Preparing for Summer

Spurred by rising energy costs and increased efficiency demands from consumers, the air conditioning industry has continued to develop new technology in recent years. Unfortunately, many consumers have yet to catch up with these exciting trends. If you would like to educate yourself about the wealth of options currently available, read on. This article will provide an introduction to the technology known as variable refrigerant flow.

The Basic Idea

On the surface, the differences are fairly minor between a traditional air conditioning system and one that utilizes variable refrigerant flow technology--commonly foreshortened to VRF. Both systems accomplish cooling through the use of refrigerant. Both systems also utilize an outdoor condenser unit to condense this refrigerant from a gaseous to a liquid state, thus preparing it for further cooling tasks.

Differences become apparent, however, when considering the number of fan coil units within the system. The fan coil is a looped network of tubes through which the cooled refrigerant flows, while the air of your home circulates around it. This air is then moved into your home by the blower assembly. In a conventional air conditioning system, there is only one fan unit.

VRF systems, on the other hand, incorporate multiple fan coil units. These are distributed evenly through out your home. Each one of the fan coil units receives refrigerant through a series of lines that connect it to the condenser unit. According to information provided by the thermostat, the amount of refrigerant being sent to any given unit can be carefully tailored to meet the particular cooling needs of that part of the house.

Principal Benefits

VRF systems present numerous benefits for both your comfort and your bottom line. As hinted at above, a VRF system allows for a much more customizable cooling experience. This successfully eliminates the problem of frustrating temperature differentials from one room to another. Should a particular part of your house require a greater amount of cooling--for instance, if it is directly exposed to the heat of a summer sun--then the system will simply increase the amount of refrigerant being sent to that fan unit.

The flip side of that scenario is that the system is also able to reduce the amount of cooling taking place in less heat-prone parts of your house. This is something that a traditional air conditioner could never do. It allows a VRF system to introduce unprecedented levels of efficiency. It only runs when it absolutely has to, while consuming no more power than is necessary. As a result, VRF systems are capable of drastically lowering your monthly energy bills. For more information, contact companies like Boyers  R S Heating &  Air Conditioning Inc.