The Stiftung Warentest has seen in the past year, air-conditioning equipment to “Retrofit”. Refers to devices, which can be used to cool an existing house or apartment and are not integrated at the time of construction. The good news: This works perfectly.
first things first: Anyone looking for a fast remedy is to rely on the mobile mono blocks – even when it points under the technical face of the worse choice. But in the middle of a heat wave, you will not find a installer that has spontaneously appointments free.
the Central Problem is the availability: In the stationary trade are often not even fans. Anyone who ordered on the net, you should bring prior to the order, whether the device is in stock.
Working in the summer heat in the office, endure: These ten tips for cooling down in the workplace test think of the environmental protection
The topic is “cooling”, there are several big “But”. The first “But” in the were testers of climate protection. The cooling devices to set the same twice. They consume electricity. Who aussitzt the summer in a sweltering hot apartment, and airs, is doing more for the world’s climate, as someone who cools his abode comfortably down.
on top of that, some air conditioning units do not use the climate-damaging refrigerant R 410 A. as Long as it remains in the system, the harm it, should it escape, however, it is a real climate killer.
In the Test, the tester indicates about the same number of times alternative methods for cooling, with which the tenant, however, nothing can begin and which are not implemented for owners easy. In a nutshell: Better than air conditioning a super-insulated apartment, the window can be obscured and the will of the shaded best of large trees would be. That’s right, but who would like to have it in the next week will be cool, is hardly a tree for the shade plants.
Two ways to cool the apartment
only the air conditioning units Remain so. They fall into two groups: Split systems and monoblocks. A Monoblock looks like a small refrigerator. It can be bought from all good electrical or DIY store. It requires no Installation. The device is connected in the socket and well. For mono-blocks work more poorly and to consume significantly more power.
The technically better solution is a Split. Here is a component in the housing is located and a second is outside mounted. For the Installation you need the consent of the owner and a handyman. The is required because of the refrigerant.
the Split units are not equal more efficient than the mono-blocks. The space of test they cooled in about ten to 16 minutes to ten degrees. Mono equipment required for the same task between 45 and 105 minutes. The test room is 14 square meters is relatively small, overturns the result in a room of 30 sq. m. it is clear that A split device is likely to cool it when necessary, yet sufficiently fast (30 minutes), a Monoblock would have to be already switched on hours before. The Split systems with good cooling performance in the Test costs between 2300 and 2500 Euro. A Lot Of Money.
summer heat With these Tricks, it remains in the apartment pleasantly cool
Our opinion: Due to the significantly lower electricity consumption are Split to recommend devices yet. Especially if you have multiple rooms to be permanently cooled. Even if only the bedroom to go to Sleep on down, are cooled, you will have significant advantages. The device runs 15 minutes and as soon as you lie down to rest, you could turn it off again.
The best Split device in the Test comes from Panasonic (CS-Z25TKEW) and officially costs 2500 Euro, but it’s also get for 2000 Euro. It is energy is particularly efficient and makes it weaken the Heat. The use of an air conditioner for Heating in southern countries usual, in Germany this Feature is often unimportant.
At first glance, a simple
much easier and cheaper for the mono blocks. As mentioned, they cool much slower and consume much more power. To do this, you have another disadvantage: the air conditioning systems of this type produce cold air, which you distribute with a fan in the room. However, in this process, waste heat is produced. The Split unit outside of the housing, the Monoblock in the room. This waste heat must be dissipated with a hose to the outside. If you want to drill a five-centimeter-wide hole in the wall, needs to stay the window open. Through the open gap, the warm air penetrates, especially on the days in the cooled room.
With special Sets, you can try the open window seal. This goes for vertical sliding Windows is very easy. For the commonly used in Germany, tilt and turn window, beige are set to be unusable. For about 20 to 30 euros you can purchase appropriate fabric waterproofing for tilt and turn Windows. Tube and fuel cladding are very noticeable. If you want to open the window, remove the trim again. The fabric panel along a Velcro strip must be removed. Also on the top edge of the window, for the elderly an impossible task.
in Short: the Monoblock installation has a problem.
Is solved the exhaust problem, cool also the cost of mono blocks – however, too high a current. The best device in the Test with the grade of 2.8 comes from the D’longhi (PAC EX 100 Silent). It does, however, also proud of 825 euros. Because you should watch the second-placed Monoblock of Comfee (Eco Friendly), he only costs 350 Euro and reached at least the grade of 2.9.
the Installation of air-conditioning systems is the Problem
The prices of Split-devices are very high, but be careful, if you get one of these devices somewhere cheaper. Split units are sold through installers. Therefore, the tester prices indicated, which include a simple Installation. If you order a Split device on the Internet cheap, add to that the cost of the Installation to the purchase price. If you ever find a climate technician, installing the foreign device.
A powerful Split-unit of Comfee (MSR23-18HRDN1-QE) for up to 60 sqm-sized rooms, you can purchase the Connector Kit for 733 euros. However, without the Installation, by those skilled in the art that the EU regulation actually. Regardless of EU regulations, only an accomplished do-it-yourselfers can connect a device.
of Course, there are also a lot of Tricks to keep an apartment cool. But remember: Only one air-conditioning unit produces unproblematic cold. A wet cloth to run cool to the effect of Evaporation, in regular use, but a lot of humidity in the apartment. And fans, put in only the warm Luft in motion.
The complete Test, you can view for a fee here.
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see also:
– test: Good washing machines are also available for surprisingly little money
the bag vacuum cleaner in the Test – good results for only 100 Euro
– tumble-dryer were test – affordable appliance brand AEG is the price-performance winner
range hoods in the Test is a Good kitchen air is damn expensive
– test checks freezers – ironically, the most expensive device failed
– test checks fully detergent – cheap
Stiftung Warentest has taken hoods under the magnifying glass. The bad news is that A good cover costs a lot of money. The good news is that in the Test? It really is not there.
Gernot Kramper
