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Installation of air conditioning in an apartment under plaster

R_O_Y 20349 18
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Treść została przetłumaczona polish » english Zobacz oryginalną wersję tematu
  • #1 9638202
    R_O_Y
    Level 15  
    Hello!
    I am considering the possibility of installing air conditioning in my apartment and I have some doubts and I cannot find specific information on this subject. The only sensible place to install the indoor unit is about 4m away from the place where the outdoor unit could stand, but it is not the distance that bothers me. I mean, can the wires connecting both units be forced into the wall? I assume that yes, and now the question is whether the wires are probably insulated, can they be walled up in plaster or should they be placed, for example, in a plastic tray or some flexible pipe and only then walled up? This is important information for me because it will influence the decision to mount or not.
    Why am I thinking about an additional cover for pipes, well, I read a few instructions and it says that during cooling, condensation may appear on the pipes and connectors. It might look bad if suddenly wet stains or even fungus appeared on the wall. The insulation used to insulate the cooling pipes is supposed to be airtight, but I cannot / do not want to allow myself to make a mistake when deciding how to do it.
    I am asking for a quick and unambiguous answer - it is getting less and less pleasant so I would like to decide whether or not to install.
    Regards.
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  • #2 9638358
    Jarek68
    Level 21  
    Sure, you only need to think about how to do it :-) I am not an installer every day, but I did my own air conditioning :-) I would give plastic pipes for the sewage system and run them in the wall, with a diameter of at least 8 cm. The pipes must be laid in the wall with a slope of 3-4 cm per m towards the outer wall. The pipe must go through the wall to the outside of the building, if something drips it out. It would be good if the pipe was straight without any kinks that could make it difficult to pull the copper pipes in. One hose will drain water from the indoor unit to the outside anyway. If you make a tight pipe, nothing will get wet. So I don't see the problem.
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  • #3 9639145
    R_O_Y
    Level 15  
    Well, I was counting on more hints on this topic, and maybe I will ask a different question. Does condensation actually form on the pipes during air conditioning operation, and if so, will the original insulation protect against the penetration of this possible moisture?
  • #4 9641103
    Jarek68
    Level 21  
    It actually occurs because of the low temperature and not only on the copper pipes but also in the air conditioner itself (indoor unit). One pipe, or rather a hose, is specially designed to drain the condensate from the indoor unit. Most often, water is drained to the outside. It can be as much as several liters per hour with a large air conditioner. And the principle of condensation is that everything that is below 3 degrees Celsius sweats, moisture from the air condenses on a cold surface. Unfortunately, the air conditioner has temperatures below zero during operation. The cover protects against contact of warm air with cold pipes, but you can never be 100% sure that water will not drip anywhere.
    From the indoor unit come out: two sheathed copper pipes, one hose for drainage, the power cord and the other connecting the two units. You have to stuff it all in the pipe that will be in the wall.
    I put in the parameters of the LG air conditioner that I have, read carefully the item "Dehumidification". You have to take it all off somewhere :-)

    Installation of air conditioning in an apartment under plaster
  • #5 9641229
    crizz100
    Level 15  
    Quote:
    Unfortunately, the air conditioner has temperatures below zero during operation

    And it is very interesting, where are these minus temperatures?
  • #6 9641510
    Jarek68
    Level 21  
    Measure yourself with a pyrometer, you will know where :-)
  • #7 9642621
    crizz100
    Level 15  
    With positive evaporation you get negative temperatures, what new thermodynamics have you discovered?
  • #8 9643305
    Chris_W

    Level 39  
    When there is little gas, sometimes it "catches" negative temperatures.
    In the "open air" there is no moisture on the pipe lagging - and it is difficult to say how it will be in the wall.
    And it is not possible to "fly" the installation on the outside of the wall? Why do you have to do this inside?
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  • #9 9643618
    crizz100
    Level 15  
    If there is little gas, it changes the form of things, the evaporation is negative and hence the temperature is low, but it means that the device is not working properly. The pipes can be released in the wall, but you need to insulate them with a cover and wrap them with a tape without pinching the insulation and it will be ok.
  • #10 9644375
    Jarek68
    Level 21  
    If the temperature measurement is made on the lamellas of the indoor unit, the temperature will be positive due to the warm air flow forced by the fan. But how to turn off the fan, frost would probably occur. My first air conditioner that I studied on was a second-hand Fuii, bought from a trustee for PLN 150 :-) I put it on 2 years ago and it still works :-) When setting up and filling the refrigerant after starting it, I measured the temperature with a pyrometer. I know that there were negative temperatures at the joints of the indoor unit under the cover, I don't remember how much, but after a short while when I slipped the cover, they started to frost. It was certainly not the reason for the low amount of factor. So, for sure, there may be negative temperature on the tubes under the jacket, not in all places, but maybe. I do not recommend bricking up the cables permanently. Once I heard a conversation between a service technician and a customer - "Now I will let you pass the pipes in the trough, I will not rift the walls now to remove the old ones and install new ones" :-)
  • #11 9644396
    R_O_Y
    Level 15  
    Well, it was just such a constructive discussion that I meant. To sum up, during normal operation, nothing should drip off (I think about pipes all the time), the fact that water is drained from the indoor unit, I know. The outdoor unit also gives off water during defrosting.
    Unfortunately, it is not possible to install the indoor unit on such a wall to go out with the wires right outside, it can only be an internal partition wall, therefore such a distance to be plugged in.
    I have heard from stories that there is condensation or even frost on the tubes that come into contact with air. You probably do not need very low temperatures, the best proof is a pipe with cold water can "sweat" quite well.
    Well, cold water pipes are mounted under the plaster and, as far as I know, not always in insulation and moisture does not come out on the wall, and the air-conditioning pipes are insulated, it should not be a problem.
  • #12 9644465
    crizz100
    Level 15  
    With a properly working device, you can not do anything about it, and there are no negative temperatures anywhere, unless there is little CFC or the fan in the evaporator turns off ;)
  • #13 9644868
    William Bonawentura
    Level 34  
    In good air conditioning, both thermally insulated gas pipes and the power cable of the outdoor unit are additionally inserted into a common polyethylene "sleeve", whose task is, among others, drainage of these possible condensate from the pipes outside the room. If there is no sleeve, I suggest installing an additional pipe or conduit and plastering it.
  • #14 9648888
    Chris_W

    Level 39  
    I think that it is not so much about the condensation of moisture on the pipes in the wall - as a minimal cooling of the wall from the pipes - with poor insulation (e.g. if the pipes were insulated by themselves). On such a colder wall there may be condensation - the moisture will not be visible to the naked eye - but the traces of pipes running in the wall may be visible. Therefore, if I were to run under the plaster (I never do it - I rather use installation trays), then in places hidden from view and against the possibility of punching / drilling when hanging e.g. pictures. If the installation is inside a pipe, e.g. a sewage pipe, I think that the risk will be minimized.
  • #15 9650118
    R_O_Y
    Level 15  
    So I also thought that it would be better to lay the pipes in the troughs, but ... Nobody is able to lay the troughs so that the troughs themselves are tight, so in the event of condensation (on the pipes or on the inside of the trough) the moisture will drain and appear concentrated in one place, e.g. on the imperfections of the channel connection. You could use some flexible plastic pipe, but this, in turn, will not facilitate the installation of the pipes under the plaster (you would have to carve a huge furrow). I think that it would be a reasonable solution to place the pipes, of course in the original insulation, directly in the plaster, you could additionally use some temperature insulating tape (there are such self-adhesive foams from the meter), wrap both pipes together, put them in a groove in the wall. For fixing the pipes and additional insulation, I will probably use mounting foam, then some plaster or plaster. I was looking at the water installation (cold water) and it looks like this: as it is for a storm, i.e. the humidity probably increases and the ambient temperature is high compared to the water temperature, a large amount of condensate appears on the pipes, but as soon as this pipe enters the wall is where the moisture disappears wonderfully. It is probably because, and I do not want to study this subject, the temperature around the tube is lower than in the vicinity of the same tube outside the wall, and the humidity in the wall is also naturally normalized there.
    Perhaps I will regret this decision, but I will, the tubes will go directly into the plaster. If it were still a straight section, I would have tried this pipe or trough, and yes ... It's hard to write scripts.
    Another thing is the permission to place the outdoor unit on the facade of the block ...
    Thank you for your help, let the discussion go on, I will naturally take all constructive opinions into account.
    Pozdro4all.
  • #16 9651669
    Jarek68
    Level 21  
    Or maybe the solution will be a window air conditioner mounted in the light of the window, then you probably do not need permits to be placed on the facade. I have seen such solutions in Warsaw in historic tenement houses :-) There were two solutions, a special air conditioner mounted in the window, the other was an outdoor unit hung in the window recess at the top. Maybe this solution will help solve the problem :-)
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  • #17 9652796
    R_O_Y
    Level 15  
    To be honest, I did not consider such a window solution, I have to take a look at it. So if the device is not installed on the facade only in the light of the window, that is, you need to replace the sash? All in all, this is a solution and probably even simpler than split, I wonder how with performance - I have to look at it.

    Greetings. THX
  • #18 9652961
    Jarek68
    Level 21  
    In the case of the first, the air conditioning is as one box. Placed on the windowsill, one part is inside the apartment and the other part outside. The disadvantage is that you need to redo the window a bit. The second solution is a normal two-piece air conditioner in that the outdoor unit is installed on the outside in the upper part of the window light. A bracket is simply given from one wall to another and the outdoor unit is placed on top of it. The disadvantage is that the window is somewhat obscured and does not need to be replaced.
  • #19 9751121
    R_O_Y
    Level 15  
    Air conditioning installed - I chose split. Wires embedded in plaster, I made additional treatments to avoid problems with condensation on the wires. Apart from the original pipe insulation, of course, I added aluminum tape, wrapping both wires together, and then placed them in a groove larger (deeper and wider) than necessary to fit them and secured them tightly with mounting foam on all sides. After working out, I cut the foam and made a finish in the form of a layer of light plaster and putty, of course paint and git. I've been using the air conditioning for a while and everything is fine. I assume that nothing will happen over time, the wall in the place where the pipes are located does not differ in surface temperature from any other place in the apartment - checked with a pyrometer (the pipes themselves in insulation have much lower temperatures during operation).
    Unfortunately, to protect the pipes with an additional pipe, there is no chance that it would be even thicker than the partition wall, not to mention the difficulty of arranging such a set in the groove.
    Thank you for all your help and hints. I close the topic.

Topic summary

The discussion revolves around the installation of air conditioning units in apartments, specifically focusing on the challenges of embedding pipes and wires within plaster walls. Key concerns include the potential for condensation on the pipes, which can lead to moisture issues on the walls. Participants suggest using insulated pipes and additional protective measures, such as wrapping with aluminum tape and using mounting foam to secure the installation. Some recommend running pipes through plastic sleeves or conduits to manage condensation effectively. Alternatives like window-mounted air conditioners are also considered for easier installation without facade modifications. The conversation highlights practical solutions and experiences related to air conditioning setups in residential settings.
Summary generated by the language model.
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