Hello A/C experts,
I'm a new home owner (BTO, 4 room) who is in need of some expertise in selecting an appropriate A/C system for my home. There are many pages in this thread which I would be really keen to read, but alongside that, I'm reaching out to you for some quick wisdom.
Our flat is somewhat typical of the new BTOs these days. It has only been completed recently this year. Our renovation is going to be pretty simple, and the two biggest modifications that we're going to make to the house are:
1. Hack wall between dining area & kitchen, replaced with island counter (open kitchen)
2. Hack wall between service yard & kitchen, replaced with sliding glass door with tracks
It's just going to be my wife and myself in the house for now. Our activities (that require air-conditioning) will center mostly around the bedroom closest to the MBR (full study room), MBR, followed by the TV area.
We are not big-time aircon users, and will only turn on the aircon during haze season or hot nights. I estimate conservatively that we will only use about 3 - 4 hours of aircon per day in mostly 1 room, to perhaps 3 rooms at most in the far, far future. There may occasionally be a need for strong cooling in the living room/dining area during times when we have guests.
I'm thinking of a System 4 from Mitsubishi Electric for its ease of self-maintenance. The diagram shows where I intend to place the compressor and blowers. I'm under the impression that such a layout would be make it easier and neater during servicing. Our bed in the MBR will be orientated in a direction opposite to that shown in the diagram.
Some questions for your recommendations.
1. Inverter or non-inverter for power savings, quiet operation, etc.?
2. Split 3 + 1 or a System 4?
3. High BTU or something more mid-range? Could you suggest a rough number?
4. I'm trying to avoid placing blowers on top of beds. Would there be a better placement for the MBR blower that would still make it easy to maintain?
5. Is there a particular set of compressor + blower models that you would recommend?
6. I would like a high grade of insulation and piping to minimise the chances of condensation and pipe leakage. What are some recommended models/gauges that I should look out for?
Any advice will be greatly appreciated!