Airton A/C units

[Gyn_Paul]

Does anyone know if it is possible to mount Airton split pack air-conditioning units with the external part higher than the internal part? obviously the drain from the inside part still has to be vented separately and lower but I'd really like to put the external box higher than the internal otherwise it'll be visible through the side of the conservatory. I'm sure the instructions on the CD and/or installation guide in the box would have told me, but the box for the external part has been sitting in the field covered by a tarpaulin for a year and the mice have made short work of the paperwork, and the damp has done for the CD!

In fact, recovering the box, the brackets, the bolts and the pipes was a bit like archaeology 101!

Fortunately, the indoor part which has all the wiring, was safe and sound in the barn.

p

[tonyv]

Can't you find the documentation at http://www.airton.fr/download.php

?

[nomoss]

The maximum height difference (connection to connection) is usually 5 metres, using the specified pipe size for the suction (larger of the two) line.

If any more than this, an oil trap (an "s" bend, like a syphon) should be installed in the suction line.

The oil which circulates around the system together with the refrigerant fluid must return to the compressor (which is in the outside unit), otherwise it will run out of oil for its lubrication..

The gas velocity in the suction line carries the oil mist vertically back to the compressor up to about 5 metres, but the mist tends to collect on the wall of the pipe and run back down.

If an "s" bend is added, this traps the falling oil, which hopefully returns in a "slug" once it fills the trap.

Personally, I prefer to avoid large differences in height between units if at all possible.

 

[Gyn_Paul]

Nomoss,

Thanks for your swift reply.

I've just been and done some measurements, and it looks like from the evaporator, the pipes will fall in a loop about 50 cm then go up and out through the wall, rising about a metre (that is, 50 cm higher than the evaporator). Then the spare pipes loop around behind the compressor and make the connection on the opposite side.

Does that seem like an acceptable arrangement?

p

[nomoss]

Seems as if you are using supplied, pre-filled pipes. In which case you should have no problems so long as you just run them with lazy loops, going uphill from indoor to outdoor unit wherever possible. Just visualise how an oil mist will be able to travel up the pipe with minimum interference.

[Quillan]

I have installed one just as you want to do and it works fine. The CD shows the pipes and the drain 'bandaged' together because in very cold weather, assuming your going to use it for heating as well, the heat in the pipes stop the drain from freezing. All you need to do is insulate the drain. Personally I just used some 32mm (think that was the size) waste pipe through the wall, put the drain pipe through that then used 'squirty' foam whilst holding the drain pipe central. I then cut of the drain pipe about 10cm away from the wall as it's over  the garden and the water just drops on to the lawn.

[nomoss]

[quote user="Quillan"]I have installed one just as you want to do and it works fine. The CD shows the pipes and the drain 'bandaged' together because in very cold weather, assuming your going to use it for heating as well, the heat in the pipes stop the drain from freezing. All you need to do is insulate the drain. Personally I just used some 32mm (think that was the size) waste pipe through the wall, put the drain pipe through that then used 'squirty' foam whilst holding the drain pipe central. I then cut of the drain pipe about 10cm away from the wall as it's over  the garden and the water just drops on to the lawn.[/quote]

There is no water in the drain when the system is in heating mode. The drain is for condensation formed on the inside coil in cooling mode, i.e. in the summer, so not much chance of it freezing [:)]

[Gyn_Paul]

[quote user="nomoss"]

[quote user="Quillan"]I have installed one just as you want to do and it works fine. The CD shows the pipes and the drain 'bandaged' together because in very cold weather, assuming your going to use it for heating as well, the heat in the pipes stop the drain from freezing. All you need to do is insulate the drain. Personally I just used some 32mm (think that was the size) waste pipe through the wall, put the drain pipe through that then used 'squirty' foam whilst holding the drain pipe central. I then cut of the drain pipe about 10cm away from the wall as it's over  the garden and the water just drops on to the lawn.[/quote]

There is no water in the drain when the system is in heating mode. The drain is for condensation formed on the inside coil in cooling mode, i.e. in the summer, so not much chance of it freezing [:)]

[/quote]

Quite right, the water drips out of the bottom of the compressor when in heating mode. Dribbles, more like and it's damned cold too, especially when it runs down your neck while you are tidying the cables into a loop.

p