The principle of operation of the air conditioner is to transfer heat energy from one space to another. The operation of the heat pump is limited in scope. If the passport states that the air conditioner works for cooling and heating, then its actions are limited to an outside temperature of -5 0 C. However, there are devices that operate at -15 and -25 0. So is it possible to turn on air conditioners for heating, which ones can work in winter?

The operating instructions say that with a reverse circuit, the air conditioner can operate up to -5 0, and in heating mode only up to 0 0 C. Experts believe that The best way keep the device working for many years, its conservation in case of negative outside temperatures in winter.

Is it possible to turn on the air conditioner in winter only for cooling? The evaporation of the refrigerant in the outdoor unit already lowers the temperature by 5-14 degrees. Even at positive outside degrees, the temperature in the evaporator is negative. The body is overgrown with an ice coat, heat exchange with external environment is disturbed, inside the evaporation temperature decreases, and not all the refrigerant becomes a gas. The gas-liquid medium, getting into the compressor, creates conditions for water hammer. A liquid plug will rupture the tubes or damage the compressor.

Using the air conditioner in winter and without an accident will create several problems:

• cold performance will be significantly reduced;
• if the heat exchanger is iced up, water gets on the fan blades and is delivered with the air flow to the room;
• the discharge temperature rises, causing failure of the four-way valve
• the drain pipe will become clogged with ice.

Air conditioning in winter can be turned on to how many degrees?

There are many reasons why an air conditioner for cooling should work at sub-zero temperatures. Therefore, there are ways to avoid an accident and make the device work in winter. Experts advise using several techniques that reduce the load on the compressor and prevent freezing.

It is necessary to reduce the fan speed by installing a condensing pressure regulator. This will decrease performance. By reducing the heat removal from the air flow, we reduce the freezing of the evaporator. The task of the electronic module:

• adjust the fan speed;
• maintaining normal freon pressure;
• prevent freezing of the indoor unit.

It is necessary to heat the compressor crater so that the liquid accumulated during idle periods does not boil during start-up and does not create a water hammer. A slight rise in temperature will make the oil in the friction units less viscous, making it easier to start. We note right away that inverter compressors that operate continuously are devoid of this problem. Therefore, the manufacturer allows their operation for cooling up to -15 0 .

Condensate drain pipes can freeze at a slight minus. In this case, the liquid will begin to come out into the room. You can prevent the problem by installing a low-power heater inside the drainage system.

All these additions are a winter kit and are sold for the operation of the air conditioner in the winter in cooling mode. In modern models, seasonal equipment is often already provided. Up to what temperature can the device be turned on? The best climate systems equipped with an inverter compressor can operate up to -30 0 С.

The principle of operation of the air conditioner in winter for heating

The air conditioner is a heat pump. Therefore, with a decrease in outside air, its performance decreases, despite the restructuring of the regime. The lower limit of the air conditioner for heat is 5 0 C. In winter, the icing of the heat exchanger causes jamming of the fan blades, breakdown of the electric motor.

However, air conditioners are constantly being improved. Thus, Mitsubishi has created a special series of Zubadan units, which can be turned on for heating in winter even at -25 0 . The units use special compressors with two fittings, two-stage pressure increase. Air conditioners are used for heating and hot water supply in winter in Japan and northern European countries.

But all this applies to split systems with an outdoor unit. And what prevents you from turning on the single-unit air conditioner located in the room for heating? At the same time, the heater is activated in the installation, and the heat pump stops. The work of a single-block room air conditioner for heating in winter is incorporated in the design.

What air conditioners can be turned on in winter

If the air conditioner has a heating function, it has a two-circuit freon circulation scheme, a four-way valve must be used. Such devices are more expensive than those that have one cooling mode. The operating instructions for the air conditioner contain the limiting temperatures of the outdoor air in winter for the operating unit. The difference lies in the use of inverter or conventional compressors, the type of refrigerant and the consistency of the lubricant.

If you need to switch on for cooling, you can use air conditioners with a special kit. So in winter they can withstand up to -25 0 C, working for cooling. But this applies to inverter devices.

There are special requirements for the operation of air conditioners in a car. It is believed that prolonged inactivity of this node contributes to its premature failure. Turning on the air conditioner in winter, at least once a week, is a necessary procedure. This ensures lubrication of the internal parts. When idle, a thin film flows down, leaving the rubbing surfaces defenseless at startup.

Inside the cabin, the air condenses, creating frost on the windows and trim. When you turn on the air conditioner in a closed space, it dries the air, removes frost from the windows. You can turn it on for heating in the car in winter. This happens at the same time, as soon as you press the button for heating the side mirrors. The air temperature at the outlet of the air conditioner + (10-12) 0 is sufficient to make the cold interior warm and dry in winter.

AT winter time the car air conditioner is harder to start. For a year, 10% of freon disappears from the system. In summer, the lack of coolant is not noticed, in winter there is not enough pressure to start. How to use it in winter? You need to heat the interior or turn on the air conditioner in a warm garage.

Is it possible to use an ordinary air conditioner for heating in winter

For winter heating you can use floor single unit air conditioner. Despite the fact that when the heating mode is turned on, the built-in heating element works, hot air evenly heats the entire area. Is it efficient in heating? A conventional oil cooler is more voracious, creates a small comfort center, the temperature is not regulated.

Is air conditioning necessary in winter? There are such jobs, especially in working with electronic circuits where excess moisture can condense on the insulation, causing a short circuit. Excessive humidity is harmful, as well as dryness in the apartment. This is no less true in winter than in summer.

Is it possible to turn on a two-block air conditioner in an apartment or office in winter? In cooling mode at an outside temperature of -5 0, you can turn on an unprepared device operating in summer mode. At lower temperatures down to -15 0, the inverter air conditioner can withstand, if it is written in the instructions. In winter, you can only turn on the air conditioner in the winter kit.

Gradually, split systems become more complicated, air conditioners are improved, and the time is not far off when boring bulky radiators in winter will replace a wall or ceiling air conditioner for heating an apartment.

Video

We offer to see what the transition scheme from cooling to heating in an air conditioner represents.

Air conditioning in winter

Most of the air conditioners produced today are models that operate, in addition to cooling, also in heating mode. In the so-called "off-season" - in spring and autumn, when full-fledged heating does not work - the function is quite convenient for the Russian consumer.

But is it possible to turn on the air conditioner for heating in winter, at a negative temperature ?

It is NOT RECOMMENDED to use most brands of air conditioners in winter in the HEATING mode, at sub-zero temperatures.

In the instructions, manufacturers of climate equipment always indicate the range of outdoor temperatures that is acceptable for normal operation technology.

So, for example, for- not lower than minus 5 С ° . But we still do not recommend turning on the air conditioner at temperatures below 0 C.°.

In case of problems with heating, it is better to purchase a convector, an infrared heater, a heat gun, a thermal curtain or others.specialized devices.

When using the air conditioner for HEATING at temperatures below 0 C ° the following problems occur:

• On the outdoor heat exchangerstarts to stand out condensate , therefore, at street temperatures of 0 С° and below, the condensate begins to freeze. As a result, the outdoor unit is covered with ice.
• As a result, the heat exchange deteriorates and the heating performance of the air conditioner is severely reduced.If liquid refrigerant enters the compressor, the compressor will fail.

When the air conditioner is operating for COOLING when the temperature is below +5 C ° :

The solution to this problem is the purchase and installation of a "winter kit".

The operation of a split system in winter is important in such premises as server rooms, base stations of mobile operators, mini-bakeriesor other rooms with large heat inflows, which require constant year-round uninterrupted cooling.

The kit includes:

• Fan Speed ​​Retarder: maintains the set condensing temperature, prevents freezing of the indoor unit of the air conditioner.
• Compressor crankcase heater: when the compressor stops, the heater is turned on to prevent refrigerant from flowing into the crankcase. It heats up the oil, preventing it from thickening. Boiling of the refrigerant and water hammer when starting the compressor does not occur.
• Drain heater: removes condensate from the air conditioner, does not allow water to freeze.

And most importantly, these kits are designed to operate the air conditioner in the winter oncooling, not for heating.

Air conditioner failure warranty

Turning on (split systems) at an outside air temperature below that specified in the instructions is a violation of the operating conditions and does not apply to the warranty case.

Preparing the air conditioner for winter

An important question is how to prepare the air conditioner (in this case we are talking about a split system) for the winter. At least what needs to be done:

It's time to take stock of the energy consumption of the energy efficient country house. Since the autumn of last year, a system for remote monitoring of temperature and energy consumption has been installed and configured in the house. Below I present to your attention the protocol of observations for the period from December to February.

Let me remind you some details of the project. For 2 years, I independently, without involving hired labor, built an energy efficient Vacation home total area 72 square meters. During the construction, modern technical solutions were used: a monolithic foundation slab with composite reinforcement, aerated concrete walls 40 cm thick without additional insulation, flat roof on a prefabricated monolithic floor. The concept of the entire construction is an apartment in nature. The problem was successfully solved in 2 years.

The Mitsubishi Heavy semi-industrial air conditioner, which is an air-to-air heat pump, was chosen as a heat source. Rated power consumption 2 kWh, energy transformation ratio from 2 (at -20 °C) to 4 (at +7 °C). Total budget for heating system with communications, including a ventilation system - about 150 thousand rubles.

The choice of heating system was determined by several factors. First of all, wood-fired heating sources do not fit into the concept of "an apartment in nature", because. they cannot work in automatic mode and require constant monitoring (at least once a day), and also add dirt and the need to create a warehouse for storage, not to mention a separate boiler room. The same applies to imported fuel (gas, diesel) - these solutions will require expensive infrastructure with minimal profitability. There is no main gas in the development area, so it is not even considered.

Electricity heating remains. But direct conversion electrical energy into heat is not profitable due to too high electricity tariffs due to the location of a country house in garden partnership in the Moscow region, plus available capacity limits (5 kW, 1 phase). The cost of 1 kWh in our case is 5 rubles. There is only one way to reduce energy consumption - using a heat pump. The air-to-air system is essentially an ordinary air conditioner that works on the “reverse”: it cools the street and heats the house. Effective operating temperature range (with tray heating): up to -25 °С.

2. The outdoor unit of the heat pump is very simple. To the right, behind the heat-shielding casing, there is an inverter compressor with crankcase heating (for the possibility of a safe start-up at low temperatures). Next to it is a complex system of freon piping, including a four-way valve (switches the air conditioner between "heating" and "cooling" modes). All electronics are on top. On the left is a heat exchanger, which, in the heating mode, acts as an evaporator - liquid freon evaporates in it and "takes" heat from the street air. Air exchange is automatically controlled by an axial fan.

3. Complex evaporator freon piping system. In operating mode, the evaporator freezes intensively due to a strong drop in temperature. The air conditioner electronics monitors the performance of the system and periodically turns on the defrost mode - switches the four-way valve to the "cooling" mode. The frequency of defrost cycles depends on the humidity and temperature outside. At negative temperatures, defrosting occurs approximately 1 time per hour and lasts about 5-7 minutes. For safe operation at temperatures below -15 °C, heating with a flexible cable is installed in the tray, because water from a defrosted evaporator may have time to freeze on the sump. I draw your attention to the fact that ice stalagmites form in very solid volumes below on the ground under the air conditioner (during this winter, a block of ice 1x1.5 meters 50 cm high was obtained).

4. The internal part of the system consists of a block with a high-performance centrifugal fan and a heat exchanger, to which a freon line is connected from the external block. The heat exchanger in heating mode is a condenser: gaseous freon gives off its heat and condenses into a liquid state. The duct system simultaneously solves the ventilation of the entire house. Above you see 3 main distribution ducts for all rooms. A suction duct goes down to the floor, the grille of which is lowered to the floor in the hall. This completely solves the issues of mixing warm and cold air in the house in such a way that the temperature difference between the floor and the ceiling does not exceed 1-1.5 degrees.

5. The air ducts in the rooms are laid either in plasterboard boxes (as in the photo) or through adjacent rooms. Thus, the height of the ceilings equal to 3 meters was preserved in all residential premises. Warm air comes from the grate in the upper left corner of the frame and, thanks to constant air exchange, heats the whole house evenly. The floor is warm, even where the tiles are.

For all the technical nuances, it is better to look at the relevant articles, links to which are at the end of the material.

It is also worth noting that a street air intake line with an electric duct heater is connected to the suction duct, and an exhaust fan is installed in the bathroom. This provides a constant flow of fresh air into the house in a volume of 60 cubic meters per hour. I will talk about ventilation and its role in residential buildings in a separate article.

6. To monitor temperature and power consumption, I use wireless sensors - they can also perform security functions.

7. Data on energy consumption are taken from the ABB C11 technical accounting meter with the help of a slight refinement of the door opening sensor. As a result, we have a complete minute-by-minute energy consumption protocol in the house. It is worth noting that at the moment, in addition to the consumption of the air conditioner, we record the total energy consumption of all electrical devices in the house. Including borehole pump, water heater, refrigerator, electric stove, duct heater, lighting, etc.

8. The WirelessTags system allows you to download the entire measurement protocol in CSV format and independently build tables and graphs in Excel. Alexey helped me solve this problem. svintuss . So, what data we visualized. In total, I have more than 10 sensors installed in various places and I selected the most interesting ones. Temperature and humidity outside (installed on the east wall of the house), temperature in the well (installed at ground level ABOVE the insulation plate), temperature and humidity in the house (sensor in the hall, next to the suction channel) and total energy consumption by day. Below are the average values ​​for temperatures (there is a small typo in the names of the last lines - Grand Total is the highs and lows for the entire period, and Grand by months is the AVERAGE lows and highs). Shown here is the data from December 5th (due to the fact that this is where I started monitoring electricity) to February 28th.

What conclusions can be drawn? The minimum temperature for this winter is -21.4 °C, the maximum is +11 °C. At the same time, the average temperature for the winter period was not lower than -5 °C. A strong drop in temperature occurs at night, but during the day it is still quite warm. These are ideal climatic conditions for the operation of an air-to-air heat pump. Also pay attention to the temperature in the well - this will give an understanding of the real depth of freezing of the earth (next year I will bury one of the sensors in the ground for observations).

As for energy consumption. We see that the total consumption for 3 months does not exceed 3000 kWh. And the monthly energy consumption is approximately 950 kWh. During this period, the house maintained a positive temperature of at least +16 °C. I would like to immediately draw your attention to the fact that these figures include the energy consumption of the duct heater on the supply ventilation, which takes about 30% of the energy. It is not profitable to install a heat exchanger on such small volumes, because its payback period will be more than 10 years. But it is necessary to heat the supply air. As well as it is impossible to block the supply ventilation.

Also note that the air conditioner absolutely does not care 0, -10 or -20 degrees outside. My operating record (last winter): -27 degrees! It works and its performance is sufficient to compensate for the heat loss of the building!

However, if we subtract the costs of fresh air ventilation, we can conclude that the monthly consumption of a heat pump to compensate for the heat loss of a building in the coldest winter months is less than 600 kWh, or 700 watts per hour.

9. Below are detailed graphs for temperature and power consumption. An air source heat pump achieves an average of 2.5 times energy savings. And given our high tariffs, it has already paid back half of its cost in two heating seasons.

What conclusions can be drawn? Air heating with a heat pump is profitable! And given that the system is part of the supply ventilation, this is doubly beneficial, because. Every home must have ventilation.

As for the comfort of use. Firstly, I want to disappoint everyone who screamed the most about the unbearable noise. Alas, inside the house it is quiet and comfortable even at the third fan speed (900 cubic meters per hour). Centrifugal fans are virtually silent and airflow rates are minimal. For comparison, we can confidently say that the noise in the hall next to the air intake at the third speed is quieter than the noise from the average static kitchen hood at the minimum speed! And in the living rooms, heating is not audible from the word at all. That is, on average, air heating in the house is virtually silent.

The only thing that can be heard is that the compressor on the outdoor unit is heard in maximum performance mode in the room located directly next to the outdoor unit.

10. This year, global work is planned to plant greenery on the adjacent territory, completion of finishing work on summer kitchen and finally - painting the house (now it is only puttied). In addition, there are plans to create a standard project for a country house with turnkey construction based on my house at a price of 2.5-3 million rubles.

To be continued!

ADDITION: A more detailed experience of three years of operation can be found in the article

New generation devices can be used for both cooling and heating. Based on this, many believe that split systems can serve year-round. Not everyone knows that such a statement is false. Let's try to figure out whether it is possible to turn on the air conditioner in winter.

In winter, the air conditioner cannot work

Device types

You can turn on the air conditioner in winter or not, it directly depends on its type. There are two subspecies.

1. Mobile. They have the appearance of a monoblock and are completely in the apartment. Such devices can be used without reference to weather conditions. This is explained by the fact that their performance does not depend on the temperature outside the house.
2. Split systems. In most cases, there are such installations, the operation of which is directly dependent on temperature regime outside the window. During operation, heat is exchanged with environment, for this their outdoor unit is placed on the street.

Arguing on the topic of whether it is possible to turn on the air conditioner at sub-zero temperatures, you need to clarify a few points.

Technical side

First you need to understand whether such a system can work at low temperatures. An important component of any air conditioner is the compressor, which is located in the outdoor unit. The compressor needs a special lubricant, the viscosity of which is directly dependent on the outside temperature. During operation at temperatures below -5 degrees Celsius, the lubricant thickens, which leads to rapid wear and overheating of parts deprived of lubrication.

Appropriateness of use

During the operation of the air conditioner in winter for the purpose of heating, the radiator performs the functions of an evaporator. The refrigerant, getting into it, should heat up, but due to negative temperatures, it freezes. Productivity decreases, and with the onset of severe cold weather is canceled.

Using such devices in the cold seasons, it is worth understanding at what temperature the air conditioner can be turned on.

Referring to the manufacturers' statements, it can be noted that the lowest allowable indicator is -5 ° C, at this temperature you can turn on the unit without hesitation.

Consequences of incorrect operation

It is important to understand why you can not turn on the air conditioner in winter. The drop in efficiency of this device will not be the only problem. For the compressor to work properly, the refrigerant must evaporate and then enter the suction pipes in a gaseous state.

1. If you use the air conditioner in heating mode in extreme cold, the refrigerant enters the evaporator, but due to the low temperature, it will not be able to heat up and become a gas. In liquid form, it enters the compressor, where a water hammer occurs, as a result of which the supercharger ceases to function, and then the apparatus itself.
2. Be aware of the danger of excessive thickening of the grease.
3. And also about the fact that the outdoor unit may become covered with an ice crust during use.

It is worth noting that using the air conditioner in cooling mode can lead to various kinds of problems:

• the risk of compressor failure increases when it is turned on again;
• decrease in productivity;
• freezing of the outdoor unit and drainage tube.

Having considered the possible negative consequences of such use, one can categorically answer whether it is possible to turn on the air conditioner in winter. It would be much more expedient to purchase a heater, the price of which is much lower than the funds needed to repair the compressor.

Freezing of the air conditioner is one of the consequences of improper operation.

Air conditioners suitable for heating

Is it possible to use the air conditioner in the winter in the apartment, without causing harm to it? You can, but you should strictly follow the rules prescribed by the manufacturer.

1. First you need to purchase a split system that will allow you to both cool and heat the room.
2. You need to pay attention to the indicator that informs at what sub-zero temperature you can turn on the air conditioner. For most models, the negative temperature limit is only -5 degrees Celsius. But there are models on the market equipped with an inverter that allows you to operate the air conditioner as a heater down to -15 degrees Celsius.

If the permissible temperature does not suit you, the air conditioner can be equipped with a kit designed for use in the winter season. This set consists of:

• drainage tube heating systems, which prevents it from freezing;
• compressor heating - this procedure will prevent the lubricant from thickening and damaging internal parts;
• board that will allow you to adjust the fan speed, this will reduce the risk of overcooling the refrigerant.

Preparing for winter

Even if the air conditioner is not in operation in the winter, you need to take care of its safety and carry out a series of manipulations that you can do yourself or seek help from specialists.

1. First you need to run the device in ventilation mode to remove excess moisture.
2. Then clean the filters. To do this, you need to open the top cover, under it you will see a filter that you need to pull out, holding it by the bottom. After that, rinse the dirty filter under running water and dry it dry. Then wipe the blinds with a damp cellulose washcloth and install the filters in their original place.
3. After cleaning, it is necessary to transfer the refrigerant to the outdoor unit, a specialist will help you with this.
4. And also many companies recommend installing a special protective visor that will prevent mechanical damage during heavy snowfalls and thaws.

The protective visor will protect the device from snow

conclusions

It is possible to use air conditioning for heating in winter, but only with strict observance of the temperature limits. When it is used in extremely low temperatures, numerous breakdowns occur, the repair of which will be expensive.

Optionally, it is possible to install a set of winter equipment, but even in this case, there are maximum permissible temperature values.

If you plan to use the system for heating, it is better to choose an option that will be designed for this purpose. Then you will not worry about the question of how many degrees you can turn on the device.

The initial task of a domestic air conditioner is to cool the air in an apartment, cottage or other private building. However, the now widespread split system can also be used in heating mode. However, not every model of this device is designed for this. And those in which such a function is provided by the manufacturer have a lot of restrictions on their use as a heater. In addition, turning on the air conditioner in winter in most cases is not recommended at all.

The principle of operation of the air conditioner

Each air conditioner has its own operating temperature range. Usually it is from minus 50 C to plus 35–40 C. But there are also devices designed to work in winter with a fairly severe frost - up to minus 20–25 C. To unequivocally find out at what temperature you can turn on the air conditioner, you need to look at this parameter in data sheet for the specific model.

Operating temperatures of the air conditioner when used in winter and summer

At the same time, it does not matter for cooling or heating this climate technique is used. If the device is not designed to operate at sub-zero temperatures, then the air conditioner cannot be turned on in any mode. It's all about the outer part, which is located on the street. Freezing equipment available there is contraindicated.

What to consider when choosing an air conditioner

During operation, the air conditioner does not produce "cold" or "heat". It only pumps thermal energy, taking it in one place and giving it away in another. When it cools, it simply absorbs part of the heat from the heat exchanger with the help of condensation on the heat exchanger. room air. And then he brings it to the external block and gives it to the street. When heated, the reverse process occurs - heat is taken outside and transferred to the room.

Temperature fluctuations in the room in winter

Cooling work in winter

Normally, the air conditioner is not used to cool the room air in winter. In winter, it is required to heat the premises more than to lower the temperature in it. Nevertheless, it can and will work in this mode with a slight minus outside the window. There are only a few points.

Operation of the air conditioner for cooling

Restrictions on the use of a domestic air conditioner in winter when it is too cold are due to the fact that:

1. In the compressor of the outdoor unit, from low temperatures, the oil begins to thicken, sometimes until it completely solidifies.
2. Drainage (a hose with dripping water) can simply freeze.

In both cases, the technique will inevitably break down. At the same time, the temperature outside the window “near zero” is not terrible for most air conditioners. They are quite allowed to turn on "in the cold" and in winter. Just don't do it too often. On the one hand, due to the thick, cooled oil, the compressor, after switching on, works with overload, and on the other hand, its efficiency at minus outside leaves much to be desired.

Temperature fluctuations in use different types air conditioner

Even if ordinary Appliances for air conditioning is designed to work in the winter, it will still not be able to function as efficiently as in the summer. If there are drops outside the window, then you can use it occasionally in case of urgent need. But here's what happens if you turn on the air conditioner in winter for cooling all the time, it's better not to find out in practice. He won't last long.

Optimizing air conditioner performance by adjusting the air flow

Heating work in winter

In addition to the above, the use of an air conditioner in winter for heating is associated with another nuance. When thermal energy is taken from cold outdoor air, it cools even more. As a result, the block on the street is covered with an additional layer of ice and snow, which are formed during this process.

The principle of operation of the air conditioner for heating

If the manufacturer allows you to run the air conditioner in winter for heating, then it is quite possible to turn it on. However, you need to make sure that the equipment on the street is securely fastened, and the fasteners used for this are able to withstand the weight of the ice formed on the case. This is not ventilation in a natural draft bath, where there is no outer part. Everything is much more complicated here.

Air conditioner air direction under different modes

The operation of an air conditioner (a typical split system) is designed in such a way that when it is on, it constantly pumps freon between the outdoor unit on the street and the indoor unit in the room.

When "heating" a lot of heat in winter from the cold atmosphere outside the window, he is simply not able to take. Therefore, in spring, autumn or during a thaw, it can be turned on as an additional heater. However, in severe frosts, it is better not to do this.