Fan Coil Unit vs Split AC Unit - Compare Differences and Uses | DamaTajhiz HVAC Inc.

Nowadays, it has become obvious and inevitable to use different types of air conditioning systems in buildings. Therefore, by choosing the right one, you can easily keep the air inside the building clean and at a balanced temperature, enjoying very cool and pleasant air in summer and warm and comfortable air in winter.

Air conditioning equipment such as Split Ac Units and Fan Coil Units are manufactured and supplied in different models depending on the type, capacity, weather and climatic conditions of the project and the limitations of each building.

To compare Fan Coil Units and gas coolers (split), these units can be evaluated and reviewed from different perspectives; in this article, the differences between Split Ac Units and Fan Coil Units are fully described in terms of type, application, mode of operation, variety of capacity, energy consumption, etc. Stay with us.

Comparison of Fan Coil Unit and Split Ac Unit performance

When comparing split air conditioners and fan coils, the first and most important point to consider is how they work. Split A/C units and splits are independent systems that cool or heat the environment without the need for a central plant room or special peripheral equipment. They consist of an indoor unit and an outdoor unit connected by two return lines. By circulating refrigerant in copper pipes and creating a compression cycle, they provide cooling or heating for a room, hall, housing unit, etc.

Fan-coil units, on the other hand, are units that cannot cool or heat the air on their own. They require additional equipment such as a mini-chiller or central chiller for cooling and a hot water boiler or heating package for heating. One of the main advantages of fan-coil units is that they can be used in any number, without limit. They can be installed in different spaces such as residential, office, commercial, service and social buildings. Each room can have its own temperature control.

Comparing split A/C units and splits with fan coils, it can be concluded that splits are independent units that, due to their limited capacity, are more suitable for small spaces such as bedrooms, living rooms and shops. If you need to cool or heat larger spaces, you would need to use two or more units together, which can be costly due to their high initial price.

On the other hand, fan-coil units can easily provide cooling and heating for all types of buildings, such as offices, residential areas, commercial premises, hospitals and social buildings. They can be used in large numbers (tens or hundreds) in a single building.

Cooling and heating capacity comparison between Fan Coil units and Split Ac Units

In general, Split AC units are mostly used as stand-alone cooling systems (in hot seasons) to cool small rooms. Split AC units can also work in heating mode (in cold seasons), but due to their high electricity consumption they are not cost-effective, and on the other hand, continuous use of Split AC units throughout the year reduces the life of the unit and increases the possibility of its failure. Therefore, additional equipment is needed to heat the environment in winter, such as a package system and a radiator or...

To cool the environment, the fan-coil units use the cold water from the chiller, which flows through their coils, and to heat the air in the environment, the necessary hot water is supplied from the central plant room or the heating package.

For this reason, the performance system of fan coil units in performing the process of cooling or heating the environment is done in the same way, and they have lower energy consumption than the system of split AC units and splits.

The second major difference between Fan Coil units and Split AC units is their heating capacity and the need or lack of additional heating equipment.

Electricity consumption comparison between Fan Coil Units and Split Ac Units

Regarding the power consumption of Split AC and Fan Coil units, the following can be said:

As the operation of the indoor unit and outdoor unit of Split Ac units (in cooling and heating mode) is entirely based on electricity, these appliances have a considerable electricity consumption.

However, the electricity consumption of Fan Coil units is much lower than that of Split Ac units. Additional and auxiliary equipment of fan coil units (e.g. hot water boilers) also use other forms of energy, which significantly reduces the electricity consumption of these appliances.

For example, chillers and mini condensation chillers, which are responsible for cooling water and supplying it to the coils of the fan coil units, use electrical energy, and hot water boilers or heating packages, which provide the hot water required by the fan coil units, use municipal gas or even other fuels such as diesel.

The electricity consumption of fan coil units is therefore very low in the cold seasons, and in the summer the electricity consumption of a central chiller is much lower than the electricity consumption of several Split AC units put together. It can therefore be concluded that in the general comparison between fan coil units and splits in terms of electricity consumption, fan coil units have lower energy consumption and higher efficiency.

Comparing Fan Coil Unit with Air Conditioning regarding the impact on the building facade

Ancillary equipment to fan-coil units, such as chillers or boilers, are not in view of the building and do not have a negative impact on the building's appearance. In this situation, the outdoor unit of Split Ac Units is usually placed in view of the building (especially when the number of outdoor units is large) and has a negative impact on the appearance and beauty of the building.

Comparison between a Fan Coil unit and a split system in terms of implementation costs

Fan Coil Units and splits (two-piece Split Ac Units) are cooling and heating systems that consist of two outdoor and two indoor units. This means that one unit is installed inside the building and the other, usually larger unit, is installed outside the building and they are connected by water or refrigerant pipes. In Split Ac Units, the connection between the indoor and outdoor units is made by two copper pipes with suitable elastomeric insulation, and R22 or R410a refrigerant gas is used to cool and heat the interior of the building.

On the other hand, the connection between the Fan Coil Units and the central equipment, such as the chiller or mini-chiller (in summer) and the hot water boiler (in winter), is made by two normal water pipes (back and forth). Considering the type of pipes and also the higher sensitivity in the implementation of the piping between the external unit and the internal unit in gas coolers, their operation is usually more expensive than the implementation of water piping in Fan Coil Units.

Comparison between air conditioning and Fan Coil Unit in terms of the possibility of fresh air intake into the building

As you may already know, the indoor split unit that is installed in a room or hall can only circulate the air inside and change its temperature, either making it cooler or warmer. On the other hand, Fan Coil Units come in two types: those without ducts and those with ducts. The ducted type of Fan Coil Unit also brings in fresh air from the outside.

When it comes to how and how much air is humidified, both split units and Fan Coil Units perform similarly. Essentially, these units work as dehumidifiers. During the summer, the cold surface of their internal coil causes the moisture in the air to evaporate, reducing the overall humidity.

Comparison of the initial cost of purchasing a Fan Coil Unit and an Split Ac unit

The cost of buying Fan Coil Units with all their accessories, like a mini-chiller or central chiller and a heating package or hot water boiler, is similar to the cost of buying an Split Ac Unit with its accessories, like a heating package and a radiator, for a small basement. However, in larger buildings, using Fan Coil Units and chillers is not only technically justified but also more cost-effective than using multiple Split Ac Units.

Split Ac Units are more suitable for very hot and humid areas as they quickly cool the air in a building. On the other hand, Fan Coil Units are more effective in winter as they heat different parts of the building.

Comparison of a Fan Coil Unit installation with a split system

In buildings with many rooms and spaces, even installing three or four Split Ac Units will not meet your needs. In addition, installing several Split Ac Units in a residential unit or office has installation restrictions, etc. On the other hand, installing several outdoor units in a building takes up a lot of space on the outside of the building.

Fan Coil Units, on the other hand, can be installed in different parts of a building without any limitation in terms of number and offer optimum performance.

Note: Buying several split units for a building is not economical and increases the running costs of the building, including the increase in electricity consumption and the cost of maintaining the units.

Advantages and disadvantages of using Split Ac Units and Fan Coil Units

The general advantages and disadvantages of gas coolers and Fan Coil Units are described below.

Advantages of using air conditioning:

• Relatively stylish and beautiful appearance
• Equipped with air filtration and cleaning system
• Ability to quickly cool the environment even in very hot and humid areas
• The ability to control the operation of the unit remotely
• Suitable for use in small environments
• Equipped with a powerful cooling system
• It has independent temperature for each of the rooms

Disadvantages of using an Split Ac Unit:

• High power consumption
• High maintenance and service costs
• Cannot be used in large spaces
• It has low heating power in winter
• The presence of restrictions on the installation of the device
• Negative impact on the shape and appearance of the building

Advantages of using a Fan Coil Unit:

• Quiet and silent operation
• No need to install ducts
• The possibility of fresh air
• Suitable for large buildings
• It has a very strong cooling and heating capacity
• Temperature independence of each room
• Possibility of using dozens of Fan Coil Units simultaneously in one building
• Long life of the unit
• Low power consumption
• Low maintenance and periodic service costs

Disadvantages of using Fan Coil Units:

• Installation in the false ceiling and creation of height restrictions, especially in the type of their shortcoming
• Creation of relatively more noise in very large capacities

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Final Speech

From the above, it can be concluded that the use of gas coolers is a suitable option for small spaces. However, due to the low heating capacity of Split Ac Units in winter and also their uneconomical use in buildings with larger useful infrastructure, the use of Fan Coil Units for buildings with larger useful infrastructure in all types of residential, office, commercial, hospital, etc. is a very suitable option that has technical and economic justification.

On the site of the specialised collection of thermal equipment, technical information and up-to-date prices of hundreds of models of the best brands of Split Ac Units and types of quality Fan Coil Units in different capacities, with a golden warranty, guarantee of product authenticity, extensive and responsive after-sales service to enjoy Dear friends, optimal and smart shopping has been provided.

You, dear users, can contact our experts at the Air Conditioning Equipment Department of Dema Tehizh Specialised Collection during office hours for advice and additional comparisons between Split Ac Units and Fan Coil Units according to the specific conditions of your building or project.

Related Articles

In order to get more information, it is recommended to read the articles related to the article "comparison of Fan Coil Unit with Split Ac Unit".

• Difference between Fan Coil Unit and Air Handling Unit (AHU)
• Fan Coil Unit power consumption
• Fan Coil Unit vs. Ducted Split Comparison
• Difference and comparison of Split Ac Unit and ducted split
• The difference between ceiling and channel Fan Coil Units

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