Guide on Installing Air Conditioning

We're all familiar with air conditioning units, at least as far as usage goes. As time passes, they become easier and easier to operate. Many come with thermostats that adjust everything for you to maintain your most comfortable temperature. They come with timers and turn themselves on and off. If you want to change settings manually, you don't need to stand up and approach the unit; that's what the remote control that comes with a lot of air conditioner models are for - although with all the self-regulating mechanisms these units have available, you'd hardly ever need the remote controls in the first place.

So yes, as we said, operating an air conditioner is easy. It's installing it that could be complicated.

There are a good number of things you should consider during the installation, and it is critical everything is done right to ensure proper and safe usage of your air conditioner. Here are the steps to the installation: selection of the location, installation of the unit, connection of wires and pipes, and the final step testing.

Selection of the location

When selecting a location, the first thing you should consider is whether you're installing an indoor or an outdoor unit.

For an indoor unit, make sure there are no obstacles to installation within the vicinity. Ideally, the unit should be installed two meters above the floor, and it goes without saying its location should allow for good air circulation, meaning, its vents should not be closely positioned to anything that could block air flow to the rest of the room.

For an outdoor unit, the base and housing should be securely installed on a level surface. No plants or animals should be positioned near it, as the heat coming from the condenser will adversely affect these. Lastly, if you plan to place a canopy or a similar cover on top of the unit, to protect it from the elements, make sure the canopy will not impede the dispersion of heat of the outdoor unit.

Installation

The outdoor unit should be firmly fixed on its cement base. This becomes increasingly important as you go higher up, because the strong winds in high elevations can physically move both the base and the air conditioner and cause damage to your unit, not to mention increase the risk of accidents. For the indoor unit, it should be levelled properly after it has been installed, to prevent water from dripping into the interior of the building.

Aside from safety considerations, another reason why the air conditioner should be firmly installed is because an unstable unit would create vibrations, leading to a noisy fixture that will produce an annoying sound the whole time your unit is operating.

Connection of pipes and wires

The pipes that come with the air conditioner all have to be connected securely to prevent leaks and other malfunctions. Usually, you would hear a clicking sound once the pipe is installed properly. Wires, on the other hand, should be covered with insulating material, especially the connections. Afterwards, both pipes and wires should be wrapped up and securely fixed into the wall to prevent accidents.

Testing

Once the unit is firmly in place and all pipes and wires are connected, it's time to test. Plug the air conditioner into an independent power socket and turn it on. Test the remote control if you have one. Let the unit run for half an hour or so on cooling mode, to see if everything is working as it should. If not, see if you can find the problem and fix it. If you can't find the problem, then maybe it's about time you get an air conditioning installation professional to help you out.