Best Position For Aircon Outside Unit On A Balcony...

[zappalot]

Of course it is the one if the aircon outside unit is facing away from the building.

I guess the worst position is this one.

The heat is practicality trapped in the enclosed balcony.

Do you think it is graph to relocate the unit? Just from my feeling I guess yes.

Whenever the aircon is switched on the balcony is getting really hot.

[Naam]

I guess the worst position is this one

right you are! must have been mounted by a brain-amputed chang.

[zappalot]

anyone with an estimation how much more energy need to be consumed in percent compared to the position if the aircon unit is placed on the balcony rail and can blow the heat away from the building directly?

[isawasnake]

Close off the balcony completely and you'll have a nice sauna.

I would buy a huge fan and face it blowing out toward open air before I would consider moving that thing.

[ripley]

Judging from the picture, you have only 2 options. Many condo regulations insist that the A/C be placed below the balcony rail (primarily to protect the overall look of the condo exterior). If you want a sauna, try this arrangement and you'll have no need for additional walls! The other position is the one in your pic. I think you'll find that safety regulations forbid placing A/C units on balcony rails, ledges or otherwise hanging off the building - and for good reason.

[monty1412]

The condensing unit is pretty much designed with excess cooling capacity so I wouldn't be too fazed about where it is placed.. as long as it has adequate airflow.

The biggest three killers to thermal efficiency associated with split systems is

1. Making sure that the fins are clean and not blocked with dirt , insects and build up

2. Make sure hat when people come to clean the unit that the pressure wash is not at such a high pressure that it starts to bend the aluminium fins thus reducing airflow through fins by fan

3. Make sure that when they clean the unit they DO NOT use a acidic or alkaline wash.... this has been standard practice for many a year and it relies on fact that resultant shiny fins look good and so must be better but in reality the acid or alkali dissolves metal and as such contact between fins and refrigerant coils is reduced thus decreasing the heat transfer ability of the unit . Just two or three acid washes of your unit over time can reduce its heat transfer ability by 25-40%.

a good wash with a hose with finger held over end to create a low pressure jet of water every 2-3 months is good to keep coils clean and avoid degradation of the cooling surfaces.

also if your concerned about your coolling system make sure that the folks that come just dont clean the internal evaporative unit but also do the condensor as well.

[monty1412]

The condensing unit is pretty much designed with excess cooling capacity so I wouldn't be too fazed about where it is placed.. as long as it has adequate airflow.

The biggest three killers to thermal efficiency associated with split systems is

1. Making sure that the fins are clean and not blocked with dirt , insects and build up

2. Make sure hat when people come to clean the unit that the pressure wash is not at such a high pressure that it starts to bend the aluminium fins thus reducing airflow through fins by fan

3. Make sure that when they clean the unit they DO NOT use a acidic or alkaline wash.... this has been standard practice for many a year and it relies on fact that resultant shiny fins look good and so must be better but in reality the acid or alkali dissolves metal and as such contact between fins and refrigerant coils is reduced thus decreasing the heat transfer ability of the unit . Just two or three acid washes of your unit over time can reduce its heat transfer ability by 25-40%.

a good wash with a hose with finger held over end to create a low pressure jet of water every 2-3 months is good to keep coils clean and avoid degradation of the cooling surfaces.

also if your concerned about your coolling system make sure that the folks that come just dont clean the internal evaporative unit but also do the condensor as well.

Just as an add on , the condensor in the picture is fine, these units move multiple cubic metres of air per minute so they will be sucking through fresh air pretty much straight after unit kicks in and there wont be heat build up as long as you don't wall the unit in

[Naam]

The condensing unit is pretty much designed with excess cooling

capacity so I wouldn't be too fazed about where it is placed..

Just as an add on , the condensor in the picture is fine, these units

move multiple cubic metres of air per minute so they will be sucking

through fresh air pretty much straight after unit kicks in and there

wont be heat build up as long as you don't wall the unit in.

unfortunately there are no forum rules which prevent that people

post pure refined rubbish.

i can't help it... have to state clearly that "you dear Sir have not the

slightest idea about airconditioning!"

[Pib]

The unit looks awful close to the wall which is probably impacting/reducing air flow through the coils/fins which in turn reduces its efficiency and is probably increasing its amperage/power usage as the compressor is working harder/trying to increase the Freon pressure in order to help with the heat exchange to the air flowing through the coils/fins. Most A/C installation booklets I've looked at says to have "at least" 20mm/8 inches clearance between the fins/coils and walls...and of course the fan exhaust not to be blocked/very close to anything which you are OK on. But your unit is so close to the wall it sure looks like air flow could be restricted/reduced.

[Naam]

impacting/reducing air flow through the coils/fins which in turn reduces
its efficiency and is probably increasing its amperage/power usage...

not necessarily the amps Pib but for sure (shooting from the hip)

reducing the efficiency by at least 50% and therefore doubling

power usage at the same cooling demand.

[Pib]

impacting/reducing air flow through the coils/fins which in turn reduces

its efficiency and is probably increasing its amperage/power usage...

not necessarily the amps Pib but for sure (shooting from the hip)

reducing the efficiency by at least 50% and therefore doubling

power usage at the same cooling demand.

Agree. But in my case that I described in a recent TV thread where one of my condenser units had dirty coils/fins basically impacting/reducing air flow this made my amperage draw increase around 50%...from around 8A to 12A (the unit spec'ed/rated amp draw was 8.6A) when it was running and of course it had to also run longer to do its cooling/heat extraction thing....but after a 10 minute pressure washer cleaning and lots of dirt going down the wall the amperage draw decreased 50% to 8A, the unit didn't need to run as long to do the cooling thing, and the inside/evap unit was also blowing colder air.

You know one thing about condenser wall mounting brackets most of them only allow for about 20mm/8 inch max clearance from the wall....just like the ones used to mount all 7 of my units on the outside house wall...around halfway up the house wall. Whenever a person has to mount a condenser unit on the wall they are automatically creating a situation where air flow is not optimum...I'm not saying it's being restricted but it's probably getting close to that point....at least if mounting on the unit on the ground a person should have more latitude in giving a little more spacing from a wall...and they can also easily take a water hose to the unit periodically to clean the coils/fins. I wish I could find some technical/test document that reported the impact of reduced air flow on a condenser unit...like being placed 5cm, 10cm, 20, 40cm, etc., from a wall...maybe I'll do some googling today on that subject.

Don't know if the OP has access to a clamp-on ammeter and access to the power cable leading to the unit, like maybe at the Consumer Unit/Main Circuit Box, but if he did he could lookup the normal amp draw for the unit (sometimes on the label attached to the unit like my York units), and if the amp measurement reads pretty close to the rated normal amp draw then that would be an indication the air flow is not being restricted too much. But I will admit that doesn't mean the unit still might not have to run longer at its normal amp draw to do its cooling/heat extraction thing which mean more KWH usage resulting in a higher electric bill.

[Pib]

OK, after spending about 15 minutes googling it seems 10cm / 100mm / 4 inches seems to be identified as the minimum recommended distance between a wall and the back side of an A/C split air condenser unit...but size does make a difference. For larger units 20cm/ 200mm/8 inches may be better. Here's a couple of web site references:

http://www.oneilair.com.au/faq.html

How far away from the wall should the outdoor unit be (from the front and back of it)?
At the front (fan side) of unit, no less than 1m is recommended for a small split AC and 2m for a large packacge AC. More would be preferable. At the back (no fan) of unit, no less than 100mm is needed for a small split AC and 200mm for a large package AC. More would be preferable. N.B. All outdoor units not only need a minimum distance around them, but also must be located so that the hot air they blow out can escape away from the unit, and new cooler air can be taken through the unit. Careful consideration regarding location is required by an experienced installer.

From a Daikin Installation Manual for an 18K BTU Unit. Link. They recommend at least 10cm/100mm/4 inches for this particular unit...actually they say 3 15/16 inches (almost 4 inches).

So, maybe the OP's condenser unit mounting is OK if he has at least 10cm/4 inches spacing between the unit's back side and wall. I said "OK"; not optimum where you should more clearance. He might want to try googling-up the installation manual for his particular model to see what the manufacturer says.

And maybe the wall mounting brackets for condenser units automatically result in correct minimum distance from wall setup since from looking at my mounting brackets. Like my 18K BTU unit it is currently 5.5 inches from the wall...and the mounting slots where the condenser unit's mounting bolts slide/set-in the bracket slots would only allow 5 inches minimum and 6 inches maximum distance (I actually got the step ladder out to measure this).

[rubberduck]

Pigeons absolutely love that place. Rookookoo ! Rookookoo ! Rookookoo ! Rookookoo !

Edited June 3, 2013 by rubberduck

[Naam]

the 20cm distance at the back are sufficient as long as the airflow from both sides is not restricted. but the picture the OP has posted shows a balcony overhang which restricts airflow from that side and that the unit is mounted too high which prevents the hot air from rising. in this case the unit keeps sucking its own hot air = worst possible scenario, low efficiency guaranteed.

to paint a more drastic picture. most manufacturers rate the cooling capacity of their aircons based on ambient temperature of 35ºC/95ºF. for higher temperatures rule of thumb is "capacity -8% @ 40ºC, -17% @ 45ºC and -28% @ 50ºC". ambient relative humidity plays another big role. each 10% increase of relative humidity above 60% increases cooling capacity by approximately 4% and vice versa decreases capacity at lower humidity levels.

[Naam]

Like my 18K BTU unit it is currently 5.5 inches from the wall...and the

mounting slots where the condenser unit's mounting bolts slide/set-in

the bracket slots would only allow 5 inches minimum and 6 inches maximum

distance (I actually got the step ladder out to measure this).

i don't know what brand you have Pib but all my Daikin units are sucking from

both sides and from the back.

i can't see the left side of the OP's unit but the picture shows clearly that the right side is closed.

Edited June 3, 2013 by Naam

[Morakot]

I guess the worst position is this one

right you are! must have been mounted by a brain-amputed chang.

Actually, this seems to be the standard design nowadays for some micro-condos. I've seen a few such absurd designs, complemented with a glass door right next to it, where behind the A/C unit was mounted indoors about 1.5m away form the inverter outside. Architects with no brains...

[joeaverage]

anywhere that puts the condensers on the "balcony" is poorly designed, and may as well not have a balcony

[yoslim]

I got a Daikin installed and it's 12cm from the wall

[Naam]

I got a Daikin installed and it's 12cm from the wall

that shouldn't be a problem when the condenser sucks from both sides too. also important is that the outflowing hot air is not restricted or trapped.

[Naam]

anywhere that puts the condensers on the "balcony" is poorly designed, and may as well not have a balcony

unfortunately there are hardly any alternatives in a condo.

[Pib]

Like my 18K BTU unit it is currently 5.5 inches from the wall...and the

mounting slots where the condenser unit's mounting bolts slide/set-in

the bracket slots would only allow 5 inches minimum and 6 inches maximum

distance (I actually got the step ladder out to measure this).

i don't know what brand you have Pib but all my Daikin units are sucking from

both sides and from the back.

i can't see the left side of the OP's unit but the picture shows clearly that the right side is closed.

ac.jpg

On my York units around 90% of the fins/coils are on the back side...the other 10% on one side. Hard to tell from the picture but when I blow up that picture it looks like there is 10-20cm on the side...but it is hard to be sure....and "if" there are no fins on that side then it wouldn't really matter although it would be nice to allow more airflow to squeeze in from that side also along with the other side/top/bottom.

Edited June 3, 2013 by Pib

[yoslim]

I got a Daikin installed and it's 12cm from the wall

that shouldn't be a problem when the condenser sucks from both sides too. also important is that the outflowing hot air is not restricted or trapped.

It looks like that

I hope it's all ok

[Morakot]

anywhere that puts the condensers on the "balcony" is poorly designed, and may as well not have a balcony

unfortunately there are hardly any alternatives in a condo.

How about a dedicated alcove 75cm wide in between the adjacent balconies (accessible from both sides via hatches) where two/ four units are stacked on top of each other facing outwards. The front can even be covered with louvres.

Come on Naam! There is no limit to meaningful design; unless we are dealing with shoddy developers who are merely interested in the utmost maximization of profit, where quality of living is not a factor in designing homes.

Edited June 3, 2013 by Morakot

[Naam]

anywhere that puts the condensers on the "balcony" is poorly designed, and may as well not have a balcony

unfortunately there are hardly any alternatives in a condo.

How about a dedicated alcove 75cm wide in between the adjacent balconies (accessible from both sides via hatches) where two/ four units are stacked on top of each other facing outwards. The front can even be covered with louvres.

Come on Naam! There is no limit to meaningful design; unless we are dealing with shoddy developers who are merely interested in the utmost maximization of profit, where quality of living is not a factor in designing homes.

i have seen buildings in KL and in Singapore with dedicated spaces for condenser units. but TIT !

[Naam]

where two/ four units are stacked on top of each other facing outwards

YUCK! on top of each other = big no-no!

last year i went with a friend who rented an apartment in fancy Northpoint. we had a look at some other buildings too and to my horror i saw whole cluster-fàcks of condensers next to each other and on top of each other. i counted one cluster that was 5 units wide and 6 high. a setup obviously designed by knowledgeable assitects

[Naam]

The front can even be covered with louvres...

...to restrict in/out airflow?

[bangkokstick]

Why not just make add an aluminium extractor ?

[Morakot]

The front can even be covered with louvres...

...to restrict in/out airflow?

Naam, good man, relax.

Things like this do exist; actually it's quite common. You can calculate the air flow to ensure its sufficient. Good louvres also reduces noise pollution in addition to aesthetic considerations.

I'll post some nice pictures next week, so you can see some current designs of louvres and condenser units.

[Pib]

where two/ four units are stacked on top of each other facing outwards

YUCK! on top of each other = big no-no!

last year i went with a friend who rented an apartment in fancy Northpoint. we had a look at some other buildings too and to my horror i saw whole cluster-fàcks of condensers next to each other and on top of each other. i counted one cluster that was 5 units wide and 6 high. a setup obviously designed by knowledgeable assitects

No, no, there was thought behind such a design... it has another purpose beside cooling....it's also used to protect the building from hurricane/tornado...turn-on all the condensers on at once and that wind storm is blown away from the building.

[Morakot]

Here a good example from Pak Kret City: condensers units in a designated space behind louvres.

Edited June 4, 2013 by Morakot