Various options for installing air conditioning on the balcony or loggia

For small apartments, balconies are an additional area that can be effectively used. In this regard, many users want to install the air conditioner on the balcony or glazed loggia, but do not know how best to do it, and what are the prohibitions by the city administration. We will try to tell you in detail about all the nuances.

Split system design features

Any split system consists of two parts:

• outdoor unitinstalled outside the building;
• indoor unit - This is the part that creates the microclimate in your apartment.

Between them there are connecting copper tubes through which the refrigerant continuously circulates,electrical wiring to ensure uninterrupted operation of the external unit, where the compressor and condenser are installed. The fan, located on the front side of the outdoor unit, pumps air to cool the condenser and other internal parts of the device.

Installing an outdoor unit on a glazed balcony and loggia is strictly prohibited: without constant access of fresh air, the unit is unable to work correctly, its efficiency is reduced to zero.

Where to install

Sometimes tenants install an external air conditioner unit on an unglazed balcony, because city services prohibit the installation of such equipment on the facade of houses.. Here are just a small list of the advantages of installing an air conditioner on the balcony.

1. Simple installation - the masters are constantly on solid ground, and do not hang over the abyss on insurance.
2. The equipment is constantly outside the effects of precipitation, there is no need to purchase protective canopy. Broken icicles will not harm the expensive unit.
3. Continuous air flow will ensure reliable system operation.
4. Excellent access for craftsmen to service equipment, cleaning it from dust, etc.
5. The amount of refrigerant charged is reduced due to the minimum distance between the units, and this is a significant savings in the family budget.

The design of the outdoor unit does not spoil the interior of your loggia, just keep the distance from the ceiling and the floor, which should be at least 30 cm.

Installation on the non-glazed balcony of the outdoor unit of the air conditioner has several disadvantages.

1. Remote rooms cannot be glazed, because it will make it difficult to use the equipment: safety rules imply the constant opening of at least three doors, which negates all the costs of equipping the balcony with double-glazed windows.
2. The work of the external unit is accompanied by heat generationwhich will affect the glazing of the room. You may need to increase the capacity of the air conditioner, which will lead to an increase in the cost of the entire project.
3. The mounting structure of the outdoor unit is quite dimensional - it will steal a lot of usable space, which also needs to be considered.
4. The operation of the fan and compressor of the remote unit is quite noisy processtherefore its sound will be heard in the room.

Before installing the outdoor unit on the balcony - analyze all the advantages and disadvantages to make the right decision. Today your balcony is not glazed, and tomorrow you decide to warm it and put double-glazed windows, or to hold a glazing of stained glass type - the whole structure will have to be dismantled and moved to another place.

Parapet mounting

Many air conditioners advise installing an outdoor unit on the balcony's parapet. According to all legal laws

installation of air conditioning on the outer side of the loggia is not considered a violation of the appearance of the building. This placement frees you a place to install containers for growing flowers, you can equip the external room with ropes for drying clothes. On the parapet it is more convenient to conduct a drainage pipe to drain the condensate, but there are also negative nuances that users do not realize.

1. Remote units of air conditioning systems have a fairly significant mass - from 60 to 80 kg, so their mounting system must be particularly durable. May need special steel brackets reinforced stiffness, and this extra cash costs.
2. When the fan and compressor work, the vibration occurs, therefore it is necessary to install special shock absorbers so that it is not transmitted to the mounting system and does not contribute to loosening the nuts.
3. It is better to install the module in such a way as to minimize the distance between the two blocks. It is necessary to take into account the sun's rays, so it is better to install the unit on the side of the balcony with glazing.

Very important! All wiring and refrigerant supply line must pass along the inside of the balcony or loggia with glazing.

Basic installation rules

The remote unit of the system is installed only outside, if the balcony is glazed, while preparing the installation site in advance, for reasons of convenience, for subsequent maintenance.

Before installing the unit, you must perform a series of installation work:

• when the design of the balcony is quite old, it is necessary to strengthen it;
• the external unit has a significant mass, which sometimes reaches the weight of the average person, so the metal parapet must be strengthened;
• install brackets and rigidly fasten them on the parapet;
• between the block and the base of the mounting structure shock absorbers are mounted, which dampen the vibration of the equipment and reduce the noise impact from its constant work, in addition, they install sound insulation inside the balcony paneling;
• if the roof of the balcony does not overlap the unit, then it is necessary to install a protective canopy of durable material over it;
• The plastic condensate drain pipe is mounted in such a way as not to cause trouble to the neighbors from below.

Any air conditioning system should work for a long time without failures, therefore, during its installation it is necessary to take into account all the design features of the installation site, follow the rules and listen to the advice of professionals.

Installation inside the balcony

Residents of apartment buildings sometimes do not want to make an external unit outside the insulated and glazed balcony or loggia, because this complicates its installation and subsequent maintenance. Experts state that by installing an external air conditioner unit on a glassed-in balcony, users are at risk of creating a remote steam effect in the summer heat - even opening all windows or windows, you will not get rid of the accumulation of exhaust hot air.

The only way out of the deadlock is the installation of a window air conditioner, but here you will find other negative nuances: a noise effect that will eliminate your comfortable rest in a cool place. The verdict is simple: install the unit outside the warmed space, following all the recommendations written by us earlier.

Indoor unit system on the balcony

With a small area and the presence of children of different ages in the apartment, installing an air conditioner on the loggia is a real way out of a difficult situation. Many apartment owners ask a question: is it possible to install an evaporator unit on an equipped and glazed balcony, if it is not possible to install it inside an apartment? On a warmed and well-equipped balcony or, even better, a spacious loggia you can install an indoor unit, but you should be prepared for some uncomfortable nuances.

1. The door to the room during the operation of the device must be kept constantly open, otherwise, why install a split system on the balcony.
2. It is necessary to warm the floor additionally., so that condensate does not appear due to the temperature difference, which has a negative impact not only on metal parts, but also on the concrete pavement.
3. The actual temperature of the air in the room adjacent to the balcony may be slightly higher than that set on the air conditioner.
4. Through the glazing, even if you install triple-glazed windows, your air conditioner will cool the streetThat will significantly affect the electricity bills.

Such an installation of the indoor unit is still better than direct cooling of the cool air of all the inhabitants of the apartment, so that the final decision to take only you. We brought all the positive and negative nuances of various installation of the outdoor unit and the evaporator air conditioner. Install air conditioning on the balcony or not, it is necessary to decide after a thorough analysis of all the initial data, as well as the pros and cons of a particular location.