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12 May 20

Airzone blog

How to best control your air conditioning?

Over the years, the needs of the HVAC sector have grown and at the same time solutions have been developed. Although, it remains to be seen which solutions are the most relevant. In this article we will review the different options available in terms of air conditioning control, showing the pros and cons of each one to maybe help you make your choice.

On one side there are the distributors, constantly looking for the best system to offer. On the other side, there are the prescribers and installers always searching for the most interesting product to suggest to their clients. To do so, they have got to find a solution meeting a list of several criteria:

  • It should be controlled via smart devices
  • It should be simple to install and configure
  • It should be easy to use
  • And have very good reliability of the product and must be provided with full technical support

Also, they want to avoid as much as possible all potential problems related to the creation of the online account, the order, the shipping and finally, the invoicing.

Their goal is therefore to find not only an efficient control solution but also to find a satisfactory process from the administrative, commercial, and technical aspects to after-sales service. In short, a complete process that can be carried out with the least amount of trouble.

To date, there are two types of solutions on the market:

Built-in Solutions come with Wi-Fi thanks to the fact that the manufacturer of the air conditioning equipment already integrates the connection into device. These solutions are meant to be the best; however, they are not unanimously accepted on the market. Especially since they are generally found among high-end products whose prices are not necessarily affordable for the middle class.

Add-on Solutions provide Wi-Fi communications by adding other devices to the installation. (There are two types: Integration via protocol - AC/Wi-Fi gateways and Integration via IR/Relays – Smart Thermostats).

With this solution, you must know if the communication between the equipment and the integration will be bidirectional (with communications using the same manufacturer's protocol and cable connection) or unidirectional (with communications via Infrared, which is a wireless connection).

Manufacturer's Thermostat has all the original functions and are very reliable

Usually, solutions that use the manufacturer's communication protocol and connect via cable are much more robust and reliable because they "talk to the machine" and make sure it responds back. In the case of Infrared solutions, they "send messages to the machine" but the response back and the proper execution of the commands are not guaranteed.

Solutions that communicate with the unit via a wired connection are among the most technically reliable ones compared to others.

Close-up Of Man Hand Operating Air Conditioner With an IR Remote Control.

Add-ons with IR/Relay integration have the problem that user commands are transmitted to the machine as prompts without confirmation of execution. You have no guarantee of communications because they are not bi-directional. Therefore, those solutions tend to have a dual user control interface, via an application and a physical thermostat, located in the house. This can be a value and it certainly is in the radiant heating environment; but not so much for the air conditioning control where there is already a pre-existing remote control, the one that comes with the machine. It does not make sense to duplicate the physical control when what you want is direct control from your smart devices.

However, some smart thermostats can be found on the market. In this case, for the air conditioner to be controlled by a smartphone, you also need a thermostat. In addition, the communication between the thermostat and the air conditioning equipment is via Infrared. Infrared communications do not come with a good signal, so, you can´t assure that the device will work properly. But the reliability of the device can often be compensated with a focus on the end users´ comfort and efficient after sale service.

To conclude, before choosing the control solution that suits your project, make sure you have all the technical and commercial information about the product so that you can choose the one that best matches your expectations.

To do so, here is what your checklist should include:

  • Accessible information with good sector references
  • Simple registration process
  • Simple purchasing process
  • A very low number of incidents
  • Clearly identified compatibility with the equipment
  • Simple installation
  • Good free technical and after-sales service accompanying the product