Today, with a variety of brands and models of air conditioners, it can be difficult to immediately find one that suits you. Vendors hype their goods. Their split systems are, of course, the best. Manufacturers highlight their brands in every possible way, adding new features and modes. And for the buyer, the operating modes of the air conditioner that he will use are important.
How useful is knowing modes?
The article does not give advice on how to calculate the power of the air conditioner for your room, where to install a split system, how to check the correct installation. This is not an instruction manual for the air conditioner. The instruction is written for each air conditioner individually and describes the functions of only one model. Here are clear descriptions of the main functions of air conditioners. They are very convenient to compare equipment (even different price groups) and choose what you need, and not overpay for extra options.
Basic operating modes of the air conditioner
Household air conditioning is, first of all, equipment that maintains the desired temperature in the room. air conditioners are controlledconsoles, which are remote and stationary (wall-mounted, for example). The purpose of all buttons on the remote control is described in detail in the operating instructions for the air conditioner. But it can be understood intuitively by the icons and inscriptions near the remote control buttons.
Mode switch button
For different air conditioners, the key sets on the front panel of the remote control can vary greatly. But everyone has one button. Button - MODE ("Mode"). Pressing it sequentially turns on the main modes of the air conditioner in turn: "Cooling", "Heating", "Auto", "Dry", "Ventilation".
Features of the main modes
- "Cooling". The main function of the air conditioner. When it is turned on, the air in the room is cooled. A sensor is installed in the indoor unit of the air conditioner that monitors temperature changes and sends a signal to the air conditioner when it changes. When working on cooling, by successively pressing the FAN button, you can change the fan performance, and hence the cooling intensity.
- "Heating". The task is to heat the air in the room. Since the air conditioner is a heat pump, when operating in this mode, it will consume three times less energy than an electric heater. In this mode of operation of the air conditioner, you can also change the intensity of heating the room by changing the performance of the fan of the indoor unit by successively pressing the buttonFAN.
- "Ventilation". Room air is circulated through the indoor unit of the air conditioner without changing the temperature and filtered. In this operating mode, the air conditioner recirculates the air. There is no entry or removal here.
- "Drainage". In this mode of operation of the air conditioner, the icon on the remote control will look like a drop. Dry mode removes excess moisture. First, the air conditioner dries the air for ten minutes, then it does not work for 2 minutes, and finally it works for 5 minutes in the forced purge mode. In dehumidify mode, by switching the fan speed, you can select the dehumidification speed.
- In the "Auto" mode, the temperature is automatically set to 22 degrees and the fan speed. The air conditioner itself chooses between the "Cooling" and "Heating" modes. It maintains the given conditions. It is not possible to change any settings inside the "Auto" mode.
- SWING mode ("Swing"). Control of the horizontal (vertical on some models) louvers of the indoor unit.
Table of basic operating modes
The table provides a brief description of the operating modes. This is like a cheat sheet on how to use the air conditioner in the main modes.
Additional modes
The main modes shown in the table are available for all air conditioners. They provide minimal comfort.
Now let's talk about the options that make each air conditioner unique in its own way, and how to useair conditioning in additional modes.
Choose the ones you like, and the consultant of the climate equipment store will suggest a suitable split model.
"Ionization". Turning on the mode implies saturation of the room with negatively charged ions (anions). On average, an air conditioner produces up to 20,000 of them per square centimeter. Such an amount of anions is found only in ecologically clean places. Anions have an antibacterial effect. The ionization function can be considered as an additional fine filter
- "Self-cleaning". When using this function, mold will never start in the air conditioner. The process lasts about half an hour: the blinds close and the indoor unit is blown, all moisture is removed, the heat exchanger heats up, dries, the air conditioner switches to FAN (“Ventilation”) mode, and the air entering the air conditioner takes all unpleasant odors with it.
- "Oxygen generator". Enrichment of air with oxygen, based on the uneven passage of gases through a polymer membrane.
- "Additional filtering mode". In many models there are additional filtration systems. For example, LG brought a plasma filter to the Russian market, Samsung - a bio-purification filter. Almost every brand has models with multi-stage filtration. Very useful option.
- "Fresh air supply". The function in systems with wall units is more advertising. Very small tube sectionthrough which air must enter the room. If this function is available, then it is used in air conditioners with multi-stage filters.
- "Night mode" ("Sleep mode"). Switching the air conditioner to the optimal sleep mode. The fan turns on in low noise mode. That is, its rotation speed decreases. In addition, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode, the temperature rises by 1-3 degrees for several hours. And when working in heating mode, it drops for several hours.
- "Timer". Allows you to turn on the air conditioner at a certain hour (for example, by the time you arrive at work) and turn it off at a certain time.
- "Forced cooling or heating". In some models, the mode may be called TURBO, in others - JET COOL. The essence is the same - for half an hour (after pressing the corresponding button), the air conditioner operates at a minimum temperature at the maximum possible fan speed. Used to quickly cool the room.
- I FEEL. In this mode, the temperature is measured not by the indoor unit's sensor, but by the controller's sensor. The most comfortable conditions are created in the place where the remote control is located, i.e. next to a person.
- "Smart eye". I SEE - volumetric temperature scanning sensor. Monitors temperature and humidity throughout the room. The air conditioner, receiving information, corrects the temperature by zones. I SEE prevents sudden temperature changes by synchronizing the operation of the fan andblinds.
Protection systems
Additional features enhance comfort. In addition, manufacturers install protection and control systems on air conditioners.
- "Defrosting (defrosting) the outdoor unit". The function turns on automatically when ice builds up on the outdoor unit. The split system starts heating the outdoor unit. Unfortunately, not all air conditioners have it. If the air conditioner you have chosen does not have it, then you can melt the ice on the outdoor unit by turning on the cooling mode for a short time.
- "Auto restart". The function of the air conditioner is to restore the settings after the power is restored during a power outage.
- "Warm start". Protection against the flow of cold air when switching to heating mode. The indoor unit fan will not turn on until the refrigerant warms up. With this option, it is impossible to get cold air on a person.
- "Compressor protection".
- "Self-diagnosis function". Breakdowns are diagnosed by a microcircuit built into the indoor unit of the air conditioner. The type of malfunction can be identified by the error code or by the blinking of the indicator lights.
- "Working at low temperatures". Air conditioners work stably during the off-season (temperature up to -7 degrees). If you want to be heated by air conditioning in winter, then you should purchase an inverter. Many inverter models can work for heating without loss of power at an outdoor temperature of -15 degrees. Air conditioners withwith an additional kit for low temperatures, they can also work at temperatures below -60 degrees. But the price of heat pump systems is several times higher than conventional air conditioners.
If the remote is lost. Turning on the air conditioner without using the remote control
There is another interesting feature of wall splits. They can be turned on in test mode, even if the remote control is lost. Under the front panel on the right side, covered with a plastic cover, there is an OPERATION or ON/OFF button. By pressing it, you can start the air conditioner without a remote control.
There is only one "but". When this button is pressed, some models turn on in "Auto" mode, but most in the mode in which they were working before turning off.
All modern air conditioners (from any price segment) have a complex and often overlapping set of functions: "Cooling", "Heating", "Dry", "Ventilation", "Turn on / off the timer", various filters … The difference between high-class models and simpler models - the percentage of defects in a batch of equipment and a service life guaranteed by the manufacturer. Brand choice is also important. But that's another story.
