During the selection and use of air conditioners, most people only concern themselves with the cooling capacity, energy efficiency, and the brand but omit a key factor—the climate conditions. Actually, temperature, humidity, altitude, and even the dusty environment will transparently influence the cooling performance, energy efficiency, and lifespan of air conditioners. As for the air conditioner importers, engineering contractors, and large project purchasers, understanding the relationship between the climate and the air conditioner performance is the vital basis for choosing proper equipment.

 

I. High-temperature environment—the cooling ability may decreased

 

In hot areas, such as the Middle East, Africa, or South Asia, the temperature in summer normally exceeds 45℃. Under such conditions, the outdoor unit needs to bring heat from indoors to a hotter outside, which apparently lowers the heat exchange efficiency.

The influences mainly include:

 

Decreased cooling ability: The higher the ambient temperature, the more burden the compressor loads.

Increased energy consumption: The air conditioner will take more time to reach the set temperature.

Increased compressing pressure: Long-term operation under such conditions may shorten the lifespan of the equipment.

 

In case of that, for the high-temperature regions, many engineering projects will choose T3 air conditioners with resistance to high temperatures (about 52℃). These air conditioners have larger condensers with a wider heat-exchange area and higher-performance compressors. That's why the same 18000BTU split air conditioner in a tropical region will have a higher standard with higher cooling performance as well as a higher unit price.

 

II. High-humidity environment:  it increases dehumidification burden

 

In Southeast Asia, South America, and coastal regions, high humidity is common there. The air conditioners will cool the air temperature and dehumidify the air.

Influences of humidity on air conditioners include the following:

 

Increased burden for cooling: The air conditioners shall deal with visible heat and potential heat.

Dehumidity ability is needed: The evaporator needs to be designed for higher efficiency.

More condensate: The drainage system needs to be more reasonable.

 

If the air conditioner has poor dehumidity ability, the users will feel muggy, sticky, and uncomfortable even if the temperature is not high. So the size of the evaporator and the design of airflow are important for high-humidity areas. Our KRG split air conditioners have dehumidification mode in all capacities; please inquire with us for more details.

 

 

III. Low-temperature environment: it influences heating and defrosting

 

In cold areas, air conditioners will face challenges when using a heat pump for heating due to the frosted outdoor unit.

When the outside temperature is low and the humidity is high:

 

The surface temperature of the outdoor unit heat-exchanger is lower than 0 ℃.

The steam in the air will frost on the heat exchanger.

The frost will affect the heat-exchange efficiency.

 

At this moment, the air conditioner will defrost automatically:

 

Stop heating temporarily.

Reverse to operate heating to defrost.

Back to normal heating

 

If the control of defrosting is unstable, then:

 

The indoor temperature will fluctuate.

The heating efficiency will decrease.

The energy consumption will increase.

 

IV. Dusty and extreme environments

 

In parts of the desert or dusty areas, air conditioners need to face the dust pollution problem.

The dust will lead to problems below:

 

Blockade on condenser,

Decreased efficiency on heat exchanger,

Increased load on the fan motor.

 

To solve these issues, we can:

 

Densify the fin structure of the condenser,

Paint an anti-rust coating.

Change designs into portable and washable parts.

 

We are a professional air conditioner manufacturer; we can customize the product according to the client's specifications.

 

V. High-altitude environment: the air density is low

 

In high-altitude areas (such as parts of South America, Africa, and Central Asia), the air density is low, which also influences the air conditioning system.

This will mainly influence:

 

Lower heat-exchange efficiency on condenser,

Higher discharge temperature on compressor,

Lower working efficiency on the fan motor.

 

Normally, the air conditioning efficiency will start to decrease when the altitude exceeds 1000 meters. Under such circumstances, we may need to change a larger condenser and increase the size or heating capacity of the equipment.

 

Air conditioners are not a "globally standardized" product. The climate conditions directly determine the design, configuration, and performance of the air conditioning system. When we are selecting air conditioners for projects or purchasing wholesale, we must consider the local climate environment besides the price and brand. Only the products that suit the local climate conditions shall truly achieve a better cooling experience, lower operation cost, and longer lifespan.

 

In the global trade of air conditioners, buyers normally care about not only the price but also the suppliers and products when they are selecting them.

For the air conditioner distributors and branding sellers, their concerns are whether the product suits the market stably and reliably and if the cooperation is continuous.

So, what do conditioner importers concern most when purchasing? Knowing the points will not only help the suppliers treat clients well but also help buyers to make reasonable decisions when purchasing.

 

I. Quality and reliability

 

For the importers, product quality is the most important key point. As the air conditioners are durable consumer goods, once the quality issue happens, then the after-sales service will cost and may even influence the brand's frame. So importers normally place deep concerns on the following:

 

Compressor brand and reliability,

Key components (electric control, fan motor, capacitor, etc.),

Lifespan and stability,

Systematic quality control of the factory.

 

Many buyers will ask for test reports and certificates from the suppliers. Stable quality is more attractive than a lower price.

 

II. Whether the product comply with the local certifications

 

Different countries and regions have different regulations and certification requirements. Such as CE (European market), SASO (KSA market), GCC (Gulf countries), CCC (China), ERP (Europe), etc.

If the product is not certified accordingly, importers normally cannot complete the custom clearance and distribute it. So many importers will ask in advance:

 

Whether the product complies with local certifications,

Whether the product comply with the local voltage and frequency,

What's the energy efficiency class?

 

Suppliers with a complete certification system will more easily gain long-term cooperation opportunities.

 

 

III. Price and market competitiveness

 

Unit price is absolutely a key factor when purchasing, but importers normally concern themselves with market competitiveness instead of the lowest price.

They will check comprehensively:

 

The purchasing price,

Shipping and logistics costs,

Import tax,

Retail price and profit.

 

If the product has a stable quality and a reasonable price, the importers will build long-term resale channels in the local market more easily.

 

IV. Whether the production line is complete

 

Many importers want the supplier to provide the whole product series instead of a single model. Such as air conditioner capacities from 9000 BTU to 36000 BTU. Various markets need various models, such as inverter air conditioners (or non-inverter air conditioners), cooling-only air conditioners (or cooling heating), split air conditioners, floor standing airs, etc.

 

The more complete the production line, the easier it is for the importer to build unit branding and a stable supply in the market.

 

V. Delivery capability and supply stability

 

As for the importers, stable supply is essential as well. If the supplier cannot deliver the goods timely, it will lead to the following:

 

Lack of stock in peak season,

Tense relationship with distributors,

Decrease of market share.

 

In case of that, buyers will evaluate the suppliers on production capability, lead time, peak-season capacity, and raw-material supply stability. A stable supply chain is the vital basis of long-term cooperation.

 

 

VI. After-sales support and spare parts supply

 

There are unavoidable maintenance demands during the use of air conditioners, so after-sales support is also important.

Buyers are also concerned with the following:

 

Whether the spare parts supply is supported,

Whether technical guidance provided,

Whether the technical datasheet is offered,

Whether there is remote technical support.

 

A good after-sales system will help importers reduce maintenance costs and improve the end user's satisfaction.

 

VII. Cooperation modes and branding strategies

 

Different importers have different business modes, so the cooperation modes are different as well.

Common cooperation modes are as follows:

 

OEM production (using importers' brand),

ODM (products designed by importers),

Branding distributorship (deal as an agent of the supplier's brand).

 

At the initial stage, both parties will negotiate the following:

 

Whether there are market protection,

Whether there are marketing support,

Whether the brand is allowed to customize.

 

A reasonable cooperation mode will contribute to building a long-term and stable business relationship between both parties.

 

We are a professional air conditioner manufacturer in China. Should you have any other questions in the industry, please don't hesitate to reach us!

Most of us have the experience that a small room could be cooled down in several minutes, but for a larger space, the temperature decreases slowly even though the air conditioner has been operating for a long time. It doesn't mean the air conditioner has not enough cooling ability; instead, a most important physical concept contributed to the situation—thermal inertia, which is often being omitted.

 

I. What's thermal inertia?

 

Thermal inertia is the insensitivity level of an object or space to the temperature exchanges. Simply, it means the higher the thermal inertia, the slower the temperature exchanges; and the lower the thermal inertia, the faster the temperature exchanges.

 

It is not simple data, which is determined by three factors: mass, specific heat capacity, and the heat exchange conditions.

Inside the buildings and rooms, the thermal inertia performs mainly in walls, ceilings, floors, appliances, and the air itself. All those items will store heat.

 

II. Why does a larger house have a higher thermal inertia?

 

1. More items which store heat in the house

 

The larger house has wider wall areas, larger air volume, more concrete and bricks used in construction, and more space to put appliances and decorations. These are all heat storages. When the outside temperature is high, those heat storages have absorbed much heat already.

 

2. Air conditioning is to remove heat first, not to lower the temperature

 

The core task of air conditioners is not to blow cold air but to remove the heat from indoors to the outdoors steadily.

In large spaces, the air conditioner needs to remove heat from walls, floors, appliances, and the air steadily. The larger the space, the more heat needed to be removed, so it took a longer time.

 

3. The surface temperature determines the body temperature

 

Though the temperature had been cooled down, if the wall is hot, the floor is hot, and the appliance surface is hot, according to reflection heat transfer, the human body will feel its heat as well.

That's why people still don't feel cool even though the temperature already shows 24℃ in the large house. Thermal inertia makes it much slower for people to get "real coolness."

 

 

III. Why it may not necessarily solve the issue by purchasing a larger capacity cooling device?

 

Most people will choose a larger capacity air conditioner to cool a large house, such as a floor standing air conditioner or a cassette air conditioner. But the common questions are unreasonable gas-liquid distribution, cold air cannot reach the areas with heat burden, unreasonable air-return design, and long-term stays of heat in a partial area. As a result, the energy consumption rises, but the comfort has no significant improvement.

 

IV. For cooling in the large spaces, the key is to deal with the thermal inertia

 

1. Start the air conditioner in advance, rather than operating it when it's hot

2. Focus on the airflow coverage, rather than the cooling capacity

3. Zoning control, separately dealing with the thermal inertia

4. Matching the air conditioning systematically rather than focusing on the unit datas

 

In large houses, villas, and commercial spaces, VRF, ducted air conditioners, and joint-combined systems are more suitable in both comfort and energy savings.

 

In the large houses, it's not harder to blow cold air but to remove more heat, which is the thermal inertia that influences it. What determines the comfort is not only how big the air conditioner is, but also whether the whole system is recognized and allowed to operate by following the physical rules.