Comparison Mitsubishi Electric Design MSZ-EF25VE2B 25 m² vs Mitsubishi Electric Standard MSZ-SF25VE 25 m²

General type of air conditioner.

Nowadays, on the market you can mainly find split systems, multi split systems, portable devices. More rare options are window models and monoblocks. Here is a more detailed description of each of these options:

— Split system. The most popular type of modern air conditioner. Such models consist of two units — indoor and outdoor. The outdoor unit is responsible for heat exchange with the environment — it is through it that excess heat is discharged (or vice versa, external heat is taken into the room, when working for heating). The indoor units are installed in the room, the conditioned air comes from it. Both units are connected by pipes through which the coolant circulates. Air conditioners of this type are convenient, in particular, because the indoor unit can be installed almost anywhere in the room; and in some models, the indoor units have an unusual design (see below), which allows such devices to fit even into non-standard interiors. Also note that split systems can have almost any performance, among them there are models of both household and industrial levels, and the installation of such air conditioners is relatively simple. All this led to their popularity.

— Multi split system. A kind of split system (see above), in which there are several indoor ones for one outdoor...unit. This arrangement allows using one air conditioner to organize climate control in several rooms at once, while the installation of such a system is easier, and the cost is cheaper than using separate split systems.

— Portable. Air conditioners made as a single unit, designed for the possibility of frequent movement from place to place; in some models, wheels are even provided for this. For heat exchange with the external environment, such devices use air ducts that lead out of a window, doorway, ventilation shaft, etc. A mobile air conditioner can be a real salvation where it is not possible to install a stationary device: it does not require complex installation work, just figure out where to bring the duct pipe. In addition, such a unit can be useful in a situation where you need to cool several rooms in turn, and it is difficult or impossible to install a stationary air conditioner for this purpose.

— Window. Air conditioners made as a single unit, installed directly in the window opening — so that one side of the device is indoors, the other is outdoors. It is one of the first types of air conditioners, but, nowadays, it is considered obsolete and rare — mainly due to the complexity of installation and a very limited choice of installation locations. In addition, such an assembly inevitably covers part of the window, which in some cases is also a serious drawback.

— Monoblock. Stationary air conditioners in the form of a single unit with wall installation. Such a unit is located inside the room, on the wall facing the outside, and heat exchange is provided by air ducts passed through the wall, through which the outside air enters the heat exchanger and exits it. Such a design allows you to do without outdoor units, which is very convenient in some situations — for example, if an air conditioner is needed for a historical building or house in a strictly defined design that does not allow unnecessary "decorations" on the facade. On the other hand, monoblocks are expensive, and the possibilities for their installation are very limited.

The number of indoor units supplied in the kit.

Split and multi split systems are divided into outdoor and indoor units (see "Type"). And the number of indoor units in the kit depends on how many rooms the air conditioner can serve out of the box. However, this parameter is more of a reference than practically significant. So, in a complete set (see "In box") split systems are supplied with one indoor unit. And in the multi split system, a complete set is rare and usually includes two such units; it is assumed that for the organization of a more extensive system, it is more convenient to purchase an outdoor unit and separately purchase the required number of indoor ones for it. Separate indoor units of multi split systems are also sold one by one.

Cooling and ventilation modes are in each model by definition. But air conditioners with humidification are relatively rare. For them, the opposite format is mandatory — dehumidification and heating.

- Cooling. The mode of lowering the air temperature in the room is the main function of any air conditioner. Note that conventional air conditioners, when cooled, also remove moisture from the air. However, due to a decrease in temperature, the relative humidity in this mode changes slightly (or does not change at all).

- Ventilation. The mode in which the air conditioner provides only air circulation throughout the room, without changing its temperature and humidity. Such a function can be useful, for example, for air mixing and temperature equalization; in addition, when passing through the air conditioner, the air is filtered, which is useful, for example, for cleaning from dust and smoke, or for ensuring hygiene in a room where a sick person is. Let us emphasize that ventilation must be distinguished from the fresh air intake(see "Functions"). The ability to add air from outside is rare and only in expensive models of air conditioners.

- Dehumidification. Mode for removing excess moisture from the air. This function works by condensing water vapour on the cold heat exchanger of the air conditioner; the collected mo...isture is usually removed to the outside through a drainage tube or accumulates in a special reservoir. Note that condensation also occurs in the cooling mode (see above); the dehumidification mode differs from it in that the temperature of the air passed through the air conditioner changes very slightly — usually by no more than 1 °C — but the humidity drops very noticeably.

— Heating. The mode of increasing the air temperature in the room. It should be borne in mind that most air conditioners with this function are not designed to be used as full-fledged heating systems - their task is to "help" such systems, as well as heating in the off-season, when the main heating does not work. In addition, the permissible outside temperature (see “Minimum t for heating mode”) can be different: for example, not every unit with a heating mode can work in cold weather. On the other hand, there are exceptions - powerful cold-resistant models, approaching the characteristics of heat pumps and withstanding temperatures of -25 ° C and even lower.

- Humidification. A need to increase air humidity often arises in winter. When the air is heated by heating devices, its relative humidity decreases (and the overall comfort in the room is associated precisely with relative humidity). In addition, in rooms where there are small children, it is recommended to specially humidify the air. The humidifying mode in air conditioners is rare and only in premium models. And for the operation of the humidifier, a supply of water is required, which must be monitored and periodically replenished.

— 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.

— 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.

— 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.

— 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.

Types of additional filters that are standard on the air conditioner (in addition to the simplest mechanical cleaning filters, which are found in all models).

We emphasize that we are talking specifically 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 ionizers, various antibacterial filters(including catechin elements and UV lamps), devices for fine cleaning (including HEPA filters), antifungal, antiallergenic, deodorizing and formaldehyde filters, and also elements that combine several functions at once (for example, catalytic). Here is a detailed description of each of them:

— Ionizer. The action of the ionizer is based on the saturation of the air with negatively charged ions. They provide a feeling of fresh air, have a bactericidal effect, and are considered beneficial for overall health. One of the advanced types of ionizers are also plasma (electrostatic)...filters. Along with the saturation of air masses with useful air ions, they are assigned the task of air purification. Such filters can quite effectively destroy harmful microorganisms, destroy some harmful substances, and trap grains of dust, smoke, soot, etc. — these particles, under the influence of ionized air, themselves acquire a charge 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 specific effectiveness of such devices may vary; it should be clarified separately in each case. Note also that the HEPAs described below are also, in fact, fine filters; however, they use a specific operating principle and are inherently highly efficient. Therefore, the presence of HEPA filters is indicated separately.

— HEPA filter. A special type of mechanical fine filters. Thanks to the special design of the microchannels through which air passes in such a filter, such devices can trap particles much smaller in size than the size of the microchannels. For comparison, the effectiveness of a HEPA filter is assessed by its ability to capture contaminants measuring 0.1 - 0.3 microns (with such particles, such a filter is least effective), while the size of most bacteria starts at 0.5 microns. Based on their effectiveness, such filters are divided into classes; Nowadays, HEPA classes from 10 (retains at least 85% of the mentioned particles) to 14 (filtration efficiency reaches 99.995%) are relevant.

- Catechin. In fact, it is a type of antibacterial filters described below, created on the basis of catechins - natural organic substances with a powerful antioxidant effect. Such filters are highly effective in fighting bacteria and viruses, but they are not cheap; In light of these features, they are separated into a separate category.

- Catalytic. Most often, this term refers to photocatalytic, or “zeolite” filters - devices that operate using a special substance (photocatalyst) and UV radiation. Under the influence of such radiation, the catalyst decomposes the organic matter falling on it into simpler substances - usually water and carbon dioxide. This technology not only allows you to remove harmful impurities from the air (at the level of individual molecules), but also provides a good bactericidal and antiviral effect. Moreover, such a filter requires virtually no maintenance: the photocatalyst is not consumed during operation, and the reaction products freely evaporate outside. On the other hand, the price of such elements is quite high.

- Antibacterial. Various filters designed to destroy bacteria and other harmful organisms - viruses, fungi, etc. The specific operating principle, level of efficiency and maintenance rules for such filters may vary; these details should be clarified in the documentation for the air conditioner. However, if air disinfection is of fundamental importance to you, such a filter will definitely not be out of place. Let us note only two nuances in this regard. Firstly, catechol elements are usually not included in this category, although they have the same purpose (see above); secondly, not every antibacterial filter is capable of effectively fighting viruses - again, it would not hurt to clarify this point 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 mold. The antibacterial devices described above also have this function to one degree or another; however, this type of filter is much more effective in this regard. On the other hand, the need to intensively fight specifically fungi does not arise so often, and for other cases, the same antibacterial filters are usually quite sufficient. So antifungal elements are used quite rarely in modern air conditioners.

- Anti-allergenic. Filters designed primarily to remove allergy-causing contaminants from the air: pollen (including from indoor plants), dust mites, particles of pet hair, etc. The specific operating principle of such filters may vary and should be clarified separately. Thus, relatively inexpensive air conditioners usually use simple mechanical cleaning, 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 - for example, an enzyme filter that breaks down allergens into simple, harmless substances like water and carbon dioxide.

- Ultraviolet lamp. A lamp that processes the air passing through the air conditioner with UV radiation. This treatment provides a bactericidal effect: ultraviolet light neutralizes most bacteria, viruses and fungi. True, in general the efficiency of such lamps is not particularly high; however, they are a great addition to an antibacterial filter. And even without such a filter, the quality of air purification of an air conditioner with a UV lamp will be higher than that of a similar model without such a lamp.
We would like to emphasize that this function should not be confused with the catalytic (photocatalytic) filter described above - UV lamps have a much simpler design and operating principle.

— Deodorizing (charcoal). A specialized filter designed, among other things, to combat unpleasant odors. Acts at the molecular level, allowing ordinary air to pass through and absorbing molecules of substances that create unpleasant odors; Of course, it is also capable of trapping 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, but they also have similar properties. It is worth keeping in mind that in any deodorizing filter the working element must be changed periodically - when its resource is exhausted, it becomes useless and can even emit harmful substances itself.

- Formaldehyde. A specialized filter for removing formaldehyde and some other harmful organic compounds (for example, 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 objects 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 specific operating principle of filters of this type may vary. Most often, the so-called cryocatalytic element is used, in which the catalyst decomposes organic matter into simpler, harmless components, and then restores its properties due to the cold when the air conditioner operates for cooling. In addition, many catalytic (photocatalytic) filters (see above) have similar capabilities, so one such element can be declared 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 may be found in modern air conditioners, in particular:

— Air purifying. A 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 also another option - devices created on the basis of specific proprietary technologies and which do not fit into any of the varieties described above; such devices can combine several functions simultaneously (for example, fine filtration and antibacterial effect).

— Dust collecting. Most often we are talking about a simple mechanical filter that traps dust and other relatively large particles. Almost all modern air conditioners are equipped with such devices, but 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 this supplement has a positive effect on immunity and skin condition; There is no clear evidence of this, but in conditions of vitamin deficiency, such a device will definitely not be superfluous.

- Preliminary. Mechanical coarse filter installed in front of the main set of filters. Detains relatively large contaminants, preventing them from reaching other filter elements and removing part of the “load” from them. At the same time, the design of the pre-filter is, as a rule, as simple as possible, and its maintenance is limited to periodic shaking or washing.

— “Ionic” (for example, Smart Ion, etc.). As a rule, it is the same electrostatic filter (see above), but presented under one or another brand name.

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

Modern air conditioners with heating mode are quite cold-resistant appliances. Thus, models where this temperature limit exceeds 0 °C are rare. A lot of units, even quite inexpensive ones, have a minimum temperature allowed for heating in the range of -5 ... -10 °C or -11 ... -15 °C. Models with indicators of -16 ... -20 °C and -21 ... -25 °C, although much less, are still quite a few, and air conditioners capable of heating at -25 °C and below are very close in terms of capabilities to heat pumps.

Dimensions of the indoor unit of the air conditioner in height, width and depth.

These dimensions allow you to estimate how much space you need to place the device. In this case, of particular importance — mainly for split and multi split systems with wall mounting is the width of the indoor unit. The fact is that in terms of the height and depth of the internal blocks, most of these systems differ slightly in general but the differences in width are much more noticeable. So, the narrowest models have a width of 76 – 80 cm or less, and the largest ones occupy 91 – 95 cm, and often more. At the same time, the more powerful the air conditioner, the wider it is, usually, but there is no rigid dependence here.