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Does anyone happen to know.....


maxg

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Which company makes the quietest air con unit?

It is kinda important right now - I simply cannot listen to my music as the unit I have roars like a 747 and it is over 100 degrees farenheit in the shade over here....

Come to that - what is the quietest PC too - a Mac would probably do. I am getting a seriously fast internet connection and planning to run TV signal over it but I do not want to have to turn the PC off every time I listen to music.

Looking for as near to sub 40 dB as I can get.

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I will have to ask my friend that is building a new house. He has installed what is supposed to be the quietest unit on the market and one of the most effecient. For $22,000 it better be; it is a 2 zone setup and they assured him he wont hear it running. It was just installed a couple of weeks ago after the house was in the dry so it may be a month or so before we can really find out just how good it is. Later Bill

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What is a window unit? I want one that goes on the wall with an external box that does the cooling preferably.

230 Volts, 50 Hz mains power - AC. Room is 6 * 6 * 3 meters - I guess 14000 BTU would do - it doesnt have to be a fridge.

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A window unit is an A/C that is mounted in a window, expelling the hot air to the outside and sending cold air into the house. They are very common in older houses in America, particularly in the South. The are also useful for cooling sheds, garages and workshops built outside the main A/C zone of a newer house. They tend to be limited at the upper end to about 20,000 BTU, but I think a few larger ones are made. They are noisy because all the machinery is right there in the room, and they emit noise to the outside as well.

You might consider adding ceiling fan(s) particularly the reversible type that can draw air up from the floor or push it down from the ceiling. Also very common in American South as a way to cut down on the use of air conditioning.

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"what is the quietest PC too?"

Good thought on the PC sound level. I lost my PC about a month ago due to lightening. The noise level was one of the things I was looking at in my new purchase. My old PC was loud and I could hear the HD "clicking" constantly with my music playing.

I ended up buying a new HP with AMD Athlon 64x2 dual processor with all the bells and whistles. No noise whatsoever. Absolutely quiet. When it's in stand-by mode I have to look over for the blue power button light to see if it is on. This is the first PC I've ever bought new. I've always built my own before this one. My only regret is the "Vista" OS and I'll change it to Pro XP as soon as I build another back up PC. Vista is OK but, there are still compatability issues as far as perepherals (scanners,cameras,) software, etc.

Harry

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Max,

Not a whole lot of ductless split AC systems here in the US although they are available. The vast majority of units are window AC's or central AC. Good luck.

Regarding PC's, no common system will do. Your best best is to buy a system and then install the parts in a "media server" case designed specifically for a HTPC or search out manufacturers who offer HTPC's. Whats the difference? Fans are spec'd to be very, very quiet and generally they have an led readout on the front and a remote control.

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Max, I believe you want what is known as a ductless split system, very commonly utilized in Europe. There are many brands available and the popular use of these style units originated in Europe and Asia therefore the selection there is superior. Manufacturers are located in dozens and dozens of countries (quite a few are manufactured in Italy). I'll make a blanket staement here. The Japanese and Korean models are generally the quietest, most reliable, easiest to install, most readily available, have the best and most features (like remote controls) and best built. Asian manufacturers are just very good at engineering and manufacturing small parts. The indoor section contains a fan and a coil and is known as the evaporator. Sound levels for the indoor unit can run as low as 35db from the likes of Samsung, LG, Misubishi, Sanyo, Panasonic etc.,.

If you cannot drain consensate water by gravity the location where the indoor unit wil mount, you will need a unit with a built in pump.

The outdoor sections are quiet too, but I don't believe that is what you're concerned about unless you're being kind to a neighbor.

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Max,

You're only trying to cool one room, right? (I know nothing about AC units, but thought I'd clarify this for the discussion). Here in Sonoma County, California, we have what's known as a "Mediterranean" climate (ever hear of that?[;)]). Typically. Summer days are hot and dry, nights cool off to the mid-50s. Perfect weather for a whole-house fan, one of which I installed a few years back. Here's the one I've got. These fans install in the ceiling, pulling in outside air through open windows (after it's cooled outside), blowing in-home air into the attic, then back outside through roof vents. This last part is important, as it helps to cool the attic (which can be a huge mass of VERY hot air). It's relatively quiet, at 3 sones.

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Which company makes the quietest air con unit?

It is kinda important right now - I simply cannot listen to my music as the unit I have roars like a 747 and it is over 100 degrees farenheit in the shade over here....

Come to that - what is the quietest PC too - a Mac would probably do. I am getting a seriously fast internet connection and planning to run TV signal over it but I do not want to have to turn the PC off every time I listen to music.

Looking for as near to sub 40 dB as I can get.

I have some very good mechanical engineering contacts that can answer this with ease, I also know a few Architects that are actually worth a damn that can help too. But first answer a couple of questions for me....

1.) Window unit or Central Air?

2.) How much area are you trying to cool? Give me the squarefootage and the typical ceiling height, and I'll get back with you tomorrow, today, as you know, is a holiday over here.

Ciao'

EDIT:

I saw your response regarding room size... and that a pretty good size for a single room. Based on your description, it appears that you're looking for something similar to what we call a Window unit, as opposed to central air, which is the better way to go. Window units are called that because they fit within the opening of a window, and as such, size and cooling capicity is limited.

What dimensions is the wall opening, because that will dictate your unit options.

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Well - thanks all for the input - I did not realize we have different systems in Europe from the US.

Over here you have a unit that goes on the wall with a hole behind it somewhere leading out to a box - usually either on the outside wall or the floor. The "Head unit" has a fan - the back unit does the conditioning, gets hot and makes noise. I do not mind about this noise (screw the neighbours) but I do want a quiet head unit.

Someone mentioned units that are 35 dB or less (Sanyo?) - that will be the thing for me.

Anyway - I have never seen a window unit (consiously) so it wont be one of those - and I didnt understand Fini's system at all so I will be looking at the euro models and make a decision from there.

Computer still an issue - I like the idea of the Mac Mini - can easily tuck that one out of the way. Is this a better idea than one of these media PC's? I would imagine that they are silent too - anyone got one?

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Max,

My system is basically a ceiling mounted fan that blows house air into the attic. So, you open the windows (when it's cooled off later in the day), and it sucks outside air in to replace the air that's blown into the attic (and back to the outside, through roof vents). Did you look at the link?

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Thanks Gilbert - I think I was looking for something a little more.....er......a little less.....visually intrusive perhaps.

OK Fini - I got it - the ideal system for a curry house. I dont think it would work too well here as it is hot as hell at night too.

There is just no escape .....

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I will reiterate a previous poster and suggest what you are looking for is a split ductless system from an asian manufacturer. They are very common in Hawaii, they are not exactly cheap either but for your application should be just the ticket.

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