Air-cooled VRF
Outdoor units reject heat to the air from a roof, balcony or ground-level plinth. The most common choice, with no water system needed.
Euroklimat VRF systems
VRF systems
Individual temperature control for every room, from one outdoor system. Euroklimat full DC inverter VRF for offices, hotels, clinics, shops and homes, designed, installed and commissioned by MA Engineering.
- Room-by-room control
- Full DC inverter
- Air-cooled VRF & Water-cooled VRF
- Euroklimat, Italy · since 1963
The basics
What is a VRF system?
VRF stands for variable refrigerant flow; some manufacturers call it VRV. One outdoor unit, or a group of them, pumps refrigerant through copper pipes to many indoor units, and each indoor unit takes exactly as much refrigerant as its room needs.
Inverter-driven compressors speed up and slow down to match the total demand instead of switching on and off. That gives steady room temperatures and high efficiency at part load, which is where air-conditioning systems spend most of their hours.
Refrigerant pipes replace large ducts and chilled-water pipes, so VRF needs little ceiling space and no central plant room. That makes it popular for offices, hotels, apartments and building renovations.
How it works
One outdoor system, many rooms
A VRF system has four parts that work together to deliver the right amount of cooling to each room.
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01
Outdoor unit
Inverter compressors in the outdoor unit change speed to match the combined demand of all the rooms.
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02
Refrigerant piping
Insulated copper pipes carry refrigerant to each floor. Branch joints divide the flow between indoor units.
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03
Indoor units
Each indoor unit, whether cassette, ducted or wall-mounted, has its own electronic expansion valve that meters refrigerant to hold its room at set point.
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04
Controls
Room controllers and a central or cloud controller set schedules and limits and monitor every unit. A BMS interface is available for larger buildings.
Heat pump or heat recovery? Heat-pump VRF heats or cools all rooms at the same time. Heat-recovery VRF can cool some rooms while heating others, moving heat from one to the other instead of rejecting it outside.
System options
Choose the right VRF configuration
Euroklimat VRF comes in air-cooled and water-cooled versions, with a wide range of indoor units and controls.
Water-cooled VRF
Outdoor units connect to a water loop and can sit indoors, which suits tall buildings and sites with no space for outdoor units.
Heat pump
Cooling in summer and heating in winter for all zones at once, including strong heating at low outdoor temperatures.
Heat recovery
Simultaneous heating and cooling in different zones, for buildings where some rooms need cooling while others need heat.
Indoor unit styles
Ceiling cassettes, concealed ducted units, wall-mounted and floor-standing units can all run on the same system.
Smart control
Central controllers, cloud monitoring and BMS interfaces for scheduling, energy reports and fault alerts.
VRF vs chilled water
Which system suits your building?
Both are proven ways to air-condition a building. They suit different building types.
| Property | VRF | Chilled water |
|---|---|---|
| Typical building | Small to medium buildings, or many-roomed zones of larger ones | Medium to very large buildings and campuses |
| Central plant | None; outdoor units on the roof, balconies or ground | Chiller plant with pumps, and cooling towers or air-cooled chillers |
| Distribution | Refrigerant piping | Chilled-water piping and air ducts |
| Control | Room by room | By AHU zone or fan coil unit |
| Fresh air | Needs a separate fresh-air system | AHUs can include fresh air and filtration |
| Refrigerant in occupied spaces | Yes; the design must respect safety limits | No; refrigerant stays in the plant |
A general comparison. The right answer depends on building size, how it is used and budget, and many projects combine both, for example VRF for offices and chilled water for large halls.
Is it right for you?
When VRF makes sense
A strong fit when…
- You want individual control of many rooms, as in offices, hotels, clinics and apartments
- There is no space for a chiller plant room, or ceiling space is tight
- The building is being renovated and large ducts are hard to add
- Rooms are used at different times, so the system spends most hours at part load
- You want to install floor by floor as the building is fitted out
Consider another system when…
- Large open spaces such as malls, halls and factories, where AHUs on chilled water usually work better
- Spaces that need tight humidity control or high fresh-air rates, such as operating theatres
- Very small rooms that would hold too much refrigerant for their volume
Alternatives we supply:
Why Euroklimat
European design, inverter efficiency
A European brand founded in Milan in 1963, manufacturing in Italy and China. Euroklimat offers a complete HVAC range under one roof and is one of the fastest-growing HVAC brands in Pakistan.
- Founded 1963
- Milan
- Origins: Italy & China
- 2
- ISO · CE · ASME · CNAS
- AHRI · Eurovent
Euroklimat VRF features
- Full DC inverter
- Smart cloud control
- Grade 1 energy efficiency
- Low-temperature strong heating
- Air-cooled VRF
- Water-cooled VRF
Track record
VRF projects
Projects on our list that include VRF systems.
2,500 TR
Hattar · Industrial & Pharma
Coronet Foods (Pvt) Ltd
Supply of HVAC Equipment
1,000 TR
Lahore · Commercial & Hospitality
One Canal Road
Supply & Installation
- VRF
- Ventilation fans
- Ducting
- Copper piping
550 TR
Planning a project
What to consider before you buy
VRF performance depends heavily on good design and careful installation.
Load and diversity
Not every room needs full cooling at once, so one outdoor unit can serve indoor units whose combined capacity exceeds its own. The diversity must be based on how the building is really used.
Refrigerant safety
Safety standards (ASHRAE 15 and 34) limit how much refrigerant could leak into a small room. Large systems are split, or safeguards are added, so every room stays within the limit.
Fresh air
VRF indoor units recirculate room air. Fresh air must come from a separate system, ideally a fresh-air unit with heat recovery.
Piping and installation
Pipe lengths, height differences and joint quality all affect capacity and reliability. Brazing under nitrogen, pressure testing and deep vacuuming must be done properly.
Outdoor unit location
Outdoor units need free airflow. Crowded roofs or enclosed balconies recirculate hot air and cut capacity, especially in peak summer heat.
Commissioning and service
Correct commissioning, addressing of indoor units and regular filter cleaning keep the system efficient. We support every system after handover.
FAQ
VRF systems: common questions
Can’t find your answer? Ask our engineers.
What is a VRF system?
A variable refrigerant flow system connects one outdoor unit, or a group of them, to many indoor units with refrigerant piping. Inverter compressors vary their speed so each room gets just the cooling or heating it needs.
What is the difference between VRF and VRV?
In practice, none. VRV (variable refrigerant volume) is a trademark of Daikin; VRF is the general industry term for the same technology.
How many indoor units can one VRF system serve?
A single outdoor system can serve dozens of indoor units, and large systems 60 or more. The exact number depends on the outdoor unit model and the total connected capacity.
How much energy can VRF save?
Studies reviewed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the US government suggest average HVAC energy savings of around 20% compared with a range of conventional systems, and more in some cases. Actual savings depend on the building, the system it replaces and the quality of installation.
Does VRF provide fresh air?
No. VRF indoor units cool and heat the air already in the room. Fresh air is supplied by a separate fresh-air handling unit or ventilation system, which we design alongside the VRF.
Can VRF heat as well as cool?
Yes. Heat-pump VRF provides heating in winter, and Euroklimat systems are designed for strong heating at low outdoor temperatures, which is useful in Islamabad, Peshawar and northern areas.
VRF or chilled water: which is better for my building?
VRF usually suits buildings with many individually controlled rooms and no space for a plant room. Chilled water usually suits large buildings, large open spaces and places needing high fresh-air rates or tight humidity control. We can compare both for your project.
What maintenance does a VRF system need?
Regular cleaning of indoor unit filters and outdoor coils, checks of refrigerant pipework and controls, and reviewing the system’s fault logs. Our after-sales team can maintain the system.
Get a selection
Planning a building with many rooms?
Send us your drawings or a room list. Our engineers will size the VRF system, lay out the piping and propose the right Euroklimat indoor and outdoor units.
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