System 4 or system 3 +1 Aircon installation – If you install aircon for the first time, you may have a lot of questions. You may wonder which type, location, and power is best for your house.
A question that many homeowners struggle with is whether they should choose system 4 or system 3+1 aircon. If you are not aircon-savvy, this article comes to introduces you to these systems. We will also try to analyze enough factors that will help you make an informed choice in the end.
In a system 4 cooling mechanism, there are 4 outlets in the condensing unit. This allows connecting the unit to 4 blowers in different rooms. In simple words, if you got system 4, you can cool down 4 rooms at once.
It may sound unbelievable, but technological advancement allows for such a luxury. Such a big air conditioning mechanism may come you in handy if you have many rooms in the house. And, what is more important, there are people living in all of them.
It is quite unreasonable to install a huge compressor when you don’t use 1 or 2 rooms of 4.
First of all, a system 4 aircon has only one compressor, which means fewer installation efforts and expenses. The aircon technician only has to install the compressor and you got fresh air in all 4 rooms. Another benefit is fewer aircon maintenance costs.
Again, there is only one compressor there, serving 4 blowers. You have to pay only for its maintenance and repairs. By the way, such a huge compressor that operates on system 4 has enhanced longevity.
Breakdowns are rare events so you don’t have to worry much about repairs.
System 4 comes with some disadvantages as well. Probably the one you will most prominently observe is insufficient power. Remember, this giant has to blow cold air in 4 rooms. In most cases, it will successfully accomplish this task.
However, sometimes it may be just not enough of it. We obviously talk about extremely hot days when the temperatures outside are going crazy. In this case, the compressor may not be able to cool the air to the desired temperature.
You either have to unplug one unit of 4, or just accept the warm air you receive. In any other situation, system 4 will do an excellent job of cooling your rooms. Another disadvantage may be that if the compressor fails, all 4 blowers will fail as well.
A system 3+1 consists of a combination of two compressors that work separately. It is the system 3 unit that has 3 outlets and serves 3 blowers. Then comes the extra compressor that has weaker power. Generally, the extra unit comes to complement the main one in cooling all 4 rooms.
One advantage of a system 3 plus 1 aircon is that if one compressor fails, the other one will keep working. That is, you will still enjoy a certain amount of cool air when one unit undergoes repairs.
Moreover, a system with 2 separate compressors allows to turn off one of them while there is no need for it. Let’s say, someone, ‘s already sleeping in one bedroom, while you are watching a movie in another bedroom.
In this case, you will shut the first compressor, and let only the compressor cooling your room to run. In this way, you save electricity.
Having 2 condensate units, system 3 plus 1 aircon consumes more electricity than system 4 with one compressor. So you have to expect high power bills. Also, such a system takes longer to install, since it consists of 2 units.
You may also experience double regular maintenance efforts, given the same reason. It is also worth mentioning that a system 3+1 is more pricey than a system 4. It is because the compressor is the most expensive part of an aircon.
To conclude, both aircon systems come with their pros and cons. You just need to analyze the requirements of your house and choose the most suitable option. Generally, both systems are good at cooling a large space. So, you will never lose much by picking either of them.
