FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Q Can
Mercury Heating and Cooling run
the Evaporative cooler through
the heating ducting?
Q Is
this the unit (Evaporative Cooling)
where you must leave your windows
open?
Q Does
Mercury Heating and Cooling install
only one brand?
Q Are
they noisy ?
Q Evaporative
cooling doesn't work when it gets
really hot or muggy?
Q How
cold does it make it on a hot day?
Q Is
this Evaporative reverse cycle? Does
it do heating as well?
Q What
about water restrictions?
Q What
about service or maintenance?
Q How
often do you have to change the filters?
Q How
long does it take to install?
Q Can
you shut down the outlets in rooms
not being used?
Q Can
I turn off outlets if I am not using
them?
Q Can
I get cooling through the same system?
Q My
house has a concrete slab floor,
does it work through the roof?
Q Which
is the best model for me?
Q Can
I get a remote control?
Q What
if I just want to heat one room or
area?
Q What
about service or maintenance of heating
systems?
Q How
big does my unit have to be?
Q If
I leave the door open will it blow
through and cool the bedroom or other
rooms?
Q Can
I get it in cooling only?
Q How
much do they cost to run?
Q Can
I have multiple indoor units run
off one outdoor unit?
Q Which
brand is the best?
Q Can
I add an air conditioner to my ducted
gas heater?
Q What
about service or maintenance of add
on cooling systems?
 Q Can
Mercury Heating and Cooling run
the Evaporative cooler through
the heating ducting?
A No,
unfortunately the airflow for Evaporative
cooling is too large to fit through
the smaller heating outlets. Evaporative
coolers have their own separate ducting
network in the ceiling.
Q Is
this the unit (Evaporative Cooling)
where you must leave your windows
open?
A Yes,
you must have an exit point for the
air that is adding to your house.
It must vent to outside so that the
cooler can continue to provide more
fresh, cool air. No hot air from
outside the house can come inside
because the Evaporative cooler creates
positive pressure inside the house,
so the air inside is busy rushing
out the window or door openings.
Think of the house like a balloon.
If you pop a hole in a balloon, no
air rushes into the balloon because
the air inside is busy rushing out.
Q Does
Mercury Heating and Cooling install
only one brand?
A No,
we offer a range of the best brands.
Q Are
they noisy?
A No
Evaporative cooler is silent, just
like a fridge, ducted heater or other
appliance with a fan. The technology
in the fan and motor has improved
drastically so noise is now no longer
such a concern. The unit is usually
installed over a wet area (bathroom
or laundry) and is sized and installed
so as to minimise the noise inside
and outside the house.
Q Evaporative
cooling doesn't work when it gets
really hot or muggy?
A How
well the Evaporative cooler works
is dependant on the outside temperature
as well as humidity levels. The drier
the air is, the better the cooling
effect. On muggy days it is still
better to have Evaporative cooling
than to not have it, but its effectiveness
will be slightly reduced on days
of high humidity. On hot dry days,
Evaporative cooling is quite simply
the most efficient and effective
way of cooling. Luckily in Melbourne
we very rarely have days of high
humidity.
Q How
cold does it make it on a hot day?
A Depends
on temperature and humidity levels.
An Evaporative cooler works for a
few different reasons.
- It lowers the effective temperature
of the air (3-4 degrees)
due to air-flow over the body.
- It lowers the actual temperature
(between 6 - 10 degrees)
through the evaporation process.
- Reduces radiant heat from the
house.
Airflow prevents physical house
absorbing heat.
Q Is
this Evaporative reverse cycle?
Does it do heating as well?
A No,
it is just Cooling - it cannot be
combined with a heater. Although,
Mercury Heating and Cooling can install
all types of reverse cycle air-conditioning
and heating systems.
Q What
about water restrictions?
A No
worries! Evaporative cooling does
use water but are not affected (and
never have been) by water restrictions.
They only hold and drain 6 - 10 litres
of water at the end of the day when
the unit is turned off. The system
will use more water in the Evaporation
process (which is how it cools the
air), but this is a very small proportion
of a typical households water usage.
A full week of Evaporative usage
will often be less than the amount
of water used in a normal household
bathroom in one day.
Q What
about service or maintenance?
A Same
as ducted heating - a service and
clean should be performed every 3
years but Mercury Heating and Cooling
takes care of all services and will
contact you at the appropriate time.
If the maintenance free features
are fitted then there is NO SEASONAL
MAINTENANCE. NO COVERS, NO WASHING
PADS, NO DRAINING. The unit will
automatically fill up with water,
drain the water, flush the pads and
seal the unit after EVERY DAY of
use.
Q How
often do you have to change the
filters?
A Because
the unit washes and drains itself
automatically, and under normal domestic
usage, the pads will need changing
every 8 - 10 years.
Q How
long does it take to install?
A The
majority of jobs are finished in
1 day. A licensed plumber and A-Grade
electrician perform the installation
and provide all warranties and Certificates
of Compliance on Plumbing and Electrical.
Q Can
you shut down the outlets in rooms
not being used?
A No,
there is no need to. Simply open
the windows in the rooms being used
(i.e. lounge/living room) and the
air from other areas of the house
not being used (i.e. bedrooms) will
vent through living area windows
or doors.
Q Can
I turn off outlets if I am not
using them?
A Yes,
it can be more efficient if you close
off outlets in rooms that are not
used. This is called "zoning" -
and it is possible to have it done
electronically i.e. You can turn
off a formal living area by pressing
a button on the wall controller.
However, depending on the size of
the heater, you must have a minimum
of 5-7 outlets open at all times.
Q Can
I get cooling through the same
system?
A Yes,
this is called Add-On
Air Conditioning. The ducting
must be up-sized to allow for the
larger airflow that Air Conditioning
requires.
Q My
house has a concrete slab floor,
does it work through the roof?
A Yes,
it is common to have the system installed
in the ceiling. Mercury Heating and
Cooling will make sure that the system
is adjusted to reflect this, i.e.
the sizing of the fan has to be large
enough to blow the heat down to the
ground, the outlets must allow the
air to flow through freely so it
can reach a low level and the "Return-Air
grill" should be also be at
a low level.
Q Which
is the best model for me?
A All
heaters have a star rating to indicate
operating efficiency. The more stars
the cheaper it is to run, but the
greater the initial purchase cost.
So to recommend a specific model,
Mercury Heating and Cooling will
assess how long you intend to live
at the house, how large the house
is, what temperature and how often
you intend on using the system.
Q Can
I get a remote control?
A Yes,
but because the system judges the
house temperature via the thermostat
inside the controller, we recommend
the controller be mounted on a wall
in your main living area so that
it can read and communicate the correct
information to the actual heater.
Q What
if I just want to heat one room
or area?
A Radiant
Panel heaters or Fan
Forced Heaters are designed to
heat a single area. There are different
sizes to match any room size.
Q What
about service or maintenance?
A The "Return
Air filter" should have a vacuum
run over it regularly and the unit
requires a technician to service
it every 3 years, but Mercury Heating
and Cooling will contact you when
this falls due.
Q How
big does my unit have to be?
A Because
no two homes are exactly the same,
a consultant from Mercury Heating
and Cooling will measure and quote
on the correct size. As a rough guide,
1kW will heat/cool 1 square of home.
Q If
I leave the door open will it blow
through and cool the bedroom or
other rooms?
A Usually
a split system is designed to cool
only the room that it is installed
in. If it is oversized then you may
get some "drift" into other areas,
although this is not recommended.
Q Can
I get it in cooling only?
A Yes,
split systems can be cool only -
but the difference in price with
a reverse cycle (heating and cooling)
is very small - usually less than
$100 - so most people choose a system
that heats and cools.
Q How
much do they cost to run?
A It
is very difficult to determine exactly
how much they cost to operate. Two
houses with exactly the same systems
can have huge differences on their
bills, as one house may set the temperature
much lower than the other (i.e. 19° instead
of 23°) and may have the system
operating for a much longer time
over the course of 3 months - i.e.
work from home. The insulation (ceiling
and walls) and window coverings also
make a substantial difference in
operating costs.
Q Can
I have multiple indoor units run
off one outdoor unit?
A Yes,
Multi-Head splits are an option.
Although, the installation price
can increase and effectiveness decrease
if the indoor heads are located a
long way away from the outdoor compressor.
A consultant from Mercury Heating
and Cooling is happy to advise on
the most suitable options for the
specific needs of your home.
Q Which
brand is the best?
A There
are a number of brands that we recommend.
Mercury Heating and Cooling can supply
and install a range of the best brands.
Some brands suit certain applications
better than others.
A consultant can advise you about
which brand is most suitable.
Q Can
I add an air conditioner to my
ducted gas heater?
A Yes
this is called Add-On Air Conditioning. Click
here to read more about Add On Systems
Q What
about service or maintenance?
A The
filter should be cleaned regularly.
A light on the unit will indicate
when this is necessary. |
