Precautions for fan coils installation
Whether you install your fan coil unit and its system yourself or have it installed by a professional, there are some common issues you need to know so you can avoid them or detect them quickly.
- Indoor Fan Coils Installation:
- The indoor fan coils should be installed horizontally.
- Use Φ10mm suspension rods for installation, ensuring they are rust-resistant.
- Securely fasten the suspension rods to the fixed nuts on the indoor unit.
- Proper Positioning:
- The installation position should align with indoor air circulation and comply with the design drawings.
- Maintain a certain distance between the fan coil and the floor slab.
- Water Pressure Test:
- Conduct a water pressure test at 0.6 MPa for 2 hours without any leaks.
- Insulation Requirements:
- Insulate the piping: Use a 20mm thick insulation layer.
- Insulate the condensate water piping: Apply a 10mm thick insulation layer.
- Secure the insulation material using U-shaped clips or other suitable methods, ensuring minimal compression (2-3 mm).
- Condensate Drainage:
- Maintain a proper slope for condensate drainage.
- For naturally draining fan coils, ensure the drainage outlet slope is not less than 1%.
- Conduct leak-free tests during both full water and drainage tests.
- Ceiling Height Considerations:
- Avoid using ceiling-type units when the ceiling height exceeds 3 meters.
- High ceilings may hinder warm air circulation and affect heating efficiency.
- Flexible Connections:
- Use flexible hoses to connect the condensate water piping to the unit.
- Rigid connections may lead to water pipe detachment, leaks, and noise due to vibrations during unit operation.
- Airflow Organization:
- Arrange indoor airflow to prevent short-circuiting or disruption.
- Short-circuiting occurs when air from the supply outlet returns directly to the unit without reaching the occupied area.
- Disruption occurs when return air is not within the same air-conditioned zone or fails to reach the designated area, affecting cooling and heating efficiency.
- Return Air Box Installation:
- Install a return air box for fan coils.
- Without a return air box, effective indoor air circulation is compromised, leading to poor cooling and heating performance.
- Duct Sizing and Material:
- Ensure supply and return air ducts meet specifications.
- Undersized ducts can result in excessive air velocity or insufficient airflow, causing noise and suboptimal cooling/heating.
- Determine outlet and return sizes based on recommended air velocities (e.g., outlet ≤ 2 m/s, return ≤ 1.5 m/s).
- Flexible Duct Connections:
- Use canvas or other flexible materials to connect ducts and supply outlets.
- Rigid connections transmit vibrations from the unit, leading to noise and potential issues.
- Stainless Steel Flexible Connectors:
- Use stainless steel flexible connectors for fan coils connections.
- Prevents vibration transfer from the unit to the water pipes, reducing noise and preventing pipe detachment or leaks.
- Horizontal Alignment:
- Ensure that the flexible connectors connecting fan coils and water pipes are installed horizontally without excessive bending.
- Overly bent connectors may rupture and leak.
- Water Filtration:
- Install a “Y”-shaped filter on the water inlet pipe to prevent impurities and debris from damaging or clogging the heat exchanger.
- Energy-Efficient Valve Installation:
- When installing electric two-way valves for energy efficiency, place them on the return water pipe.
- Ensure normal water flow rates required by the fan coil.
- Grounding and Electrical Specifications:
- Properly ground the unit to prevent electrical accidents.
- Use power cables that meet unit requirements to avoid operational issues, cable damage, or fire hazards.
- Individual Control Switches:
- Each control switch should only operate one fan coil; simultaneous control of multiple units is not allowed.
- Simultaneous control may lead to motor burnout in fan coils.
