Features of using the air conditioner in winter and summer

What is the principle of operation of air conditioners in winter and summer? What do users need to know about the correct operation and purchase of HVAC equipment?

The principle of operation of the air conditioner winter-summer

When cooling and heating the air, the air conditioner uses the same circuit. It is based on the heat exchange between the liquid and the environment during the transition of the first from one physical state to another.

The main "working" body in this process is a radiator or heat exchanger. There are two of them, one is needed to boil off the refrigerant with heat absorption, the other for condensation with heat transfer. According to their function, the heat exchangers are called condenser and evaporator. And only the change of functions with each other determines whether it cools or heats the air conditioner.

In summer, the air conditioner operates in cooling mode: the outdoor unit acts as a condenser and the indoor unit as an evaporator.

In winter, the opposite is true. And you should remember: there are no special heating elements in the air conditioner for winter and summer.

Having carefully studied the technical data, we notice that when the air conditioner is operating in the summer, slightly less electricity is consumed than during heating. This happens because during heating, the pressure of the refrigerant increases, the load on the compressor increases, which takes more electricity.

Features of the air conditioner winter-summer

Equipment difficulties start in early fall or cold summer. The air conditioner must be switched to heating. The button on the remote control is pressed, the LEDs work, but the fan is stopped. Most users start to panic.

It is in vain. The equipment needs a few minutes to switch to heating mode.

Hot start mode starts. It takes these minutes for the heat exchanger of the indoor unit to warm up.

Air conditioner price winter-summer

In autumn, spring and cold summer, a dual-mode air conditioner is very practical.

Therefore, the demand for such models is much higher, despite the cost. The price of a winter-summer air conditioner is not less than 150 USD. higher than the “pure summer” apparatus of the same power. The ability to change the functions of the blocks is carried out by electronics and a number of mechanical spare parts. They cost money and the higher the class of air conditioners, the greater the difference between cooling and dual-mode models.

If the price of a winter-summer air conditioner is too low, you should refuse to buy this device.