Retrofitting an air conditioner – Climate control your home efficiently

There are good reasons for retrofitting

As the installation of an air conditioning system can be taken into account at the start of the planning stage for a new build, it is generally straightforward. But even if retrofitting in existing buildings is somewhat more complex, it can still be worthwhile. The Carrier product portfolio includes modern split air conditioning systems that enable individual solutions. The following overview shows the advantages of retrofitting a Carrier air conditioning system into your home:

Retrofitting a Carrier split air conditioner – the right planning is crucial

If you want to retrofit a split air conditioning system in an existing house, structural alterations to the building fabric are necessary. Even if these are generally manageable, good planning of the measures guarantees a smooth process. It also lays the foundation for efficient, safe and comfortable operation. This is what you need to bear in mind if you want to retrofit a Carrier air conditioning system:

How many rooms should be air-conditioned?

Do you only want to retrofit the air conditioner in the bedroom or do you want to climate control several rooms? This is very important for planning. After all, a permanently installed single-room cooling system cannot usually be easily extended at a later date. Carrier offers solutions for both options with its high-quality single and multi-split air conditioning systems. The latter make it possible to control the air temperature and quality in up to five rooms simultaneously.

How high must the appliance output be?

To ensure efficient operation when retrofitting an air conditioning system, the required output must be determined in advance. Carrier partners determine this as part of a cooling load calculation. In addition to the desired room temperatures, thermal factors such as the number and size of windows and the orientation of the building to the sun are also taken into account. If you would like to retrofit a Carrier multi-split air conditioning system, it is also relevant, for example, whether the rooms are to be air conditioned separately or simultaneously. 

Info: As a rough guide, a cooling load of 60 to 100 watts per room can be assumed. However, as numerous factors have to be taken into account, the calculation should always be carried out by specialists.

What structural changes are possible and desired?

Core drilling is always necessary for retrofitting a split air conditioning system. The reason for this is that the outdoor and indoor units must be connected to each other by refrigerant lines and communication cables. With multi-split units, each individual indoor unit is connected to the outdoor unit. Before you have a Carrier split air conditioner retrofitted in your home, you also need to find a suitable installation location for the components.  

• Indoor unit(s): are usually mounted on the ceiling or in the upper section of the wall. To ensure good air circulation, the distances to surrounding walls and the room height must be taken into account.
• Outdoor unit: is mounted freely outdoors or with a bracket on the house wall. The installation site should have sufficient load-bearing capacity, offer protection against strong environmental influences and be freely accessible for maintenance work on the appliance.

What needs to be considered when installing on the house?

When retrofitting an air conditioning system in the house, it is important to ensure that the outdoor and indoor units are not too far apart. Height differences of 10 to 15 meters are generally possible. The maximum cable length for an indoor unit (mono-split) is between 15 and 35 meters, for several indoor units (multi-split) between 40 and 80 meters in total. The power supply to the outdoor unit is also important. As it also supplies the indoor units, they do not require their own power connection.

Retrofitting air conditioning as a tenant  

Are you renting a house or would you like to retrofit an air conditioner in a rented apartment? In principle, this is possible. However, if you would like to retrofit a split air conditioning system, the owner's consent is required due to the work required on the building fabric. Construction work should not begin until this has been obtained. If consent is not granted, mobile solutions or monobloc devices can be an alternative. No structural measures are required for either option. However, it should be noted that these are generally louder and have a lower cooling capacity than split units.   

Check costs before retrofitting

The cost of retrofitting a Carrier air conditioning system in a multi-family or single-family home depends on various factors. Relevant factors include: 

• Type of appliance: The technology influences the purchase price of an air conditioning system. Split air conditioning systems are generally more expensive to purchase than mobile solutions, but work more efficiently and quietly.   
• Required output: A higher output is usually reflected in a higher price. The relevant factors include the aforementioned cooling load. In addition, with split air conditioning systems it also plays a role how many rooms are tempered or how many indoor units are connected to the outdoor unit. 
• Installation situation: The costs for installation also depend on the local conditions. If the installation situation is complicated or several indoor units are connected to one outdoor unit, the installation effort and therefore the costs increase.     

Heat pump as a potential alternative

If the installation of a heat pump is planned as part of an energy-efficient refurbishment, it may also be possible to use it for cooling. It would then no longer be necessary to retrofit an air conditioning system in the house. However, the prerequisite is that the refrigerant circuit is reversible, i.e. it can be reversed.