ᐅ Air Conditioning in New Construction – What Preparations Are Needed?
Created on: 30 Sep 2020 20:24
C
C.beckmann1986
And one more question that’s been on my mind...
We plan to install air conditioning in our new build in the near future. Currently, we are still at the shell construction phase and are considering what preparations should be made now to save costs later.
It’s a semi-detached house with a ground floor, first floor, and attic under a pitched roof, facing southwest. The garage is located to the left of the house, followed by a traffic-calmed street. I was thinking of a split system. Where would be the best place to install it? On the roof facing east? Or on the south side, on or in the shade of the garage?
The living room, the rooms on the first floor, and the attic should be cooled. It’s uncertain whether each room on the first floor needs its own unit (2 children’s bedrooms and a master bedroom including a dressing room), or if there is another way to handle this.
What should ideally be done now, and what can be added later without much trouble?
Looking forward to your advice.
We plan to install air conditioning in our new build in the near future. Currently, we are still at the shell construction phase and are considering what preparations should be made now to save costs later.
It’s a semi-detached house with a ground floor, first floor, and attic under a pitched roof, facing southwest. The garage is located to the left of the house, followed by a traffic-calmed street. I was thinking of a split system. Where would be the best place to install it? On the roof facing east? Or on the south side, on or in the shade of the garage?
The living room, the rooms on the first floor, and the attic should be cooled. It’s uncertain whether each room on the first floor needs its own unit (2 children’s bedrooms and a master bedroom including a dressing room), or if there is another way to handle this.
What should ideally be done now, and what can be added later without much trouble?
Looking forward to your advice.
We have the same issue: preparing for the refrigerant line, condensate drain, and separate power/control cables for the indoor and outdoor units. Make sure to choose one manufacturer and carry out the corresponding preparations—these can vary depending on the brand and model.
Pinky0301 schrieb:
Because what is missing? Everything that is mentioned in the first post.
No matter how you look at it, as long as the houses are built/exposed to direct sunlight and are not embedded in a hillside or surrounded by forest with trees, it will get warm — and more often than just two weeks a year. You only need to look at weather records from recent years or decades.
And due to the intentional heat retention caused by modern construction methods, the warmth stays inside. Ventilating at night is more wishful thinking. In the morning, the sun returns and heats the houses again for many hours. Shading and other mitigation measures have their limits.
kati1337 schrieb:
Our outdoor unit is on the carport roof. A man carried it up there, so I thought it couldn't be that heavy. We have one split system for the entire upper floor, one for the office, and one for living/dining/kitchen. According to the advisor, it’s enough to cool the floor down in the evening since houses nowadays are very well insulated. It really depends on the size of the overall system and the number of indoor units. The weight can vary between 30–40kg (66–88 lbs) up to around 200kg (440 lbs). It strongly depends on how the system is set up. I have carried multiple 3.5kW units up to the roof of a three-story building on my own. Each weighed about 50kg (110 lbs).
On the other hand, I left the 4x multi-split units standing on the ground.
The fact is, you need a plan and have to choose a manufacturer. And if you want to pre-install, then lay those components in advance, as already described at the beginning.
@Mycraft I didn’t mention that the unit is supposed to be installed on an exterior wall here. The power supply is already available there, as it’s difficult to retrofit. The cables then only need to pass through the wall once. If that wasn’t possible, it would never be feasible to add an air conditioning system later on.
If the indoor unit is to be installed in the center of the house or serve multiple rooms, of course, more planning is required.
If the indoor unit is to be installed in the center of the house or serve multiple rooms, of course, more planning is required.
It's definitely easier if you only plan for one unit and have space directly outside the bedroom wall, etc. In that case, later on you will only need a core drill hole.
However, often an external unit mounted on the wall or roof is not an option, and homeowners want to keep the unit as hidden as possible. In those cases, you need to think and plan ahead.
However, often an external unit mounted on the wall or roof is not an option, and homeowners want to keep the unit as hidden as possible. In those cases, you need to think and plan ahead.
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