Often, when the cold season sets in, the question arises of whether it is possible to turn on the air conditioner in winter. This is due to the fact that heating with split systems is much more economical than electric heating. But for the correct use of the full potential of the device, you need to know a few important rules and strictly adhere to the recommendations of equipment manufacturers. The article will help you figure out which air conditioner is best for this. Photos of some specialized heat pumps will convince you that, in addition to functionality, industry leaders also pay attention to design.
Split system heating efficiency
When operating an air conditioner, heat is pumped from one medium to another. When working for cooling, it leaves the room into the external environment, while heating - vice versa. To do this, use the capabilities of the refrigeration cycle of the compressor. Interestingly, the efficiency of the air conditioner significantly depends on the outside temperature. For rateefficiency of thermal performance of domestic and semi-industrial systems, the COP (Coefficient of Performance) coefficient is used.
COP is calculated as the ratio of the heating capacity of the air conditioner to the power of the consumed electrical energy. The higher this figure, the better. For example, a coefficient of 3.6 means that 1000 W of electrical power is used for 3600 W of generated thermal power. In modern systems, this indicator can reach values of 5, 8 and higher.
Is it possible to turn on the air conditioner for heating in winter
Is any air conditioner designed for heating? In recent years, the vast majority of models for the European market are available with a heating function. There are also cooling-only models, but they are most often made for special applications (such as server rooms) or for hot countries.
To the question: “Can I turn on the air conditioner in winter?” - you can give a positive answer, but with some reservations, which will be discussed in this article. Air conditioning in cold weather can be used for both heating and cooling. There are fewer models available for sub-zero temperatures for the second purpose, and some of them need to be modified, which we will discuss below.
Heated with air conditioning
First of all, you need to make sure that the air conditioner can workfor heating. This is evidenced by the presence of a heat pump mode in the device. What the instruction manual for the air conditioner remote control should directly say, as well as the description of the split system itself. The heating mode is usually indicated on the button with a stylized sun sign or similar icon.
Next, you need to make sure that the split system can be operated at a specific outdoor temperature. Even the most simple and inexpensive devices work for heating in cold weather. It should only be noted that for such systems, the lower limit of the operating temperature is usually limited to -5 °C. Inverter air conditioners can be switched on down to -15 °C (some models down to -20 °C). And specially designed heating systems are designed to be used without loss of efficiency down to -28 °C.
Using the air conditioner for cooling in winter
Sometimes there is a need even in cold weather to use a split system for cooling. This is necessary if there are any powerful heat sources in the room and the temperature in it is increased even in the cold season. Most often, this can be server rooms, telecom stations, hot shops of restaurants and diagnostic laboratories.
In this case, you need to keep in mind that most fixed capacity air conditioners are not designed for cooling at outdoor temperatures below +15 °C, and some inverter systems are not designed for cooling below -15 °C. To use the air conditioner when the air parameters go beyond the set limits, a special modification is required: the use of a winter kit. ATit includes:
- crankcase heater;
- drainage heater;
- fan speed and condensing temperature controller.
Please note that this modification is only necessary when using the air conditioner in cooling mode at low outside temperatures.
Problems and risks of exploitation
You can often hear about such a problem: “I turned on the air conditioner for heating in winter, but the temperature in the room does not rise.” This may indicate both a breakdown of the device, and a lack of its power. Let's talk about possible problems when using air conditioners during the cold season.
Operation of the air conditioner must be carried out strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. When using a split system for heating in winter at a temperature below that set by the manufacturer, the following problems may occur:
- greatly reduced system efficiency;
- freezing of the outdoor unit condenser and fan failure may occur;
- due to the increase in oil viscosity, the compressor may break down during start-up.
In any case, you need to know that the use of the device outside the recommended temperatures is a violation of the manufacturer's conditions. The failure of the air conditioner is not covered under warranty.
Heat pump models
Let's consider whether it is possible to turn on the air conditioner in winter for efficient heating as the only heating system and what equipmentbest suited for this. Many manufacturers have in their range of air conditioners designed specifically for use in heat pump mode. They feature high efficiency and low end temperature.
Such systems include the following equipment:
- Mitsubishi Electric's Zubadan air conditioner series;
- Hitachi models using All DC Inverter technology;
- MHI Hyper Inverter air conditioners;
- Daikin's Ururu Sarara split system range.
Of course, any of the presented systems is a relatively expensive, but modern air conditioner. You will find photos of some of them in this article. No matter what type or brand of split system you use for heating, it is important to strictly follow all equipment manufacturer's recommendations.
