Stop Overpaying To Run Your Air Con
Your air con is choking on its own air
If the outdoor unit sits close to a fence, a wall or down the side of the house, it blows its exhaust air straight into the obstruction and breathes it back in. Summer or winter, it works harder, costs more to run and falls short on the day you actually need it. The Aussie Air Bender is a magnetic air deflector, or air diverter, that bends that air up and away at 45 degrees. It clips on with magnets. No drilling, no tradie, no moving the unit.
Fix it from $224Free of drilling, brackets and regret. Removable any time, so it suits rentals.
- No drilling
- 15 min fit
- 4 sizes
- Flat packed
- Removable
Same unit. Same day. One Air Bender.
A ducted split system wedged in a side passage, discharging straight into a Colorbond fence. Thermal camera on the coil before and after fitting an Air Bender, running in heating. Those few degrees are not a curiosity. They are energy you are paying for and not getting.
Before
Boxed in and breathing its own discharge. Struggling to heat, compressor pinned, defrosting on repeat.
After
Air sent up and over the fence instead of back into the coil. Same unit, same day, several degrees back.
Less energy burned
That is how much of your running cost a 3 to 5 degree recirculation penalty burns for nothing, every hour the unit runs.
Results from one measured job and will vary with your unit, its position and the weather on the day. The 6 to 15% range is the efficiency a 3 to 5 degree recirculation penalty costs a 14kW system. Figures correct at time of publication.
The bill you cannot see
Recirculation does not announce itself. There is no error code and no puddle on the floor. The unit simply runs longer and draws more for the same result, and it shows up as a power bill you assume is just the weather.
Clearing a 3 to 5 degree recirculation penalty cuts what that unit costs to run by roughly 6 to 15%. On a 14kW system in Adelaide that is commonly $130 to $320 a year, so the deflector typically pays for itself inside two to three years and keeps paying after that.
Estimate only, based on 1,200 run hours a year at 45c per kWh. Your result depends on your unit, where it sits and how hard you run it. Figures correct at time of publication.
| Air-on increase | Capacity lost | Efficiency drop |
|---|---|---|
| +1°C | 0.28 to 0.42 kW | 2 to 3% |
| +3°C | 0.84 to 1.26 kW | 6 to 9% |
| +5°C | 1.40 to 2.10 kW | 10 to 15% |
| +10°C | 2.80 to 4.20 kW | 20 to 30% |
Performance degradation on a 14kW system as the air entering the condenser gets hotter. Losing 2 kW off a 14kW unit is the difference between holding setpoint on a 42 degree day and not, which is why people wrongly conclude their system is undersized and start pricing an $8,000 replacement.
Air recirculation
What is actually happening
An outdoor unit works by pushing a big volume of air out the front, dumping heat in summer and cold in winter. Put a fence or a wall within about 1.5m of that discharge and the air has nowhere to go.
So the unit breathes straight back in what it just breathed out. Performance can fall by up to 50% with inadequate ventilation, because the system ends up fighting its own exhaust instead of the weather.
- CoolingHot discharge air comes back around, the unit reads it as a hotter day than it is and works harder for less.
- HeatingCold discharge air comes back around, the coil runs colder and the unit defrosts more often than it should.
- Either wayLonger run times, more wear on the compressor, higher bills and a unit that gives up exactly when you need it.
What people say
Verified reviews from people who had the same problem you do.
Very effective
"I wanted to move the cold air away from hitting the fence and recirculating. The cold air is now lifted away from the fence and heads off down the passageway. I didn't want to have to drill and bolt anything to my heat pump."
Robin, verified buyerThey do work
"The 2 magnetic air deflectors were easy to assemble and work perfectly."
Marc, verified buyerSolved a major issue on our balcony
"Diverted air flow to the right on our balcony and is extremely effective."
David, verified buyerSuch a great product, and Australian made
"As an air conditioning company, we use Air Benders on a regular basis to fix air conditioners performance when they are installed close to a fence, on balconies or blowing hot air on bushes and trees. We love the ease of installation with the use of magnets."
Trade review. Oliver, air conditioning contractor, South AustraliaOne measurement and you are done
How to measure in 60 seconds
- Turn the air con off at the wall so the fan is not spinning.
- Find the face with the big fan grille. That is where the air comes out.
- Measure straight across the outside of the fan shroud, edge to edge, not the whole cabinet. That number picks your size.
- Measure the length of the same shroud, at right angles to the width. It splits Medium from Large, which both take a 605mm shroud.
- Check you have at least 10mm of metal either side of the shroud so the magnets have something to grab.
- Count the fans. Two fans means two Air Benders.
Which one do I need?
Measure the fan shroud on the outdoor unit. The Air Bender sits over that shroud and holds on with magnets. A tape measure to size it and a screwdriver to assemble it is all you need, and nothing is drilled into the unit.
Measure the outside of the fan shroud on the outdoor unit, edge to edge. We will tell you the size and how many you need.
Not sure? Send your shroud width, length and a front on photo of the unit to contact@airbender.com.au and we will tell you which one you need.
The usual questions
Does putting something in front of the fan hurt performance?
That is the right question to ask, and it is why the Air Bender is shaped the way it is. The blades are angled and spaced to turn the air 45 degrees while keeping the discharge path open, rather than capping it like a solid cover does. Blocking a unit is what causes the problem. Redirecting it is what fixes it.
Is an air deflector the same as an air diverter?
Yes. Air deflector, air diverter and air con deflector all describe the same thing: a shroud that fits over the outdoor unit's fan and turns the discharge air away instead of letting it blow straight into an obstruction. The Aussie Air Bender is a magnetic one, so nothing is drilled or bolted to the unit.
Will it actually stay on?
It holds with magnets onto the metal cabinet, which is why you need about 10mm of steel either side of the fan shroud. It stays put through normal operation and weather, and it lifts straight off with your hands when you want to get past the unit or take it with you.
I rent. Can I use one?
Yes, and this is one of the better reasons to buy one. Nothing is drilled, screwed or modified. It goes on, it comes off, and it moves house with you at the end of the lease.
Do I need a tradie or any special tools?
No. It arrives flat packed and goes together with a screwdriver in about 15 minutes, then sits on the unit. A tape measure to get the size right and a screwdriver to assemble it is the whole tool list. Nothing is drilled into your air conditioner.
My outdoor unit has two fans.
Each fan has its own discharge path, so each one needs its own deflector. Two Mediums suit most twin fan units. If yours looks unusual, send us a photo and the measurements before you order.
What if my unit is a strange size?
There is a custom option for units up to 800mm wide. Email your measurements and a front on photo and we will build to suit.
Paying for performance you never get
A boxed in unit burns power fighting its own exhaust, then falls short on the 42 degree afternoon or the coldest morning of the year. That is the day you notice it. Australian made, patented, and the only tools you need are a tape measure to size it and a screwdriver to put it together.
Pick my size