Comparison Cooper&Hunter Winner CH-S07FTX5 22 m² vs Cooper&Hunter Veritas CH-S07FTXQ 22 m²

The British Thermal Unit (BTU) is used to indicate the rated capacity of air conditioners in cooling mode. The parameter is indicated mainly for split and multi split systems with wall installation. Capacity is indicated in BTU per hour, while 1 BTU/h is equal to about 0.293 watts. The rated capacity of an air conditioner is often a multiple of 1000 BTU. The indicator determines how many thousand BTU/h the air conditioning equipment provides. For example, the marking "9 BTU" here means a unit for 9000 BTU/h or about 2600 watts of effective capacity.

The practical meaning of the capacity is that by BTU you can easily determine the recommended area of a standard room in square meters: just multiply the figure indicated in the characteristics by 3. So, for 9 BTU it will correspond to 9*3=27 m². Note that there is no strict relationship between BTU and watts in this list: for example, air conditioners with an effective capacity of 2360 to 2900 W fall into the same category of 9 BTU. In practice, even such an approximate ratio is enough to understand which air conditioner should be considered for cooling certain area.

Cooling factor EER provided by the air conditioner. It is calculated as the ratio of the useful operating power of the air conditioner in cooling mode to the electricity consumption. For example, a device that delivers 6 kW of operating power in cooling mode and consumes 2 kW will have an EER 6/2 = 3.

The higher this indicator, the more economical the air conditioner is and the higher its cooling energy efficiency class (see below). Each class has its clear requirements for EER.

It is worth noting that this indicator is considered not very reliable, and in the European Union another coefficient has been introduced that is closer to practice — SEER. See Energy efficiency SEER (cooling) for more details.

The heating coefficient COP provided by the air conditioner. It is calculated as the ratio of the heat output of the air conditioner in heating mode to the electricity consumption. For example, if a device consumes 2 kW and produces 5 kW of thermal power, then the COP will be 5/2 = 2.5.

The higher this indicator, the more economical the air conditioner is and the higher its energy efficiency class when heating (see below). Each class has its own clear COP requirements.

Note that COP values are usually higher than the values of another important coefficient — EER (see above). It is due to the technical features of the air conditioners.

It is also worth mentioning that since 2013, a more advanced and closer-to-practice coefficient, SCOP, has been put into use in Europe. See "Energy efficiency SCOP (heating)" for more details.

The general energy efficiency class that the air conditioner complies with in cooling mode.

This parameter is indicated by letters from A (highest efficiency) and beyond. It is directly related to the value of the EER factor (see "Cooling EER"): each energy efficiency class corresponds to a certain range of factors (for example, B — from 3.0 to 3.2). Specific coefficient values for each class can be found in special tables; here we note that more efficient air conditioners are more expensive, but this difference can pay off due to less electricity consumption.

The general energy efficiency class that the air conditioner corresponds to when operating in heating.

This parameter is indicated by letters from A (highest efficiency) and beyond. It is directly related to the value of the COP coefficient (see "Heating COP"): each energy efficiency class corresponds to a certain range of coefficients (for example, C — from 3.2 to 3.4). Specific coefficient values for each class can be found in special tables; here we note that more efficient air conditioners are more expensive, but this difference can pay off due to less electricity consumption.

Additional features provided by the device.

In addition to features directly related to the main purpose (such as inverter, night mode or emergency heating), modern air conditioners can also provide very specific functions — such as ionizer, fresh air intake, air air pollution detection motion sensor, vertical blinds drive etc. For ease of operation, a connection to a smartphone and/or an advanced I Feel remote control with a temperature sensor can be provided, and for ease of maintenance, self- self-cleaning and/or self-diagnosis. Here is a detailed description of these features:

— 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 unneces...sary 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.

— Automode. A function that relieves the user of the need to manually control the parameters of the air conditioner. It is enough just to set the desired microclimate in the room. After that, the unit will independently monitor the current conditions and select the desired operating mode. Most often, this function provides temperature monitoring and automatic switching between cooling and heating but advanced models may provide more advanced features, such as humidity monitoring with automatic dehumidification or even humidification.

— 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).

— Night mode. A function that allows you to use the air conditioner as comfortably as possible at night. There are two main features of this mode. First, the fan speed is set to a minimum, which reduces noise and avoids strong air currents that can disturb sleepers. Secondly, the temperature change occurs very slowly and smoothly — by a couple of degrees within two to three hours; this is considered optimal for sleep. Additionally, in the night mode, a timer can be provided that turns off the air conditioner after 7-8 hours.

— 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.

— Ionizer. A module that saturates the air passing through the air conditioner with ion-charged particles. Negatively charged ions give a feeling of freshness to the air, have a bactericidal effect, and are also considered beneficial to health in general.

— Fresh air intake. Ability to mix fresh air from outside with the air passed through the conditioner. Thus, models with this function not only change the temperature and humidity of the air but also additionally refresh it. On the other hand, mixing significantly complicates both the design of the air conditioner itself and its installation. Therefore, this function is rare, and mainly in models of the middle level and above.

— Air pollution sensor. A sensor 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.

— Emergency heating. A function found in air conditioners with heating (see "Operating modes"); is intended mainly for summer cottages and other similar places that can be left unattended for a long time during the cold season. When using standby heating, the air conditioner maintains a low positive temperature in the room (about +8..10 °С). It is enough to avoid freezing of walls and damage to communications, and at the same time, energy consumption is low.

— Self-cleaning. The mode of automatic cleaning of the internal parts of the air conditioner — usually due to intensive purging with air. It allows you to remove the accumulated dust inside and dry out excess moisture and also prevents the growth of harmful microorganisms. At the same time, self-cleaning does not eliminate the need for full manual cleaning or replacement of working elements in the air conditioner filters.

— 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).

— 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.

A small screen installed on the indoor unit of the air conditioner. Such a display usually has basic functionality and displays a limited set of characters - numbers, some letters, sometimes also individual graphic icons. However, even such a screen can display quite a variety of information: set temperature, operating mode, timer settings, filter status, error codes, etc. Thanks to this, control is more convenient and visual.

— Hidden display. When switched off, the hidden info display blends in with the surface design of the indoor unit of the air conditioner and remains invisible. In active mode, the characters on the screen are visible through a certain place in the texture and all the necessary information is displayed on the display. On most models, the screen can be turned off using the remote control, and this feature can often be set to automatically hide after a certain period of inactivity, which will be useful at night.

The brand of the compressor installed in the air conditioner.

The compressor is the "heart" of the unit, it is on its specs that the capabilities of the air conditioner and the features of its operation primarily depend. And the brand of this part is specified mainly in cases where an advanced compressor is used in the design, which is noticeably superior to conventional options in terms of specs and overall quality. So this parameter is more advertising than practically significant. However, if you wish, you can find data on the general features and "reputation" of a particular brand and use this information for the final choice.

Note that even in air conditioners of the same brand, different brands of compressors can be used. It is because many manufacturers of such parts do not produce ready-made air conditioners, but only sell components to third-party companies. However, there are exceptions — usually large corporations such as Panasonic or Mitsubishi Heavy, or top manufacturers like Daikin.

Types of additional filters that the air conditioner is equipped with (in addition to the simplest mechanical filters that are in all models).

We emphasize that we are talking about the filters supplied in the kit; some models allow you to separately purchase additional elements for air purification, but this possibility is not taken into account in this case. As for specific options, the most popular in modern air conditioners are various antibacterial filters(including catechin elements and UV lamps), fine cleaning devices (including HEPA filters), antifungal, anti- allergic, deodorizing and formaldehyde filters, as well as elements, which combine several functions at once — plasma (electrostatic) and catalytic. Here is a detailed description of each of them:

— Plasma (electrostatic). These filters are based on the saturation of the air with negatively charged ions. Thus, a similar element also works as an ionizer (see "Functions"), even if there is no full-fledged ionizer in the design. As for air purification, plasma filters can quite effectively destroy harmful microorganisms, destroy some harmfu...l substances, and also trap particles of dust, smoke, soot, etc. These particles acquire a charge under the influence of ionized air and are attracted to the filter plates.

— Fine cleaning. This term usually refers to advanced mechanical filters that provide air filtration at a microscopic level. The effectiveness of such devices may be different; it should be specified separately in each case. Also note that the HEPAs described below are also, in fact, fine filters; however, they use a specific principle of operation and are initially characterized by high efficiency. Therefore, the presence of HEPA filters is indicated separately.

— HEPA filter. A special kind of mechanical fine filter. Due to the special design of the microchannels through which air passes in such a filter, such devices can trap particles much smaller than the diameter of the microchannels. For comparison: the effectiveness of a HEPA filter is estimated by its ability to retain contaminants with a size of 0.1 – 0.3 microns (with such particles, such a filter is the least effective), while the size of most bacteria starts at 0.5 microns. By efficiency, such filters are divided into classes; nowadays, HEPA classes from 10 (detains at least 85% of the mentioned particles) to 14 (filtration efficiency reaches 99.995%) are relevant.

— Catechin. It is a variety of antibacterial filters described below, created based on catechins, natural organic substances with a powerful antioxidant effect. Such filters are highly effective in combating bacteria and viruses. However, they are not cheap; in light of these features, they are shown in a separate category.

— Catalytic. Most often, this term means photocatalytic, or zeolite filters — devices that work due to a special substance (photocatalyst) and UV radiation. Under the influence of such radiation, the catalyst decomposes the organic matter that falls on it into simpler substances — usually water and carbon dioxide. This technology allows you not only to remove harmful impurities from the air (and at the level of individual molecules) but also provides a good bactericidal and antiviral effect. At the same time, such a filter practically does not require maintenance: the photocatalyst is not consumed during operation, and the reaction products freely escape to the outside. On the other hand, the price of such elements is quite high.

— Antibacterial. Various filters are designed to kill bacteria and other harmful organisms — viruses, fungi, etc. The specific principle of operation, the level of efficiency and maintenance rules for such filters may be different, these details should be specified in the documentation for the air conditioner. However, if air disinfection is of fundamental importance to you, such a filter will come in handy. We note only two points in this regard. Firstly, catechin elements are usually not included in this category, although they have the same purpose (see above); secondly, not every antibacterial filter can effectively fight viruses — this point needs to be specified separately.
It is also worth considering that no matter how effective the air conditioner filters are, thorough air disinfection is not its main task; specialized devices should be used for these purposes.

— Antifungal. A specialized filter for removing harmful fungi from the air, such as mould. The antibacterial devices described above also have this function to one degree or another; however, this type of filter is much more efficient in this regard. On the other hand, the need to fight intensively with fungi does not arise so often, and for other cases, the same antibacterial filters are usually quite enough. So antifungal elements in modern air conditioners are used quite rarely.

— Anti-allergic. Filters designed primarily to remove pollutants from the air that cause allergies: plant pollen (including from indoor plants), dust mites, particles of pet hair, etc. The specific principle of operation of such filters may be different, but it is worth clarifying separately. So, in relatively inexpensive air conditioners, the simplest mechanical cleaning is usually used, and the term "anti-allergenic" is more of a marketing ploy than a real description of the filter's specialization. More advanced models often include more advanced technologies, such as an enzyme filter that decomposes allergens into simple, harmless substances like water and carbon dioxide.

— UV lamp. A lamp that treats the air passing through the air conditioner with UV radiation. This treatment provides a bactericidal effect: ultraviolet light neutralizes most bacteria, viruses and fungi. However, the efficiency of such lamps is not particularly high. Nevertheless, they are a great addition to an antibacterial filter. And even without such a filter, the quality of air purification from an air conditioner with a UV lamp will be higher than that of a similar model without such a lamp.
Separately, we emphasize that this function should not be confused with the catalytic (photocatalytic) filter described above — UV lamps have a much simpler design and principle of operation.

— Deodorizing (charcoal). A specialized filter is designed, among other things, to combat unpleasant odours. It acts at the molecular level, passing ordinary air and absorbing molecules of substances that create unpleasant odours; of course, it is also capable of retaining larger particles, such as smoke. Activated carbon is most often used as a filter element — hence one of the variants of the name; there are filters based on other substances. However, they also have similar properties. Note that in any deodorizing filter, the working element must be changed periodically. When the resource is exhausted, it becomes useless and can even release harmful substances itself.

— Formaldehyde. Specialized filter for removing formaldehyde and some other harmful organic compounds (eg. ammonia, benzene and/or hydrogen sulfide) from the air. The source of such substances can be both external pollution (for example, emissions from industrial enterprises), and some items in the room itself: new furniture or curtains, some types of floor and wall coverings (immediately after application), spoiled food, cigarette smoke, etc. n. The principle of operation of filters of this type may be different. The most commonly used so-called cryocatalytic element, in which the catalyst decomposes organic matter into simpler harmless components and then restores its properties due to cold when the air conditioner is cooling. In addition, many catalytic (photocatalytic) filters have similar capabilities (see above), so one such element can be claimed in the characteristics as two types of filters at once — both catalytic and formaldehyde.

In addition to the varieties described above, other types of filters can be found in modern air conditioners, in particular:

— Air cleaner. The general name used for different types of filters. This term often denotes the simplest elements of coarse cleaning (for advertising purposes — so that the list of filters in the characteristics is larger). However, there is another option — devices created based on specific proprietary technologies and not fitting into any of the varieties described above; such devices can combine several functions (for example, fine filtration and antibacterial effect).

— Dust filter. Most often, we are talking about the simplest mechanical filter that traps dust and other relatively large particles. Almost all modern air conditioners are equipped with such devices. However, in some models, the presence of dust filters is specified separately — mainly for advertising purposes.

— With vitamin C. A filter that saturates the air with vitamin C. It is believed that such an addition has a positive effect on immunity and skin condition; there is no unambiguous evidence for this. However, in conditions of vitamin deficiency, such an adaptation will definitely not be superfluous.

— Preliminary. Mechanical coarse filter installed in front of the main set of filters. It detains relatively large contaminants, preventing them from reaching other filter elements. At the same time, the design of the preliminary filter, usually, is as simple as possible, and its maintenance is limited to periodic shaking or washing.

— Ionic (for example, Smart Ion, etc.). Usually — the same electrostatic filter (see above), however, is presented under one brand name or another.