May 26, 2005 • ISSUE 17 / VOLUME 1

Central air saves money and energy

Infinity system is top of the line

More and more Hawaii residents are opting for central air conditioning with ducted zoning systems so that each room in the house can have its own temperature setting.

Carrier Hawaii is the only local distributor of air conditioning equipment that supplies the entire breadth of air conditioning products and systems, from the simple room air conditioner, package units, split systems, right on up to the large commercial chillers and equipment used in large buildings.

"We receive many inquiries from homeowners saying they want to install central air conditioning," Carrier Hawaii President John Arizumi says. "But there seems to be some confusion as to what central air conditioning actually is."

The cheapest form of comfort cooling is a room air conditioner. "It's very inexpensive, you can install it yourself, and you can have instant cooling the same day," Arizumi explains. "However, room air conditioners are noisy, they drip water on the outside, and they hang out the window, which makes them architecturally displeasing."

The original type of residential central air conditioning was a ducted system usually installed in the attic of the home with ductwork distributing air to the different rooms of the home. The equipment could be a package unit installed on the ground outside, or a split system unit comprised of a condensing unit on the ground outside the home and a fan coil unit in the attic to which the ductwork is connected. The thermostat for temperature control was placed in some common area in the home, usually near the return air so it could sample the "average temperature" of the home.

"One disadvantage of this system is that each room could be at a different undesirable temperature, depending on its occupancy and orientation with respect to the sun," Arizumi says. "Also, it was energy inefficient because you had to cool the entire home even if you only occupied one room."

The most popular perception of a central system today is the duct-free split system. This is simply a fan coil unit that hangs on the wall without any ductwork and free-blows air into the space. Connected to an outdoor condensing unit, this system can only cool the room it's installed in, which means multiple-units need to be installed to cover several rooms of the home.

The advantage of a duct-free system is the minimal disruption time for installation. Since most installations in Hawaii occur when the homeowner is already occupying the home, the duct-free split can be installed much easier and quicker. You simply drill a hole for the piping and electrical through the wall, hang the indoor unit, install the condensing unit outside and hook up the electrical.

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"With a free-duct system, there is very little construction work within the home, and it keeps the homeowner at ease without cutting/patching and dust," Arizumi points out. "Another advantage is that there are so many different brands on the market for installers to choose from that it makes pricing very competitive."

The ultimate central system is the ducted zoning system, which is pretty much like the original central system except there are air dampers installed in the ductwork for each room that is controlled by its own thermostat. With the advent of digital-microprocessor controls, it is easy to coordinate the system so everything works in harmony with the equipment. Each room can have its own temperature setting, or it can be turned off completely if not in use.

"This provides comfort control in every room as well as superb energy efficiency since only the occupied spaces are being cooled," Arizumi says. "In addition, it is aesthetically pleasing since each room has only an air diffuser in the ceiling versus a big clunky unit on the wall."

"It's also ultra-quiet since there are no moving parts in the room, and there is a minimal amount of air conditioning equipment, usually just one split system or maybe two if it's a larger home."

With less to service and maintain, these systems can also be provided with premium indoor air quality components such as UV-C light for microbial control and electronic filters for pollen and dust. It is usually best to have these components installed during the construction of the home, but installations have been done in aftermarket homes, as well. The homeowner, however, is inconvenienced with the installation of the indoor portion and the total time for installation.

The most energy efficient system available is the Carrier Infinity System, which includes a 2-speed outdoor condensing unit and matching Infinity zoning controls. This system is also capable of remote monitoring by the service contractor so that he knows when problems arise and can respond immediately.

For more information on the Infinity System or a quote, call one of Carrier Hawaii's listed dealers: