Comparison Ballu Lagoon BSDI-07HN1 22 m² vs Ballu ECO Pro BSWI-07HN1/EP/15Y 22 m²

Additional features provided by the device.

— Inverter control. The presence of a compressor with inverter power control in the air conditioner. Models without an inverter have only two modes of operation — full power and off, and the set intensity of heating/cooling is provided by turning the compressor on and off for certain periods. In turn, the principle of inverter control is to smoothly change the compressor power, which avoids constant switching on and off. It provides several advantages: minimal wear, no power surges and unnecessary load on the mains, as well as a comfortable (low and stable) noise level. The main disadvantage of inverter models is the rather high cost.

— Timer. A function that allows you to set the time for automatic shutdown of the air conditioner. Thanks to the timer, you can, for example, start the air conditioner before going to bed and fall asleep peacefully without worrying about turning off the device — it will turn itself off after a user-defined time. And in some models, the timer is part of the night mode (see below).

— Auto restart. Automatic restoration of air conditioner settings after a power outage. Simply put, when power is restored, a device with this function will continue to operate in the same mode as before the power outage.

— Air pollution sensor. A sens...or that monitors the presence of smoke, dust and other contaminants in the air passing through the air conditioner. The use of such a sensor can be different: some models can independently start the ventilation mode when pollution is detected, in others the sensor is only responsible for automatic shutdown, and ventilation must be turned on manually. However, this function greatly facilitates the monitoring of air quality.

— Motion sensor. A sensor that monitors the presence of people in the room. Using the location of people in the room, the air conditioner can change the direction of the flow away from people, thereby protecting against drafts. If the presence of people is not detected, then the air conditioner may switch to low power consumption mode and work not at full capacity, maintaining a comfortable temperature, and depending on the implementation of this functionality, it may even turn off if there is no activity in the room for a long time. It helps to save energy and provides an additional guarantee in case the user forgets to turn off the air conditioner manually.

— Vertical blinds drive. Recall that in most models the air outlet has the form of a slot, equipped with two types of blinds — horizontal (usually one), along the length, and vertical, along the height. By default, the motor drive has only a horizontal blind: this allows you to change the direction of the airflow vertically, as well as close the duct during non-working hours. However, some modern air conditioners (mostly wall-mounted, see "Installation") also provide a vertical blinds drive — it allows you to turn them from side to side, changing the direction of the horizontal airflow. It significantly expands the possibilities for setting up the unit for the specifics of the situation.

— Self-diagnosis. The ability to automatically detect malfunctions and errors in the operation of the air conditioner. The specific features of the operation of this function may be different: in some models, the “health” of the unit is constantly monitored or automatically checked at certain intervals, in others, such a procedure is only started manually. Usually, self-diagnostic systems can automatically fix minor problems that do not require external intervention. More serious problems are reported to the user by the device, for example, by an error code on the display.

— Control via smartphone. The ability to remotely control the air conditioner from a smartphone or other similar device, such as a tablet. Usually, for this, you need to install a special application on the device. Such control can be more convenient and intuitive than using the remote control — the application can provide various specific parameters and functions that are not available for the remote control (for example, the schedule of work by day of the week). In addition, through the application, you can monitor the operating parameters of the air conditioner in real time — the set temperature, speed, programme, etc. — and receive notifications of problems. And some models with this feature can even be connected to the Internet — and get access to air conditioning control from anywhere in the world where there is access to the World Wide Web. Connection with the control gadget can be carried out via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, depending on the model. For some devices, this feature may require the use of an external Wi-Fi module (see below).

— Wi-Fi module connect. Such equipment significantly expands the functionality: a Wi-Fi connection can be used to control via a smartphone or even via the Internet, to transfer statistics and other service data to external devices (smartphone, laptop, etc.), for remote diagnostics and troubleshooting, etc. The specific set of capabilities associated with the wireless module should be specified separately; however, this feature is typical mainly for fairly advanced models. Note that modern air conditioners can be equipped with built-in Wi-Fi modules. However, when buying such a model, you have to immediately pay extra for additional communication options, while with a separate Wi-Fi adapter, there is a choice — you can buy it both together with the air conditioner, and separately, later (or even not buy at all if this function turns out to be unnecessary).

— I Feel (remote control with temperature sensor). The presence of a temperature sensor in the complete remote control. Usually, such a remote control also has a separate button, when pressed, the air conditioner measures the temperature at the location of the remote control, that is, near the user. It allows you to more accurately control the microclimate than when using a sensor on the indoor unit — the device estimates the temperature at the user's location, and not at the installation site of the indoor unit.

Power consumption of the air conditioner in cooling and heating mode; for models without a heating mode, only one number is given. This parameter should not be confused with the effective capacity of the air conditioner. Effective capacity is the amount of heat that the unit can "pump" into the environment or the room. This item also indicates the amount of electricity consumed by the device from the network.

In all air conditioners, the power consumption is several times lower than the effective capacity. It is due to the peculiarities of the operation of such units. At the same time, devices with the same efficiency may differ in power consumption. In such cases, the more economical models usually cost more, but with continued use, the difference can quickly pay off with less electricity consumption.

Also, two points related to electrical engineering depend on this nuance. Firstly, power consumption affects power requirements: models up to 3 – 3.5 kW can be connected to a regular outlet, while higher power consumption requires a three-phase connection (see below). Secondly, the power consumption is needed to calculate the load on the mains and the necessary parameters of additional equipment: stabilizers, emergency generators, uninterruptible power supplies, etc.

The power provided by the air conditioner in heating mode. It is indicated by the amount of thermal energy that the air conditioner can "pump" from the external environment into the room when operating in this mode. The most modest modern units have a heating capacity of 2 – 3 kW or even less, in the most performant it reaches 6 – 8 kW or more.

When evaluating this capacity, the same formulas are relevant that are used in calculating the power of traditional heating. So, for the full heating of an ordinary residential or office space (with ceilings of 2.5-3 m and normal thermal insulation), a thermal power of at least 100 W is required. There are more detailed calculation rules that allow you to calculate the necessary characteristics for other conditions. And if we are talking about a separately sold outdoor unit (see "In box"), then the meaning of this parameter is somewhat different. It indicates the maximum power of the indoor unit that can be connected to this outdoor unit to work in heating mode. For multi split systems, respectively, the total capacity of all indoor units is taken into account.

Recall that most air conditioners are not designed for use as full-fledged heating systems. However, such a unit can be a good addition to the main heating system. At the same time, air conditioners are less expensive than el...ectric heaters: the heater has an effective power equal to energy consumption, and the air conditioner consumes much less energy than it supplies to the heated room.

Also note that the unit BTU (more precisely, BTU/hour) can also be used to indicate the effective capacity (including in heating mode). 1 BTU (BTU/h) initially corresponds to 0.293 W, and the numbers in the characteristics of air conditioners correspond to thousands of BTU/h. For example, a 7 BTU air conditioner will produce an effective capacity of 7000 BTU/h, or about 2 kW. Such marking is convenient because BTU can easily determine the recommended area of a standard room (in m2): just multiply the figure indicated in the characteristics by 3. So, in our example, the power of 7 BTU will correspond to an area of 7*3=21 m2.

The amount of air that an air conditioner can pass through itself in an hour.

This parameter depends on the power and the overall level of the device, but there is no strict dependence here: models with the same effective capacity may differ in air circulation speed. In such cases, it is worth proceeding from the fact that a higher speed contributes to uniform cooling/heating of the air and reduces the time required to create a given microclimate; on the other hand, higher-performing air conditioners use more energy, are larger and/or cost more.

The maximum and minimum level of noise produced by the air conditioner during operation; for split and multi split systems (see "Type"), by default, it is indicated for the indoor unit, and the data for the outdoor unit can be specified in the notes.

The noise level is indicated in decibels; this is a non-linear unit, so it is easiest to evaluate this parameter using comparative tables — they can be found in special sources. Here we note that, according to sanitary standards, the maximum level of constant noise for residential premises is 40 dB during the day and 30 dB at night; for offices, this figure is 50 dB, and in industrial premises higher volume levels may be allowed. So it is worth choosing an air conditioner according to this indicator, taking into account where and how it is planned to use it.

As for specific numbers, among the quietest modern air conditioners, there are models with a minimum performance of 23 – 24 dB, 22 – 21 dB, and sometimes even 20 dB or less. However, units at 31 – 31 dB and 33 – 34 dB are not uncommon; such loudness, usually, does not create discomfort in the daytime, but at night it is no longer desirable. However, in some cases, a louder air conditioner may be the best choice: noise reduction affects the cost, sometimes quite noticeably, and if the device...is not planned to be turned on at night, you can not overpay for additional noise reduction.

The maximum noise level in decibels (dB) produced by the outdoor (outdoor) air conditioner unit during normal operation.

In household split systems, the noise level from the external unit is usually in the range from 40 to 55 dB. The lower this indicator, the quieter the unit operates and the more comfortable it is to use. Sanitary standards require the noise level for residential buildings from permanent sources to be no higher than 40 dB during the day and 30 dB at night, and in offices background noise of up to 60 dB is completely acceptable. The easiest way to estimate specific noise levels is using comparative tables. So, 40 dB is the level of a quiet conversation or TV at medium volume, 50 dB is approximately the normal tone of human speech, and 60 dB is the level of a loud voice. More detailed data can be found in special sources.

It is important to note that indoors the background noise level from the outdoor unit will be significantly less than outdoors. However, if the noise does not bother you when the air conditioner is running, this does not mean that it does not bother your neighbors. With open windows, the external unit can become a fairly strong source of noise. Therefore, for apartment housing stock it is advisable to give preference to low-noise models of climate control equipment.

The lowest outdoor air temperature at which the air conditioner can operate normally in cooling mode.

The need for air cooling arises not only in hot weather — for example, efficient heat dissipation is constantly needed in closed rooms with a lot of heat-generating equipment (such as server rooms). And the limitation on the minimum outdoor temperature is because a large temperature difference between the condenser (heater) of the outdoor unit and the environment can damage the circuits.

Note that in domestic air conditioners, this limit can be quite high — +20 °С and even higher (up to +25 °С); however, additional cooling is usually required for warmer weather, and such air temperatures are not so high as to cause significant discomfort. But in professional units, the minimum temperature for the cooling mode can be significantly below zero — up to -40 °C and even lower.

It is also worth mentioning that in the presence of a heating mode, the permissible temperature for it is noticeably lower than for the cooling mode. It is due to the difference between the formats of the air conditioner in these modes.

The highest outdoor air temperature at which normal operation of the air conditioner in normal cooling mode is possible.

It should be noted that for basic models of home climate equipment, the max outdoor air temperature for cooling is usually +43 °С. Advanced models of air conditioners remain operational at +50 °С and even at +55 °С (which almost reaches the absolute maximum air temperature on our planet).

The maximum height difference allowed for split system units. For multi splits (see "Type"), in this case, we mean the difference in height between the highest and lowest unit.

When installing units at different heights, a pressure difference arises in the system — the greater the height difference, the greater this difference, and if it is too large, the system will not be able to work normally.