because they use a refrigeration system for extracting heat.
The principle of operation of the split system
Before deciding which is better - an inverter split system or a conventional one, you need to figure out how the air conditioner works. Purely constructively, these are two blocks: external and internal.
- compressor,
- condenser, also known as a heat exchanger,
- fan cooling the condenser,
- dehumidifier,
- expansion valve.
In the indoor unit:
- evaporator,
- centrifugal fan,
- a tray for collecting condensate.
The principle of operation of a refrigeration unit lies in the ability of freon (refrigerant) to take thermal energy from the ambient air. The refrigeration system itself does not produce cold. Its task is to create conditions under which the refrigerant would take on the vapor phase of its physical state.
Freon in the form of steam is in the evaporator located in the indoor unit. This tubular-finned device is blown by a fan, which drives low-temperature air, obtained at the junction of the air mass and the evaporator, into the premises.
Then the refrigerant passes through the compressor, where its pressure increases, and is forced into the condenser. Here the reverse process takes place - freon gives up its thermal energy to the outside air, the temperature of which is lower. In this case, the condensing device is blown by a fan to increase the efficiency of heat transfer.
The next step is to dry the refrigerant. To do this, it enters the dehumidifier, where it is separated from moisture. Then it goes to the expansion valve. Here the freon passes through a special nozzle with a wider opening. Due to this, the pressure of the refrigerant drops, which leads to a transition again to the gaseous state. And in this form, it enters the evaporator again. After that, the process is repeated.
All air conditioning systems work according to this principle. An inverter air conditioner differs from a non-inverter air conditioner in its approach to reducing the temperature regime of cooling or heating rooms.
Differences between an inverter-type air conditioner and a conventional one
An ordinary air conditioner works according to the following technology:
- the room temperature is monitored by a sensor, the response range of which is set using the remote control;
- as soon as the air temperature inside the room has dropped to the required one, the temperature sensor sends a signal to the compressor;
- the latter is disconnected from the power supply;
- as soon as the temperature rises above the set one, the sensor sends another signal to turn on the compressor.
On-off range - 3-5C. The compressor and the entire refrigeration system operate at maximum permissible modes, which leads to overheating and a decrease in service life.In addition, when the air conditioner is turned on, its power triples. An overvoltage appears in the electrical network, which negatively affects other household appliances and lighting equipment.
Turning the system on and off is a cyclical operation. Since freon is pumped through all the elements in a uniform flow, after the compressor is turned off, 50% of its volume remains in the high pressure zone, the other half in the low pressure zone. A specially installed throttle system can normalize the pressure after switching on. But she is only responsible for her own functions. In this case, the refrigerant can boil anywhere, not only in the evaporator, for example, in the connecting pipe or receiver. As a result, until the pressure is restored in the zones, the cold is lost.
The difference between an inverter split system and a conventional one is that the device never turns off if the air conditioner is running constantly. To reduce the efficiency of heat removal from indoor air, you just need to reduce its rotation. This can be done in one way - to lower the voltage of the supply current from the network.
The air conditioner increases or decreases the frequency of the power supply. With a decrease in voltage, the number of revolutions of the compressor motor decreases, respectively, the performance of the latter decreases. The electric motor reacts to the readings and the signal of the temperature sensor. In this case, the response range is greatly reduced - from 1 to 1.5C.
When the indoor temperature reaches the required one, the compressor motor slows down to 5-10% of the nominal. At the same time, the evaporating temperature of the refrigerant decreases gradually, increasing the period of operation of the air conditioner in the "sleep" mode. This is an additional energy saving.
Advantages and disadvantages of inverter split systems
To decide which air conditioner to choose: inverter or conventional, it is important to know the pros and cons of inverter-type split systems.
| Benefits | Explanations | disadvantages | Explanations |
| Saving electricity consumption by 30%. | The compressor operating mode is uninterrupted. Conventional split systems, when switched on, consume three times more electricity than during stable operation, because the starting power is increased three times. It is called the launcher. | Voltage surges negatively affect the operation of the inverter air conditioner. | The compressor, which is designed to work in stable conditions and smooth voltage switching, reacts negatively to sudden changes - it breaks down faster. |
| Long term operation and high reliability. | The reason is the uninterrupted operation of the compressor. However, conventional split systems in all respects do not differ from inverter ones due to the parts and assemblies made of high-strength materials used in the design. | Expensive renovation. | This applies to the compressor machine. Failure of electronic boards can also be added here. Practice shows that it is better to purchase a new conventional air conditioner than to repair an inverter one. It will cost almost the same amount. |
| Works quietly. | The characteristic is based on research with special devices. The human ear cannot tell whether an inverter air conditioner is quieter or not compared to conventional air conditioners. But if we look at it purely constructively, it all depends on the fan, which is installed at the back of the evaporator. | High price. | The difference in the cost of an inverter air conditioning system and a conventional one is about 40%. |
| It can work at temperatures down to -15C. | In this case, it is necessary to indicate how effective this work will be. Will the inverter split-system be able to heat the room with the required temperature regime? As practice shows, low temperatures outside cool the refrigerant too much, which simply does not have time to take enough cold out of the air in the rooms. |
Thus, two characteristics of the inverter air conditioner can be noted that will push buyers to choose this model.The first is a modern approach to the implementation of new solutions in terms of energy saving. The second is a constant voltage in the network, which will keep other household appliances and lamps intact.
Testimonials
When choosing an air conditioner, for some reason my husband and I decided to purchase an inverter version. Probably, you read a lot of different information about this modification. In the course of work, no differences were found, it seems everything is the same as with the usual one. They say it makes less noise, and it seems that the usual old one, which stands in another room, works the same way. So, in my opinion, they overpaid in vain.
Sergey, Vladivostok:
I knew about inverters before, but there was no need to purchase an air conditioner until I built a summer cottage. Here I decided: I will buy a new fancy one. After the season of operation, I can say the following: if the voltage in the network is normal and does not jump, this is the best option. If the surges are sensitive, you will have to buy OOPS. Regular expenses. As for saving electricity consumption, I can not say anything, there is nothing to compare with.
