Individual Control of Air Con Units

[Deleted member 18243]

Hello, I'm not sure if this is in the correct forum but here goes:

I've been asked if it is possible to alter the way our office air conditioning system can be controlled.

The system comprises eight ceiling- mounted Panasonic "split" air conditioners controlled from one wall mounted remote- control unit. They all work as one, so that if someone turns the heat up all eight units operate. The office staff are not happy with this and want to be able to control each unit individually.

Can this be done? Is it a matter of buying seven more remotes and rewiring the system?

 

[Corgigrouch]

That depends.... If it is a bank of split units, each with their own outside unit, daisy chained together with data cable then yes, you can simply obtain more controllers. If they are a bank of indoor units connected via a common refrigerant system to one or two outdoor units, then no you can't.... If it is a three pipe system, then leave well alone.

A simple solution to your whinging deadbeat desk jockies is to either move the existing controller into the void above the ceiling where only you can get to it and to fit a dummy controller so that the knobbers can frig about with it all they like....They shouldn't be messing with clever stuff. Or another solution can be to pull the main fuse, say that all the messing about with the controller has damaged the system and the parts will take six month to arrive.

The problem with individual control over each unit is that one bunch of trolls will have the heating on and another will have the units cooling... Some controllers can have a password secured lock on them, you set the temp, they can change nothing

 

[flameport]

Lock the controls and/or move them elsewhere. Any thermostat or other control that can be adjusted in a public place will be continually tampered with and usually broken within a week.

 

[Deleted member 18243]

Bump...any more thoughts on this?

Corgigrouch they do all share one outside unit unfortunately.

So, is that the end of it, no individual control?

 

[Aquaheat]

Sorry Andy no it isn't possible at all if they are on the one external unit. Is it one large open plan office with 8 cassettes or are they split over several different offices/rooms?

Jon

 

[Deleted member 18243]

Thanks Jon; They are all in one large open plan office.

 

[flameport]

If they are all in the same open plan area it would be pointless to have individual controls.
Even if it was possible, attempting to heat and cool the same space at the same time is just a way to waste huge amounts of electricity.

Set the temp to 20C or whatever, lock the controls, end of story. No one can adjust anything.
There really is no other way. Even if they got their individual controls, the complaints will just move to something else, such as the lights are too bright/dim, too much sun glare from the windows/window tints are too dark, etc.

 

[Aquaheat]

Cheers flameport that was exactly where I was heading with that question.

Jon

 

[Homerr]

You can modify the controls for the system relatively easily, with two core cable and additional controllers. But this would involve planning what you would want to control (eg, groups of units) and from where, and then removing the existing control cabling and then putting the new controls in.

But flameport is correct you will waste your time with this activity as you are dealing with an open plan situation, and unless you have a 3 pipe system the loop will only cool or heat - it can't do both.

My advice would be to follow flameport's advice and leave well alone, you will only introduce more problems, more moaning and have to pay for the privilege!