Fan coil unit: features, principle of operation and varieties

Climatic equipment has become an integral part of everyday life today. With its help, you can organize yourself a comfortable stay in a home of almost any format. And if many have probably heard about air conditioners and split systems, then the term "fan coil" may seem unfamiliar. But it is possible that this particular device is missing in your home.

A thermal device capable of both heating and cooling air (depending on the user's request) is called a fan coil. Its other name, which can be heard even more often than the original, is a fan coil. Actually, the fan coil itself consists of two parts: a fan and a heat exchanger. And since the fan in English is fan, and the heat exchanger is coil, the origin of the name of the technique becomes clear.

And if you acquire a model of a new formation, then it will come with a remote control.

If you have heard of split systems or have used them, then you can say that you are partly familiar with fan coil units, because the internal block of the split system is actually the very same closer. But split systems are capable of cooling and heating air using a refrigerant, a special gaseous element (usually freon). And in a fan coil, a liquid acts: either it is water, or it can be an aqueous solution of ethylene glycol.

Usually this technique works in partnership with heating boilers or chillers. You have probably noticed similar patterns on the walls of buildings, on the ceiling. If there is no way to put a standard air conditioner inside the building, the fan coil unit helps out. Those who are busy with the establishment of normal ventilation, heating, cooling indoors, as well as air purification should definitely pay attention to fan coils.

These are devices that can be classified as a technique of wide functionality.

The design of the device itself includes:

• intake air flow filters;
• heat exchangers that cool or heat the air;
• the fan, which directs the air flows, ensures their circulation in the device;
• control panel (can be represented by a remote control).

One of the important elements of the building air conditioning circuit is the chiller. He is responsible for the temperature indicators of the coolant or coolant that is transported through the pipes. A number of fan coil units can be connected to one chiller. And exactly how many of them are needed depends on the power of the structure.

The principle of operation of a fan coil looks like this.

• The closer forces the air to move in a certain direction, while providing the required temperature in the room, and this thermal interval can vary - from a very cold stream to a very warm one.
• Mass movement is the responsibility of the fan included in the system (the fan coil unit is designed so that there can be several fans). When the air flows through the heat exchanger, it reaches the required thermal values.
• If the device is connected to the street, then the external draft is added to the air flows inside the device.

That is, fan coil units are easily used in conjunction with heat pumps, electrical heating systems, boilers. Modern chiller and fan coil systems can organize independent thermal stabilization in several rooms at once in one building. You can also set up a fan coil unit so that it heats or cools more than one room. But at the same time, of course, the temperature in them will be the same. It's obvious that it is an advantageous household system that runs on water or an anti-freeze liquid.

The fan coil unit does not use a cooling circuit, although it can be part of a heating module or a cooling module. So, the likelihood that freons will enter the atmosphere is incredibly low.

But if freons of old models got into the atmosphere, it was really critical. The differences include the fact that a fan coil is usually a more powerful device, and therefore it is more often used for the purpose of heating or cooling very large rooms.

Let's list a few more differences:

• installing a fan coil unit with a chiller is more laborious than installing an air conditioner, installation work can also be considered more time-consuming;
• the fan coil is easier to bring to the supply unit, and in many buildings this device is often installed in ventilation ducts;
• the chiller-fan coil group is usually installed at the construction stage, and the air conditioner is connected in a building already put into use, because its installation does not require serious intervention.

There are universal models, they can be fixed both on the wall and on the ceiling. According to the method of installation, fan coils are wall-mounted, floor-mounted, and also ceiling-mounted. You can also choose according to their appearance: there are case-based (console) and open-frame systems (vertical systems are often used). Frameless systems are cheaper, and they are almost always hidden behind special panels or even behind suspended ceiling systems.

Fan coil units are classified according to the number of heat exchangers.

• Two-pipe... Two pipes go from the heat exchanger: one by one, the liquid goes to the closer, and the other - the liquid goes back. Such varieties are almost always used strictly for refrigeration. Heating air is realistic in theory, but you will be forced to heat water in an auxiliary heat exchanger, and also apply pumping force.
• Four-pipe. In this case, there are two heat exchangers, and two pipes emanate from each of them. It turns out that in one heat exchanger the water is cold, and in the second it is hot. Such a climate gadget perfectly cools and warms the air.

There can be cassette and channel fan coils. The former are usually designed where there are suspended ceilings. More often, such devices are made frameless, because most of them are hidden, and only the decorative panel is revealed to everyone's attention. Such a closer actually does not make noise, it is not particularly difficult to install, it manages to evenly distribute the air inside the building.

Ducted fan coil units are more often used for large objects such as shopping centers. They are fixed inside the ventilation system behind false walls and a suspended ceiling structure. They either supply fresh air or purify the one that is. There are also column closers - they are installed against the wall, because their main purpose is to service rooms where it is impossible to organize a pipeline supply to the ceiling space. These are high-performance devices that are not used very often.

Water fan coil units can be chosen not only by the type of device, features and functional subtleties, but also by the reputation of the manufacturer. There are not so few large corporations producing climate technology. Therefore, the choice of a fan coil cannot be reduced to two or three names.

In the ranking of the best manufacturers, you can always find a suitable model.

• General Climate. This enterprise was created at the beginning of the millennium by Russian investors. Today the company manufactures climatic equipment of various types and purposes. Both wall, duct and cassette door closers are produced under this brand. The products are characterized by a low noise level, light weight and compactness, therefore, the brand's fan coil units can be mounted behind suspended structures, as well as in underground and wall niches.

• McQuay. This company can be safely considered the world leader in production and sales, as well as service maintenance of ventilation systems, climatic equipment. Back in 1872, the history of the company began, which at first was engaged in the production of refrigeration and freezing equipment. Today, the global brand is actively producing fan coil units, which are sold in the form of floor, duct, ceiling, cassette, wall and wall models.

• MDV. It manufactures climatic equipment of various classes and purposes. This is a consistently popular brand that attracts customers with the reliability of products and constant modernization of equipment. The company is actively improving the quality of devices, paying special attention to their environmental friendliness. The headquarters of the corporation is located in China, products are exported to more than 140 countries around the world. You can buy fan coils of the brand at an affordable price without worrying about the safety of the device.

• Trane... And this company has more than a century of history, and today it is rightfully considered a top manufacturer of chillers, fan coil units and other equipment. The company manufactures equipment for industrial and domestic use. Fan coil units of this brand are also characterized by low noise level, and most importantly, many experts cite Trane fan coil units as the ideal product in their category in terms of price-performance ratio.

• Carrier... American company dealing with climate systems. Produces fan coil units of different series. For example, console models can be positioned both vertically and horizontally. These fan coil units have a good range of sizes. This product is suitable for use in apartments, cafes, offices, shopping centers, etc.

• Daikin. In its segment, this brand can be considered an elite one. The company has concentrated on a narrow sector of climate control products. If you are looking for a fan coil unit made by a company focused on high-tech and science-intensive developments, then these are the fan coil units of this brand. Not cheap, but really the best of the best.

Perhaps you will be able to pick up products of less well-known brands, but in this case there will be no guarantors of reputation. Although the choice of a fan coil unit certainly comes down not only to the big name of the manufacturer.

If you choose equipment for apartments, you still cannot do without calculating the functional characteristics of the device in relation to a particular room. Fan coil units for industrial premises are purchased by specialists who make even more accurate calculations.

When choosing, the following parameters will be important:

• the dimensions of the room itself and the purpose for which a household fan coil is purchased;
• the number of wall openings, as well as the orientation relative to the cardinal points;
• climatic characteristics of the region in which the buyer lives, the humidity of the outside air, as well as the average temperature;
• floor material, wall cladding;
• installation of ventilation systems;
• the number, as well as the capacity of the systems in the room intended for heating;
• average number of people inside the building.

It turns out that each of the listed parameters will affect the performance of the vehicle, lowering or increasing performance.

Fan coil units are more often purchased at home, using the so-called approximate calculation method. She is better than others, since she does not require special knowledge. But it does not take into account all the parameters, therefore this method is not suitable for large rooms. If you still decide to use it, then you need to select a 1000 W fan coil for every 10 squares of a room with a ceiling height of 2.7-3 m.

If you are installing the fan coil unit at home, please read the user guide carefully. Usually, all the points on which questions may arise are spelled out there.

How often they are required depends on the load on the system. Normally every 7-8 months the operation of the device should be checked. You can learn how to clean or replace the filter yourself, as well as check the performance of valves, evaluate the operation of shut-off valves.

In some cases, professional maintenance may be required:

• if necessary, diagnostic control of air and water filters;
• when balancing the water circuit;
• to eliminate fluid leaks;
• to check the operation of drainage - pump diagnostics and cleaning of pipelines.

If the climate unit makes noise, you should also call a specialist. This can happen due to incorrect operation of the fan, with vibration of pipes. Experts will quickly cope with the shortcomings of the door closer.

The following video provides an overview of the wall-mounted Mycond fan coil units.