Can aircon heat the room during winter? This is a common question in countries like Singapore, where the tropical weather conditions make aircon a necessity. However, homeowners often wonder to know whether an aircon is enough to keep the temperature in check in all seasons or not. To answer this question thoroughly, you need to have some background of the aircon working methodology. Therefore, this article explains the aircon working process and the types of aircon that are capable of maintaining the temperature in all seasons.
Can Aircon Heat the Room?
In the scorching heat of Singapore, aircon is a must-have appliance to maintain the indoor temperature. However, when the monsoon season arrives, the temperature drops, and you need to maintain the temperature by heating the room.
The primary purpose of aircon is to cool the outside air and spread it in the room. Still, modern aircon units are equipped with the capability of maintaining the temperature by both heating and cooling. Understanding the working process of these aircon units is essential. Therefore, the subsequent sections will help you understand the working of aircon and different models capable of heating the room in the winter.
How Does Air Conditioner Heat the Room?
Aircon with the heating ability has the same working philosophy as that of heat pumps. A heat pump reverses its cooling by taking the heat from outside air into the home. This is all dependent on the direction of refrigerant flow. Therefore, a direction-changing valve is used to switch the cooling mode to the heating mode. In modern aircon, you can change the settings through Wif-Fi or remote control.
When the aircon cools the air, it absorbs the inside air and expels it outside. In heating mode, the direction of the airflow cycle is reversed. The refrigerant takes heat from outside air and releases it into the room. These modern aircon units are efficient because they only transfer it rather than generate it. Therefore, these units are generally more energy-efficient than the traditional aicon models and electric heaters.
Types of Air Conditioners with Heating Capabilities
It is important to note that all aircon units do not have heating capability, but it is limited to selected models. The aircon with heating capability includes a split system, multi-split system, ducted aircon system, and portable aircon units. Both split and multi-split systems work on the same philosophy, having one indoor and one outdoor unit for heat exchange of the air in both directions.
However, the multi-split system is used for multiple rooms because it has a single outdoor unit connected to several indoor units. Ducted aircon heat the home using a duct network. This makes them ideal for larger homes or buildings and provides a balanced and uniform temperature control in all parts of the house. Some portable aircon units also have heating capability, but they are limited as compared to other systems. Therefore, portable aircon units are used for small areas or rooms.
Benefits of Using Aircon for Heating
An aircon unit used for heating the room has a range of benefits. One of the primary advantages is the dual functionality. These units provide you with cool air in the summer and hot air in the winter. This eases the temperature control process and reduces it to only one installation rather than two. Moreover, the aircon heating phenomenon makes it more energy-efficient than conventional heaters. This is so because the aircon only transfers heat rather than generating it.
An electric heater needs to be controlled manually and an aircon can be controlled using the remote or Wi-Fi. Modern aircon units also allow the user to access features through smartphones. Furthermore, aircon units spread warm air to the entire room and not heat a certain part of the room, leaving the part colder.
Drawbacks of Using Aircon for Heating
- Everything in the world has some pros, but it also has cons. The capital cost of the aircon is higher compared to a conventional heater.
- The aircon requires regular maintenance for proper functioning. But that is something you have to do even if the aircon is only used for cooling.
- The heat pump phenomenon is less efficient in extreme cold conditions where the machine has to generate heat rather than just transfer it. This is a rare happening in the Singaporean climate.
- Some units make too much noise when being used in the heating mode. This can be frustrating, especially in the nighttime.
Practical Considerations for Using Aircon for Heating
When an aircon heats the room, there are several other worth noting considerations to keep in check. The AC heats the room according to its rating and capacity. Therefore, choosing the right sized aircon is an essential aspect. Moreover, proper insulation will help you maintain the indoor temperature in all seasons.
For knowing more about the aircon properties, LS Aircon Servicing Singapore can be your best professional assistance because of their experience in aircon installation, general services, aircon chemical overhaul, and aircon chemical washing.
Conclusion
Most of the modern aircon heat the room in the winter using the heat pump phenomenon. This makes them more useful to the homeowners in Singapore because an aircon is a must in Singapore, and to have another appliance an electric heater, you need to take care of both. On the contrary, the aircon does cooling in the summer and heating in the winter negating the need for an electric heater. The aircon heats the room with a better energy efficiency than the conventional heaters. However, they may not perform best in extremely cold conditions that rarely occur in Singapore.