Room air conditioners and building air conditioners are used in industrial, process computing, networking, and other spaces where thermal management is important.  Space and spot cooling equipment are used wherever total heat must be controlled or where localized heat sources must be managed.  Many refrigerants are used in air conditioners; CFC-free refrigerants are becoming more prevalent and in fact are required in many applications.

The cooling capacity of room air conditioners is the most important specification to consider.  The cooling capacity is the capacity of the air conditioning unit to remove heat from the room or industrial space.  Typical units are kilowatts, tons of refrigeration, or BTU/hour.  Operating voltages can be 12 VDC, 24 VDC, 115 VAC, 230 VAC, 380/400 VAC, and 460 VAC.  Frequencies are typically, 50 Hz, 60 Hz, or 400 Hz.  50 Hz is the primary power frequency used in Europe.  60 Hz is the primary power frequency used in North America.  400 Hz is widely used in aerospace applications.  Phases for the air conditioner can be either single or three phases.  Standard light commercial and residential power is commonly single phase.  Three-phase power is most commonly used in industrial power; some efficiency and smooth running is achieved with three-phase power.

Important physical specifications to consider include mounting, portability, and NEMA or IP rating for room air conditioners.  Mounting types include floor standing, wall or window mount, ceiling mount, roof mount, rack mount, and exterior placement.  Portable or mobile air conditioners are on a cart that can be moved, or has features such as wheels, handles or other provisions for moving.  NEMA and IP ratings include NEMA 3R, NEMA 4, NEMA 4X, NEMA 12, IP 34, and IP 54.  NEMA 3R enclosures are for indoor or outdoor use; provides a degree of protection against contact with enclosed equipment, falling dirt, rain, sleet and snow. They are undamaged by external formation of ice on enclosure.  NEMA 4 enclosures are constructed for indoor or outdoor use. Provides a degree of protection against contact with enclosed equipment, falling dirt, rain, sleet, snow and windblown dust, splashing water and hose-directed water. They are Undamaged by external formation of ice on enclosure.  NEMA 4X enclosures are constructed for indoor or outdoor use. Provides a degree of protection against contact with enclosed equipment, falling dirt, rain, sleet, snow and windblown dust, splashing water and hose-directed water. They are undamaged by external formation of ice on enclosure.  NEMA 12 enclosures are constructed (without knockouts) for indoor use. Provides a degree of protection against contact with enclosed equipment, falling dirt, circulating dirt, lint, fibers, flings and dripping and light splashing of liquids.  Ingress Protection 34 is a European standard that sets criteria for prevention of ingress of particles larger than 2.5 mm.  IP 54 is a European standard that sets criteria for protection against shock, vibration, dust and rain ingress.  It is nominally equivalent to NEMA 3 rating series for primarily outdoor use.

Common applications for room air conditioners include computer or network room, process or plant cooling, telecommunications, laboratory or scientific, hazardous location, spot cooling, classroom, and workspace or comfort cooling.  Features commonly found on room air conditioners include CFC-refrigerant, thermostatic control, condensate evaporator, fault detection or alarm, explosion proof, and intrinsically safe construction.  Certifications that can be granted to room air conditioners include CE, CSA, IEC, MIL-SPEC / STD, UL / UR, and VDE.

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