With the high energy efficiency of modern climate control devices, when with one kilowatt of electricity used it is possible to get 3-4 kilowatts of cold or warm air, there is a desire to use air conditioners year-round. But is it possible to do this and what is necessary to have in order not to bring the device to failure, you need to know in advance. Some models work in the temperature range from minus 50 degrees to plus 50, but they are very expensive. This is the latest technology. For simpler models there are special devices that allow you to turn on the air conditioning in the winter.
Is it possible to turn on the air conditioner in winter and at what temperature
Operating conditions depend on the specific model of the split system. The devices of the lower and middle price segment are designed for a maximum temperature of minus 5 degrees in the cold season. You can take a chance and turn on the equipment at lower temperatures, but a compressor breakdown is a serious thing, and repair is expensive. Find out what operating temperature range for this model of air conditioner is needed when buying. For cheap systems, it is small.
The average split system works for heating at a maximum minus temperature of 7 degrees.
Models of the Mitsubishi Electric brand are able to maintain an operating mode at temperatures up to minus 20 degrees outside the window. In the presence of a winter kit - up to minus 30.
Another Japanese brand, Daikin, also solved the all-weather problem for its split systems. Air conditioners in winter work for heating at a temperature of minus 15 degrees.
Before turning on the equipment for heating, you need to re-read the instructions and find out to what lower temperature threshold the device can be used so as not to damage it. There are two reasons why the air conditioner may break:
- Freezing of the drainage system. Condensate leaking into the street during operation freezes in the cold, liquid cannot escape.
- Oil freezing. Each brand has its own limit of lower temperatures, at which it thickens and can no longer perform its functions.
As a result of a violation of the rules for using the device in the winter, various breakdowns occur. If protective functions are provided, the equipment will simply turn off, which will save it from expensive repairs.
Heating is available only in spring and autumn, when the use of gas boilers is irrational, because they consume a lot of fuel. To warm the room a little - that’s all you can get from a conventional air conditioner. However, consumers want to cool and heat the room with the same appliance.
In winter, the efficiency of the split system is reduced if you turn on the air conditioner at minus temperature. Work on cooling in the cold season is needed only in specific rooms where equipment is located that has large heat dissipations and needs constant cooling. For these purposes, a winter kit has been created: to cool, not to heat the room. It includes the following components:
- A device that reduces the speed of the impeller. Thanks to him, efficiency is normalized.
- A device that heats the compressor crankcase. As soon as the compressor stops, the crankcase heater starts. Freon does not flow into it, the oil remains liquid, the refrigerant does not boil.
- Heater drainage system.Tubes and bathtubs do not freeze, condensate flows out unhindered. There are heaters mounted externally and internally.
Equipped with such a kit, the air conditioner can be turned on in winter without fear.
To warm a house or apartment in winter, you need to buy a very expensive model, or use an average air conditioner at freezing temperatures, which are usually in the off-season. At sub-zero temperatures, use it only for cooling equipment, for example, in server rooms, and it is imperative to install a winter kit.
What happens if you turn on the air conditioning in winter
The vaporization of the refrigerant for heat transfer is carried out at a temperature lower than that of atmospheric air by 5-14 degrees. Thus, even if the outside temperature is +6 degrees, the evaporation temperature should be negative. If you turn on the air conditioner in winter, a “snow coat” grows on the heat exchanger. The exchange of heat with the atmosphere is disturbed, the evaporation temperature of freon decreases, and productivity decreases.
The capacity of the heat exchanger covered with snow is not enough to evaporate freon. The refrigerant enters the suction line and from there into the compressor, causing water hammer.
Thus, air conditioning in winter can be turned on taking into account several negative points:
- cold performance drops significantly;
- the outdoor unit may freeze, the compressor will be damaged, or a water hammer will occur;
- if the heat exchanger is covered with ice, condensate flows down it directly onto the impeller, which sprays water in the room;
- compressor cooling is impaired;
- the compressor discharge temperature is exceeded, which threatens to melt the four-way valve;
- drain pipe may freeze.
How to use air conditioning in winter
Using the air conditioner in winter is possible under the following conditions:
- In order for the device to work safely, it must be used for its intended purpose - to cool the room. At the same time, the risk of breakage is reduced.
- A winter kit, heating compressor and drainage system should be installed. Even in the off-season, the temperature at night can drop by 1 - 2 degrees below zero, so it will not be out of place to secure the device if it is sometimes turned on for heating.
- The device must have a heating function as such in order to turn it on in warm mode. In hot countries, split systems are designed mainly for cooling, so all questions are asked by sellers when buying.
Cooling system manufacturers are focusing their efforts on designing a device that can efficiently work on cooling even in the most severe frosts. To heat a living room in Siberia, where frosts reach 40 - 50 degrees, any air conditioner will not even turn on, not to mention maintaining performance.
It is recommended to operate cooling systems in specialized rooms with expensive equipment alternately. The equipment is configured to automatically switch from one air conditioner to another so that they have the opportunity to rest and cool down. During periods of heavy loads, several split systems can work simultaneously in the server room, so all outdoor units must be equipped with heating elements for the compressor and drainage. The winter kit heats the oil first, so that the rubbing parts do not wear out, keeps the condenser tube warm, so that the liquid in it does not freeze.
Cold split system heating
Turn on the equipment for heating after cleaning the filters. Use ordinary detergents for the removable filter and special solutions for the fine filter, if available. With a vacuum cleaner, dust is removed from the indoor unit and turned on for a couple of hours in ventilation mode to remove moisture.
Check the device at the temperatures indicated in the operating instructions. Do this with the already installed winter kit. If you bought an expensive model that can work at very low temperatures, you need to clarify whether you need a winter kit, or is it already built into the external unit.
If operation is not planned, it is advisable to cover the outdoor unit with waterproof material.
When buying a split system in winter, installation is done when the outside temperature allows you to turn on the equipment. Do not expect that the air conditioner will work productively, heating the room to 30 degrees. All that can be expected is 18 - 23 degrees with a powerful compressor.
Air-cooled in winter
In some rooms, it is necessary to constantly cool the air, because there is expensive equipment. As already mentioned, most often these are server rooms that have large heat dissipation. With increasing temperatures in the summer, equipment can fail and disrupt the operation of the entire enterprise.
Similar equipment is magnetic resonance imaging in hospitals. These devices cost several hundred thousand dollars and are very expensive to install and repair. The task of the air conditioner is to protect the MRI device from damage, so it should work for cooling in both winter and summer. In summer there are no problems, but in winter you need to set the heating for the climate equipment and observe the temperature regime.
In areas with a harsh climate, it is better not to save on cooling electronic diagnostic equipment, since repairs will cost more than the most expensive model. The best are Japanese split systems, which turn on at temperatures up to minus 25 degrees, and with a winter kit up to minus 30.
In special rooms, several cooling systems are installed so that when any failure occurs, a spare can be turned on.
Features winter operation
To turn on the air conditioner to work in warm mode, find the necessary button on the remote control. In different models, it looks differently - in the form of an icon with the sun or with the inscription Mote, which means switching modes.
After pressing the split button, the system will start working on heating no earlier than 10 minutes later. The air in the room will warm up after 15 - 20 minutes. First, the external unit will work, then the internal one will connect to the work. Do not think that the equipment is broken, just the system should be prepared for work.
Problems and risks of operation
Without a thermal auxiliary pump, the oil will not be able to warm to the desired temperature before switching on. Compressor parts will run dry for some time. Friction of parts without lubrication increases and leads to wear. At certain temperatures, the viscosity of the oil increases, at which it is not effective. In this case, the compressor breakdown occurs gradually and depends on how much the friction parts will withstand.
A water hammer is the ingress of liquid freon into a compressor. Normally, the refrigerant should warm up and enter the compressor in a gaseous state. At low temperatures, the transition of freon from a liquid to a gaseous state is disrupted, which affects the operation of the valve system. When the pressure drops, less refrigerant than expected enters the compressor, the engine overheats and stops working. In this case, insulation damage and grease deterioration are possible.
At temperatures lower than recommended, the air conditioner must not be turned on if it is not protected.
To what temperature do air conditioners work in winter
When using powerful equipment, you can count on intensive heating of the room - up to 25 degrees, which is quite enough for a comfortable microclimate. The power of the equipment also affects the degree of cooling in winter.Good devices are able to maintain air temperature at the level of 18 - 20 degrees in a room with increased heat transfer.
Household split systems are designed to work up to minus 5 degrees outside. At lower, they refuse to turn on or freeze during operation. Dear brands with built-in winter sets turn on and work for heating or cooling at outdoor temperatures up to minus 30 degrees.
