Filters and maintenance
The filtering system in most Olimpia Splendid air conditioners includes an activated carbon filter and Silver Ion and Plasma filters: so, in addition to cooling or heating the room, they also purify the air.
All the indoor units are fitted with simple plastic filters that stop larger dust particles: periodically, these filters need to be rinsed with water and then left to dry in the shade. This is very important to maintain top performance (maximum air intake). Depending on the brand, there can be activated carbon filters against odours and high-efficiency filters against pollen and microscopic dust. These filters are effective but their usefulness will depend on how they are used: they need to be washed and/or replaced according to the type of use and the cleanness of the area where the air conditioner is installed. The outdoor unit does not require particular care, simply remove the dust from the radiator every once in a while; to do this use an air blower but take care not to bend the aluminium louvers, as that would affect the performance of the unit (because it would reduce heat dispersion).
Condensate discharge
In addition to cooling, air conditioners remove the moisture (i.e. water) present in the air. In this regard, it is important to notice the differences that exist for the different types of systems:
FIXED SPLIT UNITS (MONOSPLIT AND MULTISPLIT)
In cooling mode condensate is drained out through a pipe, by gravity. Condensate is conveyed outside (e.g.: into a tank – down a drain, etc.)
Normally no pumps are installed on portable splits because this would increase the noise level, unless an extreme case occurs where it is not possible to provide the minimum slope needed to ensure draining by gravity.
In heat pump mode (heating) there is no moisture to be removed from the air in the room, but you still have water that needs to be eliminated. In this mode, ice will form on the outdoor exchanger, which will need to be defrosted (this process is managed by the electronic card); the water produced with defrosting must be drained out, usually through a drain pipe.
SELF-CONTAINED UNITS (UNICO)
In cooling mode, condensate is removed by atomization, from the exhaust pipe. In heat pump mode (heating) the system needs a condensate drain like the one used for fixed split systems in cooling mode.
PORTABLE SELF-CONTAINED UNITS (SINGLE AND DOUBLE DUCT)
Condensate removal in a self-contained air conditioner can be achieved in one of two ways, depending on the technology used.
1. 1) portable unit fitted with tank. A float switches off the conditioner when the tank is full to prevent flooding.
2. 2) condensate is removed by atomization , directly from the rear pipe; air conditioners designed with this technology never switch off automatically.
ALL OLIMPIA SPLENDID PORTABLES FEATURE AUTOMATIC CONDENSATE REMOVAL
PORTABLE SPLIT UNITS
Condensate is removed by atomization , directly from the outdoor unit. A pump is used to transfer the water from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit through the sheath. In the outdoor unit, it is collected in a pan and then expelled as micro-droplets by the fan.
If you already have ductwork
Caution! If choosing a R410A unit, you must ensure that the ducts can withstand higher pressure (duct thickness must be at least 0.8 mm for ratings up to 12000 BTU). If in doubt, have an installer evaluate the system before you buy it or ask the people who prepared the ductwork whether it will be suitable for R410A gas systems.
For systems with rating 12000 BTU or more, the larger pipe must have an outer diameter of half an inch (12.7 mm). The diameter of ducts must also be checked, especially for inverter systems.
If you also want heating (heat pump)
Heat pump air conditioners can also heat up a room. To do this, they use electrical power, but much less than electrical heaters do. Electrical heaters use 2000W of electricity to yield 2000W of heat (1 to 1 ratio), while an air conditioner, with an outdoor temperature of at least 7°C, will use 600W of electricity to produce the same amount of heat (depending on the unit’s efficiency, the C.O.P. value mentioned in par. 5). We specified 7°C because this is the temperature at which heating tests are usually carried out; below that, the efficiency of the heat pump decreases significantly, because the heat pump will need more energy to subtract heat from the outside environment. Therefore, in our kind of climate this system will not be able to completely replace a traditional heating system, considering also the high price of electricity in Italy compared to methane; however, it could be useful when we want to avoid switching on the boiler in the intermediate seasons, or if there is a particularly cold room that needs extra heat even when the central heating is on.
Inverter models achieve definitely higher performance levels than ON OFF systems when operating in heat pump mode. In particular, they perform well even below zero.
