Why You Can't Turn On The Air Conditioner In Winter (at Subzero Temperatures)

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Why you can't turn on the air conditioner in winter

Can the air conditioner be turned on in winter, and if not, why not? This question is asked from time to time by the majority of users of this modern climatic device.

Why you can't use the air conditioner in winter

The question is not entirely correct. In fact, there are progressive models of air conditioners that are designed to work in winter conditions at temperatures down to -10 … -15 ° C. These are the so-called inverter air conditioners. And the Japanese Mitsubishi Electric Zubadan MUZ-FDVABH unit works even at -25 ° C. Of course, such devices are not cheap, and today we will talk about ordinary household air conditioners for mass use.

But they really cannot work at temperatures below -5 ° C. There are only two reasons for this:

• During the operation of the air conditioner, condensation forms, which under normal conditions is discharged outside the room by means of a drain pipe. It is clear that in the cold the condensate will freeze and form an ice plug in the discharge system. This plug will block the condensate outlet to the outside, after which it has two outputs:

  • Condensation seeps through cracks and leaks in the joints into the room through the inner case, creating increased humidity. And this, in turn, can cause the appearance of molds that pose a threat to the health of residents.
  • The resulting excessive condensate pressure will damage the air conditioner.
• The refrigerant contains a lubricant that lubricates the rubbing parts of the evaporator during operation. In cold weather, this grease thickens, which complicates the operation of the unit, shortens its service life and ultimately leads to the failure of the air conditioner.

Most models of domestic air conditioners can work either only for cooling, or for heating the premises. If the consumer has the second type of device, he needs to know that the air conditioner can be used for heating when the outside air temperature is not lower than 0 ° C, and for cooling - up to -5 ° C.

For heating an apartment in winter, it is better to use the heating devices intended for this.

Video: is it possible to heat the room with air conditioning

Do not use an ordinary air conditioner outside the window at subzero temperatures. Even if it does not fail immediately, its service life will still be reduced. It is much more convenient and economical to use heating devices intended for these purposes for heating premises, the range of which is currently simply huge.