Can I turn on the air conditioning in winter
Having bought a split system home, you suddenly thought about whether it is possible to turn on the air conditioner in the winter? The question is quite reasonable, because even the instructions and technical documentation for the purchased climate equipment indicate that the operating temperature range of reversible air conditioners (namely, they are most often sold and bought) ranges from -5 to +25 degrees. It turns out that if it’s -5 on the street, then the split system can quite cope with the function of heating the room. But what if there is not -5, but -30? Let’s find out how real the air conditioner is in winter.
Content
- What air conditioners are suitable for heating?
- Possible problems with improper use
- Preparing a domestic air conditioner for the winter
- Checking the air conditioner in winter
What air conditioners are suitable for heating?
Pay attention to the instructions for your air conditioner. Surely you will see there the parameters already announced above, well, or very close to them. If the temperature overboard is below -5, then the air conditioner will simply lose the heat output stated in the technical documentation. Sooner or later, it will completely decline to zero. But still, is it possible to use air conditioning in winter?
Household air conditioners cannot be operated at all in winter. The fact is that the oil dissolved in the refrigerant effectively “works” only at the parameters specified in the instructions. Violating it (instructions), you risk “losing” your friend forever, because the friction of the parts will occur almost dry due to thickened oil, and this will inevitably lead to rapid wear of the compressor and its final failure. This is why air conditioning cannot be turned on in winter.!
“Winter” temperatures for the effective operation of reversible air conditioners should not be lower than -5 degrees
But then another question arises: “Why do some companies impose the purchase of a special“ winter kit ”, which supposedly allows the air conditioner to operate at sub-zero temperatures without loss of heat output?” The answer is banal: “To cash in on those who believe this bike.” In fact, the low-temperature set consists of three devices: heating the crankcase, which prevents thickening of the oil, heating the drainage, which prevents the formation of an ice crust on the outdoor unit and a moderator of the rotational speed of the outdoor fan. These measures are aimed at expanding the operating temperature range of the split system so that you can use your air conditioner in the winter to cool the room, and not to heat it.
Thanks to the winter start-up device, the operation of the air conditioner in winter is possible, and not in the range specified in the instructions, but at much lower temperatures.
It turns out that the operation of the air conditioner for heating in winter is a myth? Not really! Some models of split systems, such as Mitsubishi Electric and Daikin, can be used for space heating even if the outdoor temperature is -25 degrees, which, you see, is a good achievement.
Mitsubishi Electric and Daikin conditioners can work even at a temperature of -25 degrees
Possible problems with improper use
It is worth knowing that turning on the air conditioner in winter can lead to a number of troubles, and their nature depends on the mode in which you operated it and what the outdoor temperature was like.
Heating mode, temperature below -5 degrees
- the external unit from the condensate released during the operation of the air conditioner begins to become covered with ice;
- heat transfer is deteriorating, heat production is decreasing;
- liquid refrigerant may enter the compressor, causing it to malfunction.
Cooling mode, temperature +5 degrees and below
- freeze the external unit and the drainage tube;
- compressor performance is reduced;
- increased risk of compressor failure when the air conditioner is turned on.
Preparing a domestic air conditioner for the winter
If the air conditioner does not turn on in winter, or rather, its operation is not planned, then it is worth preparing it for cold weather. To do this, you need:
- turn on the split system in the “Ventilation” mode for 2-2.5 hours to remove moisture from the heat exchanger of the indoor unit;
- clean the filters (you can do it yourself);
- close the outdoor unit with waterproof material.
Checking the air conditioner in winter
And one more relevant question for many was “for starters”: “How to check the air conditioning in winter?” You can only check it if the temperature in the street rises to the minimum specified in the instructions or if you have a “winter kit”. No other way!
So, if you bought and decided to install a split system in winter, when it’s 25-30 degrees outside, then you should either wait for the warming and then do the installation, or trust the company that sold you the climate equipment and turn on the system in the spring. Yes! And do not forget! Before checking the operation of the air conditioner in winter, make sure that the outside temperature is really that which corresponds to the parameters in the instructions.
