Size of Room and Air Conditioner Output Air conditioner outputs are measured in kilowatts (kW).

Below is a guide for size of room vs air conditioner output needed. Please remember the pro checklist above is very important and that the information below is a basic guide to get you started and working out a budget. Size of room in m2 10m2 15m2 20m2 25m2 30m2 40m2 50m2 60m2 70m2 2.0kW 2.5kW 2.5kW 3.0kW 3.0kW 3.5kW 3.5kW 4.0kW 4.0kW 4.5kW 4.8kW 6.2kW 6.2kW 7.2kW 7.2kW 8.0kW 8.0kW 10.5kW Size of Air Conditioner Needed

To figure out the size of your rooms in m2 Just count amount of (large) steps from one end of the room to the other and then count how many steps across the room. Multiply those numbers and you have approximate m2. Example: 10 steps long x 5 steps wide = 50m2 Learn this information to understand your air conditioning needs and then call Bateman Gas and Air for a

Calculating Heat Load

The amount of heat generated is known as the heat gain or heat load. Heat is measured in either

British Thermal Units (BTU) or Kilowatts (KW). 1KW is equivalent to 3412BTUs. The heat load depends on a number of factors, by taking into account those that apply in your circumstances and adding them together a reasonably accurate measure of the total heat can be calculated*. Factors include:
y y y y y

The floor area of the room The size and position of windows, and whether they have blinds or shades The number of room occupants (if any) The heat generated by equipment The heat generated by lighting

Floor Area of Room

The amount of cooling required depends on the area of the room. To calculate the area in square metres: Room Area BTU = Length (m) x Width (m) x 337

Window Size and Position

If, as is quite common, your Server Room has no windows, you can ignore this part of the calculation. If, however there are windows you need to take the size and orientation into account. South Window BTU = South Facing window Length (m) x Width (m) x 870 North Window BTU = North Facing windows Length (m) x Width (m) x 165 If there are no blinds on the windows multiply the result(s) by 1.5. Obviously if you are in the Southern Hemisphere you would swap the conversion factors as the heat on North facing windows is then greatest. Add together all the BTUs for the windows. Windows BTU = South Window(s) BTU + North Window(s) BTU

Occupants
Purpose built Server Rooms dont normally have people working in them, but if people do regularly work in your Server Room you will have to take that into account. The heat output is around 400 BTU per person.

Total Occupant BTU = Number of occupants x 400

Equipment
Clearly most heat in a Server Room is generated by the equipment. This is trickier to calculate that you might think. The wattage on equipment is the maximum power consumption rating, the actual power consumed may be less. However it is probably safer to overestimate the wattage than underestimate it. Add together all the wattages for Servers, Switches, Routers and multiply by 3.5. Equipment BTU = Total wattage for all equipment x 3.5

Lighting
Take the total wattage of the lighting and multiply by 4.25. Lighting BTU = Total wattage for all lighting x 4.25

Total Cooling Required

Add all the BTUs together. Total Heat Load = Room Area BTU + Windows BTU + Total Occupant BTU + Equipment BTU + Lighting BTU This is the amount of cooling required so you need one or more air conditioning units to handle that amount of heat.

So what size of unit do I need?

Small air conditioning units have a cooling capacity of between 5000 and 10000 BTUs. Small units may fit in windows, venting to the outside world. Larger units may be rated in tons of cooling. 1 ton of cooling is equivalent to 12 thousand BTUs. Disclaimer: This calculation is intended as a rough guide only. Complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Before you decide on an air conditioning unit you should commission an audit from a suitably qualified air conditioning equipment specialist or installer.
Advantages of multi-split ACs
y y

Saves installation space Can be used individually or simultaneously

y y y y y

Independent control Compact Design Good EER Saves on running costs Convenient and economical

Disadvantages of multi-split ACs y Expensive compared to a single unit split AC y Limited range of capacities and models y More prone to leakage as number of indoor units increases

Most of the units today like LG, Bluestar or Hitachi offer 1.0 T, 1.5 T or 2.0 T capacity for each indoor unit.

COOLING CAPACITY
The cooling capacity defines the price of a split air conditioner. Most air conditioners are rated in BTU per hour (British Thermal Unit) or by tonnage. One ton is equal to 12,000 BTU per hour. The cooling capacity that you need would depend on factors such as:

Average ambient temperature: Higher the average temperature of the outside air in the area where your house is located, the more will be the cooling capacity required.

Size of the room: The cooling capacity required is proportional to the area of the room you wish to cool.

Number of people present: The cooling capacity of an air conditioner also depends on the number of people present in the room. The more the people present, the higher will be the capacity required.

Exposure: Direct exposure of any of the walls of your room to sunlight would lead to higher requirement in cooling capacity.

Proximity of your room to kitchen: If the room is nearer to the kitchen the cooling capacity required would be higher.

The tonnage of the AC can be selected based on the chart below.

Rooms Size (Sq ft) Up to 90 sq ft Up to 120 sq ft Up to 180 sq ft Up to 220 sq ft

Tonnage Capacity 0.8 Ton 1.0 Ton 1.5 Ton 2.0 Ton

You can also check AC Tonnage Calculator from LG

NOISE
Indoor units that do not produce much noise are better as else these can be a big disturbance.

SPLIT AC PRICE AND BUDGET

You should take care to narrow down on the appropriate split ac by looking at the product design, quality and its performance. Also, consider the installation cost, running costs like power and maintenance while buying your AC.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY RATING

The ratio of air conditioner's cooling capacity to its power consumption is the unit's (EER). A system with higher EER is good. Though these models are expensive while buying, they save money in the long run by consuming less energy.

TYPES OF COMPRESSORS
The compressor is the air conditioner's most important component and is often called the heart of the refrigeration system. It helps in the cooling process, by circulating the refrigerant through all the refrigeration parts. There are three types of compressors - reciprocating, rotary and scroll either of which can be used in split ACs.

Reciprocating compressor
It compresses the air by sliding the piston over the cylinder. Air conditioners fitted with a reciprocating compressor are generally less expensive and not as efficient or silent as the ones fitted with a rotary compressor. These are good for high duty cycles e.g. with higher capacity cooling ACs which need to be run for longer times.

Rotary compressor
This is a superior type of a compressor over the conventional reciprocating type. It compresses air by centrifugal action of high-speed impeller in a confined space. This method reduces the loss in pressure of the refrigerator gas. Rotary compressors are more compact, operate quietly, built for continuous operation and typically see less maintenance. The down side is the initial costs are higher. For less than 3 ton these are good options as they don't need high duty cycle and have better energy ratings. Rotary technology, though dominant in the Asian market for close to three decades due to its low cost, is new to India.

Scroll compressor
Scroll compressors have a wide operating voltage, economical running and low sound and vibration as compared to reciprocating and rotary compressors. Scroll compressors are generally available in ACs with cooling capacity above 2.5 tonnes. Rotary and Scroll compressors are not repairable once the failure occurs out of warranty period. Reciprocating compressors are reparable - mostly by respective compressor manufacturers in India.