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Reverse cycle air conditioners are not the ordinary boys in town! These workaholics can cool or heat your home depending on the prevailing weather conditions. During winter, they reverse the cooling cycle to generate heat and supply it within your indoor living space. When warm weather sets in, the air conditioners use a condenser to lower the temperature of the air supplied into your home. However, temperature levels are not the only consideration when installing and using reverse cycle air conditioners. You must control the noise levels to ensure that the indoor space is habitable. Here are the top tips for keeping down noise levels:

Location of the Air Conditioning Unit

During installation, you must consider the strategic location of the air conditioning system to minimise the noise levels transmitted to the house. Ideally, you should locate the air conditioning unit away from the windows and entrances of indoor living areas and patios. Consider installing it at the front of the house if it enables you fit the unit as far as possible. Doubling the distance between the reverse cycle air conditioning units reduces the noise levels by nearly six decibels.

Reflective Surfaces

Noise is a form of energy. This means that it is capable of being transferred and reflected between two or more surfaces. In fact, sound moves like ripples from the source, radiating outwards until it hits an obstructive surface. From there, the sound bounces off the obstructive surface and changes direction. You should refrain from installing your air conditioning unit in corners or between brick walls to reduce noise reflection towards your house. Note that noise bouncing off hard and obstructive surfaces has a trumpet-like effect, which worsens its effects by the time it will get to your house.     

Insulating the Unit

You can also control the noise levels transmitted from your air conditioning unit by building a shed around it. Set up a wooden shed to enclose the unit. The wooden panels should be insulated with fibreglass, which absorbs most of the sound generated by the air conditioning unit. However, such a shed can have adverse effects on the performance of the air conditioner. Insulated sheds encourage the build-up of heat around the condenser and other components. This can make the air conditioner use too much energy when cooling air before circulation. For this reason, you must ensure proper airflow and ventilation when designing the noise reduction shed.