One outdoor unit instead of several.

External space is often the binding constraint.

Planning conditions may restrict visible plant.

Neighbour noise is reduced with fewer units.

Mixed indoor types can share one system.

That suits varied interiors.

The assumption that not all rooms peak together.

The outdoor unit is sized on that basis.

It holds in offices with staggered peaks.

It fails where every room peaks at once.

The system is judged on exactly that afternoon.

Size against realistic simultaneous demand.

Not on most multi-split systems.

All indoor units share a single mode.

That surprises occupants in mixed-aspect buildings.

Heat recovery systems allow simultaneous modes.

They cost more and are more complex.

Establish the requirement before selecting.

They are hard limits, not guidance.

Total length, furthest run and height difference all cap.

Exceeding them costs capacity and reliability.

Manufacturers publish the figures.

Check the route before committing to positions.

Retrospective fixes are rarely available.

More than performance.

Charge is calculated from the installed run.

Larger charges trigger leak detection requirements.

Ventilation provisions may apply in occupied rooms.

Small rooms on large systems are the case to check.

Confirm against the local standard.

Every connected room loses conditioning.

That is the cost of consolidating plant.

Separate splits fail one room at a time.

Critical spaces may warrant their own system.

Weigh it against the space saving.

Spares availability matters more here.

Individually, within the shared mode.

Each room sets its own temperature.

Central control and scheduling are usually available.

Locking setpoints prevents drift in commercial use.

Integration with a building system may be possible.

Confirm the protocol if that is needed.