Rooftop air conditioner is a self-contained unit which is usually installed on the rooftop of a commercial building. The type of unit can be for cooling only, heating only or a combination of both. Departmental stores, cinemas and supermarkets are ideal buildings for this type of air conditioning. Installing this unit is economical because it is already factory tested and assembled by the time it arrived at the site.
As these units are installed outdoor, they must be designed to withstand tough conditions such as strong gust of winds, rain and direct sunlight. Paint coating used is of suitable grade to withstand these harsh weather conditions.
The doors will usually have designed that are able to withstand the wind conditions as well as water from seeping into the housing assemble. When installing, make sure that the rooftop is strong enough to take the weight of the unit.
A typical Rooftop Air Conditioner.
Components Of The Unit
The packaged unit is assembled in a servicable housing where all the components are installed. They include:
When choosing a new unit to replace your old unit, look out for energy efficient design based on the SEER. The newer units have better design, some with SEER of greater than 16. Ensure only environmental friendly refrigerant such as R410A is used in the units.
Better design units save energy and hence your electricity bills in the long run even though the initial cost may be higher than other less efficient units.
Air Control
Most of the rooftop air conditioner air control system have dampers that are automatically controlled electronicallly. The dampers that are to be controlled are the fresh air intake damper, exhaust damper, return damper and conditioned air damper. There are many sensors that are used to measure the temperatures of the air. The amount of opening of the dampers are depending on the unit settings and feedback of the sensors. Depending on the design of the unit, an off-the-shelf economizer can also be used to control these air flow.
The conditioned air is then channeled to the various parts of the building by using the duct distribution system. Diffusers are used to discharged the air into the rooms. Individual thermostats can be used to control the amount of conditioned air that is being discharged to each room.
Maintenance of Rooftop Air Conditioner
As the rooftop units are usually located on the roof of a building, various precautions have to be taken to ensure that your safety is of utmost importance when doing maintenance or trouble shooting the units. Here are some of them.
Back To Rooftop Air Conditioner Home Page
New! Comments
Have your say about what you just read! Leave us a comment in the box below.