This is one of the questions most frequently asked to us and
also the most important criteria which can have a great effect
on the satisfaction derived by the customer and the ultimate
operating cost of the system. Whilst in other cases like
choosing the size of a TV set the customer walks into a
shop with a pre-decided notion of the size he is going to buy
it is recommended that the customer consult with an expert
before deciding on the size of AC.
The basic rule-of-thumb is One Ton (12000BTU) for every 2000
cubic feet. In laymans terms this can be converted to 200 sq.
feet or about 20sq. mtrs if you prefer metric. But this will
give you only the basic size requirement which needs to be
weighted with the following to arrive at the final size:-
Room
Usage. If the room is a bedroom the above sizing
method will be accurate but if the same sized room is used as
an office the AC requirement could double since there will be
many more people in the room, the door will be used much more
frequently as people will be going in & out all the time,
the AC will mainly be used during the day when outside
temperatures are higher. A restaurant where hot food is
served/people smoke and where the cold restaurant air is
sucked into the kitchen by its exhaust fans every time
the waiters go in & out of the kitchen will greatly
increase the airconditioning requirements.
Location,fittings & furnishings. A room with
large glass windows getting a lot of sun will heat up the
room. Reflective flooring such as glazed tiles or marble
reduce airconditioning requirements compared to absorbent
carpeting. A well spaced out furniture showroom needs much
less airconditioning per sq. mtr. compared to a well stocked
cloth or garments shop filled with a crowd of buyers! Double
glazing though common int the west to reduce temperature
regulation costs does not seem to be part of the vocabulary of
local architects as yet!.
Number of Units. In Multi-AC applications the
sizing would depend on the number of ACs selected since if 6
tons airconditioning is recommended for a particular shop
though it would seem cheaper to buy 3 tons units it may prove
to be more cost effective to fit four 1.5 ton units which
would provide better & more even dispersal of cool air in
the room and when less customers are present 2 of the units
could be run in "fan" mode. The use of cordless
remote controls would allow the owner to discretely control the
ACs from the cash desk!.
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