When purchasing a split system or a mobile unit, many buyers are wondering if the air conditioner can work in the winter, and what restrictions exist on its use.
Features of work
If we consider the mobile candy bar, then there are no special restrictions, since it works in the fan mode for heating, and the built-in heater is responsible for heating the air. They try not to use such devices for cooling in cold weather, since their efficiency is extremely low. As a rule, they do not require special preparation. The only thing that can be done is to close the air duct from the outside with a special plug so that it does not blow cold air from the air conditioner in winter.
With split systems, the situation is more complicated. Most two-component chillers can work not only for cooling, but also for heating. Such devices are called “warm” or “reversible” air conditioners. But most of them have significant limitations:
- cold operation is permissible at an outside temperature of +18 to + 45 ° C;
- functioning on heat is admissible at a temperature outside from +18 to -5 ° C.
But this applies to split systems with a linear type of compressor operation control. Inverter air conditioners can work in winter with more advanced indicators. Usually they cool at a temperature outside of -10 ° C, and warm to -15 ° C.
If the user needs cooling, even in winter the split is equipped with a low-temperature kit, which consists of:
- a fan retarder installed on the control board and preventing freezing of the indoor unit;
- heating the drainage connected to the drainage hose and preventing the drained condensate from turning into ice;
- heating the compressor crankcase, preventing the oil from thickening and preventing boiling of freon.
Inverter systems already have a program in the board that is responsible for slowing down the rotation of the fan, so the first component is not required to be installed.
Neither start-stop, nor inverter devices will be able to increase the temperature range for heating with this accessory, since it is not intended to solve the problem of the oversized evaporative heat exchanger operating as a condenser in heating mode.
Possible problems and malfunctions
So, when answering the question whether air conditioners can work in winter, in most cases a negative result will be obtained. It is explained easily. There are several reasons why you can’t use the air conditioner in winter if it is not provided by the manufacturer.
If a person decided to cool the room, then such consequences as:
- Efficiency decreases markedly, and work becomes ineffective;
- first, the drainage tube freezes due to condensate being released, and the outdoor module is covered with a dense layer of ice;
- the probability of compressor failure becomes very high, as cold oil loses its lubricating properties.
What happens if you turn on the air conditioner for heating in the winter in violation of the instructions? More often the following occurs:
- freezes the outdoor module;
- Freon can get into the compressor in a liquid state, and this is its 100% failure;
- Due to an unacceptable temperature difference between the heat exchanger and the street air, the heat output becomes zero.
It is such problems that can arise if you turn on the air conditioner in the winter and use it without a low-temperature kit in cooling mode or try to bask with the help of a split system that is not intended for this.
Sometimes users are faced with the fact that it blows out of the air conditioner in the winter with strong winds on the street. To avoid this, it is enough to cover the indoor unit with plastic wrap before the onset of severe cold weather or slightly unscrew the drainage tube to the other side, since it is usually through it that the coolness passes into the room.
If you wish, you can use other advice. If the air conditioner blows too much in the winter, they look for an opening for condensate drainage on the indoor unit and plug it with a rag. To find it, you need to remove the front facing panel and unscrew the screws on which the drain pan is mounted. Most often, such a "bath" is located under the evaporative heat exchanger.
The main thing is to remove all excess items from the system before the working season!
Some users complain that when working in winter, the air conditioner gurgles or squishes. In the event of the appearance of such sounds immediately after the compressor is started or turned off, you should not worry, since this is a variant of the norm for split systems of medium build quality.
If the air conditioner gurgles in the winter after a certain working time, then the following factors may be the cause:
- condensation accumulated in the drainage tube and froze;
- Freon line installation was carried out poorly - the wrong length was selected or there is no system evacuation.
Sometimes in the winter, the air conditioner gurgles when switching modes. This is not a malfunction.
Winter preparations
In many climate companies closer to the cold season, there are many requests for preparing the air conditioner for the winter. What is it like and can it be done independently?
Professional preservation
Professional services for preparing the air conditioner for the winter usually include the following list of works:
- pumping freon into the outdoor unit;
- complete blackout of the system to prevent accidental switching on;
- installation of protection for the outdoor unit from falling icicles in the form of a special iron peak;
- cleaning the indoor unit.
Although the whole list of the listed services is not always required. It is better to carry out a thorough cleaning of the room module with washing the filters, heat exchanger and fan before the start of the warm season, and before cold weather, it is enough to rinse the mechanical cleaning filters in soapy water. Freon pumping can be completely ruled out. As practice shows, he perfectly survives until spring without unnecessary manipulation. Professional preparation of the air conditioner for winter or its conservation is justified in the case of commercial or industrial equipment. In this case, the service department may refuse warranty repair if the device was not sealed before the cold. In order to re-open the equipment, you will have to contact the climate company again.
Self preparation
It turns out that you can prepare your home air conditioner for the winter yourself, but how to do it right?
- First, they turn on the split system for a couple of hours in fan mode, and then for an hour in heating mode. This will help to dry all the internal components of the device well;
- Wipe the dust off the outside of the device with a soft, slightly damp cloth. Professionals usually use microfiber for this;
- Washed mechanical cleaning filters in the indoor unit;
- Completely de-energize the system;
- Remove the batteries from the remote control.
There is no need to perform any additional steps in how to prepare the air conditioner for the winter. The only thing - for those who have a split system located on the windy side, you can think about warming the refrigeration machine.
Warming
What is warming the air conditioner for the winter and how is it done? The outdoor unit can be wrapped in a dense cellophane film, the indoor unit is either closed with polyethylene or a hole is plugged from the drainage drain.
There is no other way to warm the air conditioner for the winter, if we are talking about a split system. As already mentioned, the mobile unit simply closes the plug on the street side, and the window - it is advisable to cover the protruding part of the device outside with a film or warm material. Sometimes window monoblocks have to be dismantled for the autumn-winter period, since they can be conductors for the entry of cold air into the apartment.
Care
No special care for the air conditioner in winter is required if you do not plan to use it for the entire frosty period. It is enough to carry out preparatory work on cleaning and de-energizing, and in the spring to call the master for a comprehensive service.
If you use an air conditioner in winter, you need to take care of it from time to time - clean the external panels and mechanical filters of the indoor unit, and also, if necessary, rinse the fan and radiator of the heat exchanger in the room module.
The frequency of processing depends on the dustiness of the room and the number of people who are constantly there. If you have carpets, carpet, curtains and other fabric surfaces, you will have to clean at least once a month. With a small amount of dust in the room, it is often unnecessary to take care of the air conditioner in winter. It is enough to clean once a season.
The most basic point of quality care for the air conditioner is still compliance with the established framework, even for systems with an extended operating temperature range. It is also worth remembering that when you turn on the device in cold or heat, you should not keep the window and balcony door open.
Installation: yes or no
As a rule, in the cold season, the demand for the installation of split systems drops markedly. What is the reason and is it possible to install air conditioning in winter in cold weather?
An unequivocal answer to this question cannot be given, since the main inconvenience is associated with the purely human sensations of the installers themselves and some features of the crimping and evacuation of the circuit.
When crimping, it is important to maintain an even temperature of nitrogen in the tank and air in the street in order to check for leaks at all joints of the route. To create such conditions in winter is almost impossible.
After pressure testing, the circuit is usually evacuated using a vacuum pump, that is, excess moisture and air are removed. At subzero temperatures, the boiling of the refrigerant in the circuit not only slows down, but almost completely stops, as a result of which moisture often remains inside. It is risky enough to use a vacuum pump in frosts below -15 ° C. In an extreme case, it is necessary for him to ensure a constant stay in the heat before and after the process of cleaning the circuit.
You can install air conditioning in the winter, if you do this in two stages. The first stage involves gating the walls and laying freon tubes. The second includes all other work, namely:
- installation of both blocks and their connection between themselves by a highway and wires;
- crimping and evacuation of the circuit;
- commissioning.
Why it is impossible to carry out commissioning in cold weather? The fact is that this can be done qualitatively only when the air conditioner is turned on for cooling. A few minutes after starting up, check the functionality of the system: the temperature at the outlet of the evaporator and pressure. Accurate readings can only be taken at an outside temperature of + 20 ° C. The inclusion of a split system with unacceptable elevation of a thermometer on the street often leads to a compressor breakdown, so it is unlikely that any master will take on such responsibility.How to check the air conditioner in winter and pass the result to the customer? It turns out that nothing.
To these troubles is added another circumstance such as heating the valve on the outdoor unit, which is desirable to make a professional hairdryer with precise temperature control. Wires in cold weather lose their ductility and become stiff enough, which creates a certain discomfort during installation.
To say that it is impossible or impossible to install an air conditioner in winter will not be entirely correct, but still significant problems arise. If possible, experts advise to wait at least until April, when the average daily air temperature becomes positive.
