When buying climatic equipment, a person first of all strives to make his life more comfortable. For everyone, this concept has its own meaning. To determine which equipment is better, a breather or an air conditioner, it is important to understand how they work.
Air conditioner device
The air conditioner, which has an external and an internal part, is the most complex in the device.
- Compressor compressing freon.
- Four-way valve that changes the direction of movement of freon.
- Control board.
- Fan.
- Condenser, cooling or condensing freon.
- Filter system with freon, protecting from debris.
- Fitting connections.
- Protective cover.
Indoor unit:
- Front Panel.
- Coarse filter that protects against coarse debris.
- Evaporator.
- Horizontal and vertical louvers that regulate the direction of the air flow.
- Indicator panel.
- Fine filter.
- Fan.
- Condensate tray.
- Control board.
- Fitting connections.
Types of climatic equipment
There are several types of air conditioners: window, mobile, split systems, multisystems.
Window air conditioner is not popular, as it has several disadvantages:
- Fastened into the window opening, due to which little light enters the room and the space visually decreases.
- After installation, there are small gaps in the walls through which dust and dirt enters the house.
- The device is noisy and the air circulates only at one point.
The advantage is the low price. However, in the end, you will have to pay with personal comfort.
Positive traits mobile air conditioner - the price and the possibility of quick rearrangement, since it does not require installation.
The size of the hose for removing stagnant air into the window is only 2 meters. Because of this, the air conditioner will create a high-quality air flow only in a small area of the room, and the rest of the space will be ventilated unevenly.
The disadvantages include loud operation of the device.
In terms of maintenance, the mobile air conditioner requires cleaning the condensate, which will be warned by the indicator, and sometimes you will have to change the filter - the frequency of replacement depends on the manufacturer. For details, see the instruction manual.
Using split systems is the most popular solution on the air conditioner market. Installation requires a through hole in the wall of the house - you will need to fix the outdoor and indoor units.
Some of the technical elements and the condensate drainage hose are located on the street side. Indoors, a main system is installed that purifies the air, controls cooling or heating.
The split system serves only 1 room. Multisystem allows you to install air conditioners in each room and connect them to one outdoor unit.
The downside compared to installing a separate system for each room is that if a block breaks down on the street, all cooling devices in the house will stop working.
Air conditioners with an inflow of fresh air are practically not used for domestic purposes. To install them, you need to rebuild the ceilings and install air ducts. In addition, fresh air is supplied in a small amount, while the equipment is very noisy.
Common pros and cons of air conditioners
You should pay attention to the general nuances of using the devices in question.
Pros:
- Some models have a double function: heating and cooling. This makes it possible to use the device all year round.
- Filters clean the incoming air. Some models are equipped with filters for animal hair, pollen and other allergens, which will make life more comfortable.
- Additional functions allow you to control the blowing power, air direction and air temperature.
- When the ventilation mode is set, the air circulates evenly in the room.
Minuses:
- Failure to clean the filter leads to the formation of dust, microbes and viruses, which, thanks to the air flow, enter the room.
- After coming from a hot street, it is dangerous to immediately turn on the cold air conditioning to a high level, and even more so - to be under it. A temperature drop of more than 8 degrees is likely to lead to a cold.
- The purchase price, filter change, high electricity consumption, periodic repairs - all this is associated with considerable financial costs.
- Frequent switching on of the air conditioner for a long time leads to a decrease in air humidity. As a result, coughs, migraines and other illnesses can begin.
- The noise from some models interferes with comfortable rest or work.
The device and principle of operation of the breather
System device:
- The fan draws in air from the street.
- When the breather is off, the damper does not allow cold air to enter the room.
- The filter system completely cleans the incoming air stream from dust, fumes, allergens and other substances harmful to the body.
- The heater makes fresh air comfortable on cold days without changing the temperature in the house.
- The control panel allows you to use the available functions.
Without a breather, you have to open a window to ventilate the room. Sounds from the street, harmful impurities, allergens penetrate the room, dust, microbes, and sometimes the smell of emissions from factories or the road paved nearby, fly into the room. The air even worsens compared to what it was before ventilation.
The breather cleans the air and at the same time ventilates the room. Closed windows ensure that there is no draft and, as a result, no colds.
The device is wall-mounted. The approximate service area is 40-50 m2.
First of all, a breather differs from an air conditioner in that it does not cool the room. It creates an influx of air and its circulation, due to this it becomes fresh. The temperature does not change, and the oxygen in the room becomes several times more.
Depending on the model of the device, some filters can be vacuum cleaned. In this case, you will not need to change them more often than once a year. The soundproofed housing keeps out sounds from the street.
The breather ventilates the room and supplies the supply air with approximately the same humidity as outside. It does not have a humidifier function. Therefore, if the climate in the house is too dry, you should additionally purchase a humidifier.
The entry of small insects is possible, but at the same time they will not be able to start a nest and reproduce - there are no suitable conditions for this inside the breather. Dead insects can be easily removed during cleaning.
What to choose
The air is cooled by the air conditioner, and the breather ventilates the room. At a comfortable temperature, an air conditioner is not required, while the breather runs continuously to supply fresh oxygen.
In hot weather, an air conditioner is better, but it supplies too little air for breathing. The breather supplies oxygen, but the air comes in at the same temperature as outside.
In terms of maintaining your health, it is better to choose a breather, and an air conditioner is ideal for quick cooling. Replacing one device with another is unlikely to succeed. The difference in basic functions does not allow putting them on the same level for comparison. It is optimal to use them in combination.
