Can the air conditioner be used in winter and at what temperature

With the high energy efficiency of modern climatic devices, when with one kilowatt of electricity you can get 3-4 kilowatts of cold or warm air, there is a desire to use air conditioners all year round. But whether this can be done and what you need to have in order not to bring the device to breakdown, you need to find out in advance. Some models work in the temperature range from minus 50 degrees to plus 50, but they are very expensive. These are the newest technologies. On simpler models, there are special devices that allow you to turn on the air conditioner in 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. Devices of the lower and middle price segment are designed for a maximum temperature of minus 5 degrees during the cold season. You can take the risk and turn on the equipment at lower temperatures, but a compressor breakdown is a serious thing, and repairs are expensive. Find out what operating temperature range for a given air conditioner model you need when buying. In cheap systems, it is small.

The average split system works for heating at a maximum minus temperature of 7 degrees.

Mitsubishi Electric models are capable of maintaining operating conditions at temperatures up to minus 20 degrees outside the window. With a winter kit - up to minus 30.

Another Japanese brand, Daikin, has also addressed 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 you can use the device so as not to damage it. There are two reasons why the air conditioner may break down:

1. Freezing of the drainage system. Condensation flowing out into the street during work freezes in frost, the liquid cannot come out.
2. Freezing of oil. Each brand has its own lower temperature limit at which it thickens and can no longer perform its functions.

As a result of violation of the rules for using the device in winter, various breakdowns occur. If protective functions are provided, the equipment will simply shut down, saving it from costly repairs.

Heating is available only in spring and autumn, when the use of gas boilers is irrational, because they consume a lot of fuel. Warming up the room a little is all that can be achieved from a conventional air conditioner. However, consumers want to cool and heat a room with the same appliance.

In winter, the efficiency of the split system decreases if the air conditioner is turned on at sub-zero temperatures. Cooling work in the cold season is needed only in specific rooms where equipment is located that has high heat transfer and needs constant cooling. For these purposes, a winter kit has been created: to cool, not 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 up.Freon does not flow into it, the oil remains liquid, the refrigerant does not boil.
• Drainage heater. Tubes and tubs do not freeze, condensation flows out unhindered. There are heaters installed outside and inside the line.

An air conditioner equipped with such a kit can be turned on in winter without fear.

To heat 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 subzero temperatures, use only for cooling equipment, for example, in server rooms, and be sure to install a winter kit.

What happens if you turn on the air conditioner in winter

Evaporation of the refrigerant for transferring heat 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" builds up 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 to the compressor, causing a water hammer.

Thus, the air conditioner can be turned on in winter, taking into account several negative points:

• cold performance drops significantly;
• the outdoor unit may freeze up, damage the compressor or water hammer;
• 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 disturbed;
• the compressor discharge temperature is exceeded, which threatens to melt the four-way valve;
• the drain tube may freeze.

How to operate the air conditioner in winter

The use of the air conditioner in winter is possible under the following conditions:

1. For the device to work safely, it must be used for its intended purpose - to cool the room. This reduces the risk of breakage.
2. A winter kit, a heating compressor and a drainage system must be installed. Even in the off-season, the temperature at night can drop by 1 - 2 degrees below zero, so it will not be superfluous to secure the device if it is sometimes turned on for heating.
3. 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 mostly for cooling, so all questions are clarified with sellers when buying.

Cooling systems companies are focusing their efforts on designing a device that can work productively for cooling even in the most severe frosts. For heating living quarters in Siberia, where frosts reach 40-50 degrees, any air conditioner will not even turn on, let alone maintain performance.

It is recommended to operate cooling systems in specialized rooms with expensive equipment alternately. The technique is set 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 operate at the same time in the server room, therefore all outdoor units must be equipped with heating elements for the compressor and drainage. The winter kit heats up the oil first of all so that the rubbing parts do not wear out, keeps the condenser tube warm so that the liquid in it does not freeze.

Heating with a split system during the cold period

It is necessary to turn on the equipment for heating after cleaning the filters. Use normal removable filter detergents and special filter solutions, if available.A vacuum cleaner removes dust from the indoor unit and turns it on for a couple of hours in ventilation mode to remove moisture.

Check the device at the temperatures specified in the instructions for use. Do this with the winter kit already installed. If you bought an expensive model that can operate at very low temperatures, you need to clarify whether you need a winter kit, or it is 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 carried out when the outside temperature allows the equipment to be turned on. Do not expect that the air conditioner will work efficiently, heating the room to 30 degrees. All you can expect is 18-23 degrees with a powerful compressor.

Air conditioning cooling 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 high heat dissipation. When temperatures rise in summer, equipment can fail and disrupt the operation of the entire enterprise.

Magnetic resonance imaging machines in hospitals are similar equipment. 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 machine from damage, so it must work for cooling both in winter and in summer. In the summer, there are no problems, but in the winter you need to put heating for the climatic equipment and observe the temperature regime.

In areas with harsh climates, it is better not to save on cooling of 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.

Several cooling systems are installed in special rooms so that in the event of any failure, you can turn on the spare.

Features of winter operation

To turn on the air conditioner for operation 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 button, the split system will start to work for heating no earlier than 10 minutes later. The air in the room will warm up in 15 to 20 minutes. First, the external unit will work, then the internal unit will be connected to work. Do not think that the equipment has broken down, just the system has to get ready for work.

Operational problems and risks

Without an additional heat pump, the oil will not be able to heat up to the required temperature before switching on. The compressor parts will run dry for a while. The friction of non-lubricated parts increases and leads to wear. At certain temperatures, the viscosity of the oil increases, at which it is not effective. In this case, compressor breakdown occurs gradually and depends on how long the rubbing parts will withstand.

Water hammer is the ingress of liquid freon into the 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 flows into the compressor than it should be, the engine overheats and stops working. This could damage the insulation and deteriorate the lubrication.

If the temperature is lower than the recommended one, the air conditioner cannot be turned on unless it has protection.

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 capacity of the equipment also affects the degree of cooling in the winter.Good devices are capable of maintaining the 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 ones, they refuse to turn on or freeze during operation. Expensive brands with built-in winter kits turn on and work for heating or cooling at outdoor temperatures down to minus 30 degrees.