3 Things To Look For In A Reverse Cycle Air Conditioner

Using reverse cycle air conditioning units is increasingly becoming common in a large number of residential areas. This can be attributed to the fact that a reverse cycle air conditioners is able to heat a house without passing electric current through its system. This reduces reliance on the mains electricity supply around the home, which ultimately translates to lower power utility bills.

This article discusses three things that an interested homeowners should look for in a reverse cycle air conditioning unit.

The Energy Rating Label

As indicated above, a large number of homeowners will choose to invest in a reverse cycle air conditioner due to the expected savings that they stand to make on power utility bills. In order to ensure that this expectation matures into a reality, homeowners need to identify and inspect the energy label rating on a reverse cycle air conditioner before they make payments for it. In a large number of cases, the energy rating label will have between 1 and 6 stars that indicate how energy efficient a reverse cycle conditioner is. Energy efficiency of these units increases as the number of stars on the energy label rating increases.

Programmable Thermostats

Programmable thermostats are also an important feature for homeowners keen on making significant savings on their power utility bills.

A programmable thermostat will allow a homeowner to ensure that the reverse cycle air conditioner is not left running throughout the day. A homeowner can set the programmable thermostat to turn the conditioner off at pre-set times of the day and/or night. Thus, the reverse cycle conditioner will only be operational when there's an actual need for heating and cooling within the residential premises.

Homeowners who choose to invest in reverse cycle conditioners that feature an external thermostat need to ensure that the thermostat is installed in a location that is protected from direct exposure to sunlight. This is because additional heat from the sun is likely to interfere with the temperature setting on the thermostat.

Duct Insulation

Proper insulation of ducts in a reverse cycle air conditioner is essential to prevent against the involuntary gaining or losing of heat by the conditioning unit. Air conditioning ducts are assigned "R Values" which indicate their respective levels of duct insulation.

Higher R values indicate greater levels of insulation. Thus, reverse cycle AC systems with a higher R-Value are likely to exhibit a greater degree of energy efficiency.


Share