A conventional split system is used at an outdoor temperature ranging from -5 ° to + 43 ° C. To cool the room in the cold season with a thermometer outside to -30 ° C, a low-temperature kit or winter package is installed in its external unit, which includes several separate components. It solves a number of important technical problems, which will be discussed later.
It is impossible to start the air conditioner in winter without such equipment, since this provokes a breakdown of the device in a very short time.
This article will discuss the most frequently asked questions regarding this equipment: what is its purpose, how is it arranged, how to install it, is it possible to operate the air conditioner in winter, not only for the cold, but also for heating with such protection.
Using the air conditioner in the winter
Before starting to study the main topic, it should immediately be stipulated that the use of a protective complex makes it possible only to cool the room in cold weather, while heating is excluded. Do not believe the reviews of users who installed a winter kit for the air conditioner and claim that they have successfully heated for more than the first winter. Even if the equipment does not fail immediately, frequent repairs are ensured in any case.
A device that ensures the operation of the air conditioning system for heat at low temperatures simply does not exist, since it is impossible to organize it technically.
The fact is that the working substance in the air conditioner - freon - absorbs heat and gives off cold when circulating around the circuit, due to which the air is cooled. If this process occurs in cold weather, the heat exchanger of the outdoor unit becomes too large or oversized. To resolve the problem, a rational solution was found - reducing its size by slowing down the rotation of the fan, which provides a moderator of rotation or the so-called variator. It is part of the winter package for air conditioning and supports the necessary blowing of the heat exchanger with a fan.
When the air conditioner operates to heat the heat exchanger, on the contrary, it becomes too small or oversized. A solution to this problem has not yet been found, since this node cannot be increased physically. From this we can conclude that the low-temperature package does not affect the quality of heating and is not able to provide it.
What generally happens when the air conditioner starts in winter for cold / heat when the thermometer shows below 0 ° C? For normal heat transfer, the phase transition temperature should be lower than the ambient temperature by 10-15 ° C. If on the street the thermometer shows less than 0 ° C, then the evaporation temperature will be minus. This causes freezing of the heat exchanger and a drop in productivity, since there is a direct dependence on the evaporation pressure.
There is simply a lack of power for normal evaporation, and freon begins to flow to the compressor suction.
Those who allow the air conditioner to be operated in winter without additional equipment run the risk of ruining the equipment, since most often when the temperature limits set by the manufacturer are violated, a hydraulic shock occurs, the compressor overheats due to the ingress of freon and its final breakdown.
Since it is impossible to increase the performance of the air conditioner when working on heating in cold weather with any winter kit, it is recommended to use heat pumps with an increased heat exchanger to obtain heat.
The design and purpose of the winter package
What is included in the standard winter package installed on the air conditioner? It:
- fan retarder;
- compressor crankcase heating;
- drainage heating.
The first component has a few more names that can be found in the instructions for installing the winter kit on the air conditioner or in professional literature: a fan speed variator, a condensation temperature controller and a fan rotation retarder.
Its purpose is to change the performance of the outdoor unit fan according to the pressure of freon and optimize the air conditioner in a wide range of outdoor temperatures. In this case, the fan can slow down or accelerate depending on the electric power going to its electric motor. The variator consists of:
- boards;
- connecting cable;
- temperature sensor.
The board is compact and mounted on self-tapping screws in the electronics compartment, where access to dirt, dust and moisture is excluded. For installation, special mounting holes are provided. It has silicone layer protection and intelligent control. A temperature sensor is required to monitor the condensation temperature. Regarding its measurements, either the device is turned off or the device is turned on. The colder, the more intense the work. When warming, as a rule, most modern winter sets have an automatic shutdown.
Heating the compressor crankcase provides a warm start to the air conditioner. It heats the oil in the crankcase to normalize its physical properties, thereby ensuring the correct operation of the compressor. If a cold start occurs, the oil foams and fills the compressor cavity, after which it breaks.
In split systems, moisture is removed from the indoor unit through a drainage hose, which is most often pulled outside. In winter, the condensate freezes very quickly. Heating the drain eliminates this problem by heating the outlet pipe. No frost will form on the branch, and condensation will not flood the room.
Most often, this element cannot self-regulate its work, therefore, when installing the winter kit on the air conditioner, a separate switch is provided for the user to turn it off when the temperature rises.
Installation and connection of the winter kit
Before proceeding to the consideration of the installation and connection of the winter kit to the air conditioner, it should be noted that it was originally intended for on / off models. In inverter systems, the need for a control board disappears, since the variability of the fan speed is already in the control unit of the external unit. They only require heating of the drainage and compressor case, that is, the installation is assumed to be truncated. Any installation and commissioning work begins with a study of the circuit diagram for connecting the winter kit to the air conditioner, which can be found in several places. For most devices, it is applied to the variator board or placed in the installation instructions for the winter package, which is included with the device itself.
Features
The circuit diagram cannot be uniform for all, therefore, in each individual case, use the option recommended for a particular model.
Why is that? There are many nuances here. The fact is that split systems that work only on cold do not have a four-way valve, so the process is simplified.In devices operating in the heat pump mode, this element is present, which somewhat complicates the installation and connection of the kit to the air conditioner. Depending on the number of fan speed modes, the installation can occur either in phase discontinuity or in neutral discontinuity. For some fans, the minimum speed mode corresponds to the minimum possible speed, so installing a fan rotation regulator may not be practical.
Compressor case heating and rotation control
So, the installation of the winter kit on the air conditioner begins with the disassembly of the outdoor unit casing. First, the module is removed, then the protective and top covers are removed from the service ports and the front panel is removed.
First of all, they fix the heating of the compressor crankcase. It is put on the lower part of the crankcase to heat the oil more efficiently. Constant voltage must be ensured. This eliminates the possibility of a cold start and foaming of the oil. After connecting the rotation controller to the open circuit of the fan. In start-stop models, this usually requires individual nutrition. It is taken from a separately laid wire.
Also, when connecting the winter kit, the variator must be simultaneously turned on with the start of the air conditioning compressor, while it should remain possible to restore the old split-system scheme in case of liquidation of the modification equipment.
The fan retarder has a temperature sensor. It is installed on the condenser, located in the middle of 1/3 of the upper part of the heat exchanger in the direction of the freon. This is where their optimal contact occurs, providing an accurate determination of the condensation temperature. The variator itself is installed and powered, focusing on the circuit diagram of connecting the low-temperature kit to the air conditioner, while it is better to fasten its wires with plastic clamps - so there will be less load on the terminals.
After connecting the power supply, an external unit is assembled, ensuring reliable fixing of all elements to their former places. Clamps connect the wires into one node, trying to fix them so that they do not come into contact with the device body and the connecting lines of the two blocks. Be sure to check the performance of the regulator by first starting the air conditioner in cooling mode, and then in heating mode. Readings are taken with a manometer or thermometer.
Drainage heating
Then install the heating of the drainage, securing it with plastic clamps to the drainage hose, and feed it. As a rule, if the external unit of the air conditioner does not have a power terminal, an additional power cable is laid along with the inter-unit cable. If there is a supply terminal, the heating of the drainage, as well as the heating of the compressor crankcase, is supplied from it.
At the end of the article, an approximate connection scheme for the winter kit will be given, which is suitable for on / off models. For inverter split systems, the equipment is first diagnosed and only then installed according to a suitable scheme. Some manufacturers produce air conditioners that are compatible with winter sets of the same brand only.
After all stages of installation are completed, you can start the air conditioner in operation, but for reliable operation in winter time, they also provide for external protection of the outdoor unit. In a private house, it can be put in a balconies space, and in an apartment building, the device is hidden under a special canopy, blocking direct access to precipitation.
Before mounting, it is necessary to study the product passport with a schematic diagram.
Reviews and cost
You can buy a winter package both separately and together with the installation. It is possible to purchase each item individually.The advantage of buying equipment with a service package is that the company gives guarantees for the work and the mounted equipment.
Depending on the configuration of additional equipment and the power of the split system, the cost of a winter set for an air conditioner and its installation varies on average from 6,000 to 10,000 rubles.
The most popular manufacturers of such optional devices are the following brands:
- Ballu;
- DAIKIN;
- Freonix;
- GENERAL CLIMATE;
- MIDEA;
- MITSUBISHI.
Judging by the reviews of customers and professional installers, winter sets for air conditioning of the BALLU and GENERAL CLIMATE brands are most in demand, since the ratio of their cost and quality is quite suitable for most users.
Separate components for a truncated installation, such as heating the drainage and compressor crankcase, temperature sensors, are produced mainly by Russian and Italian companies:
- NORTH-5;
- RDK-8.4;
- GPC-25X;
- FASEC-33.
The final cost of the package for air conditioning for winter start-up depends on the modification of the controller, the range of temperatures it supports and the maximum value of the load current. But in order to obtain an accurate figure, it is necessary to inspect the device by the master.
findings
For a household split-system, there is no need to install a low-temperature package, since the apartment is unlikely to need to start the air conditioner for cooling in winter, and electric heaters provide a productive and energy-efficient heating.
