Very few of us are lucky enough to live in an area where it’s gloriously warm and sunny all year round. So if we’ve doled out hundreds (or even thousands) on an air conditioning unit to keep us comfortable during the summer months, it surely isn’t asking too much that it is also able to keep us warm during the winter months right? Especially if we’re looking to tighten our purse strings. Boilers are not only expensive to purchase and install but they are obscenely expensive to maintain so choosing between an air conditioning unit and a heater should be a difficult one if you live in an area where the amount of cold days are equidistant to the amount of hot days. But that’s before you factor into the equation the fact that many air conditioning units can actually be used as space heaters too. But how does a device built to extract hot air from a room also provide heat? The answer is actually quite simple. In scientific parlance, the term ‘heat pump’ refers to a device that moves heat from one location to another location and by this definition, an air conditioner (and by extension even a refrigerator) is a heat pump as it’s used (traditionally) to create a temperate atmosphere by moving heat around.

Technically, any device that can potentially be used to provide heating and cooling to the same space is considered a heat pump and as the name suggests, this means that any heat pump can be used as a heater. The basic scientific principal is almost identical to the way in which the air conditioner works its cooling ‘magic’, only in this instance, the cycle is being reversed. To understand the basics, you really need to get your head around the ‘vapour-compression refrigeration cycle’, a principal which is the same whether your air conditioner is the size of a coffee table or a small car. The process works via a chemical refrigerant that carries heat from one part of the system to another and then releases it. First the chemical is compressed into a high pressure, intensely hot gas that is then pumped into a long tube called a ‘coil’. As the refrigerant (most likely a chemical called ‘Freon’) flows through the coil and heat is extracted through a fan. After it has cooled down, the gas is transformed back into a liquid state and is then passed into an expansion valve, which lowers the pressure of the chemical before pumping into the ‘evaporator’.

Effectively another coil, the evaporator is where the chemical turns into a gas by pulling heat from the air. As gas absorbs the heat, the cold air produced is blown into the room. It is essentially a complicated but efficient way of transferring heat from the inside to the outside.With the addition of a reversing valve, the flow of energy can be reversed, effectively transforming the air conditioner into a heater! Air conditioning units that are able to do this will have a specific ‘heating mode‘. When this mode is engaged, the flow of coolant shifts direction so that the hot coils become cold and the cold coils become hot. Whereas when it’s in standard mode, the cold air gets pumped into the room and the warm air gets expelled outside, when heating mode is engaged, the warm air gets pumped into the room and the cold air gets expelled. For two reasons really – the economic and the environmental (as well as the obvious extra space). A heat pump will generally use less electricity than a heater because conventional resistance heaters actually convert the electricity itself into heat.

A heat pump though is taking advantage of natural processes so the electricity used to operate it is only used to power the individual components in the device, not create the heat. This means heat pumps are far more energy efficient. Heat pumps are becoming more popular as we become more environmentally conscious and tighter fisted when it comes to where and how we spend our money. cheap ac repair chicagoThere are factors to keep in mind however if you’re considering jumping on the bandwagon.running an ac unit without a filter For one, even portable heat pumps need to be vented outside so there is always some form of ‘installation’ or ‘assembly’ required and even in heating mode, the air is still being ‘conditioned’ which means the humidity will still be removed from the air (so you’ll need to empty the ‘condensation tank’ on occasion). air conditioner outside units

Also a heat pump will not be as effective as a conventional heater if the temperature of the room is too low (below 45 fahrenheit) as it’s less efficient to move heat when temperatures are close to freezing. Of course if your unit is installed properly many of these issues will be circumvented entirely.  means that you’ll have an experienced, thoughtful staff on hand to show you how to operate your system and what to do if there are any problems with it. So is it sensible to use your air conditioning unit as a heater? Absolutely, but make sure you do your research first! AUTHOR: George Torres owns a small air conditioning company that actively promotes the use of air conditioners during the winter months as it can then be used all year round!This section will help answer some of the questions we are asked most often. Q. How big is the new M-Series indoor A. Mr. Slim's indoor unit is compact and mounts discreetly high on wall where it is mostly out of view.

Q. How big is the new M-series outdoor A. Mr. Slim's outdoor unit is not bulky like the conventional style units you are used to seeing. The unit's very thin profile allows it to be mounted discreetly along the back or side of theBecause the height is minimal, a small planting of shrubbery will also keep it from plain view for a more pleasing appeal. Please refer to table below for actual dimensions. Q. How quiet is Mr. Slim? A. Mr. Slim is designed to be quieter and more efficient than old window units, so you'll sleep easier with less worry aboutThe unit's fan is designed to deliver air quietly with only a gentle whoosh.  (That's why Mr. Slim is the first choice for thousands of churches, schools, and libraries.) Q. How does Mr. Slim work? A. Mr. Slim employs the same mechanical components as any basic air-conditioning system whose interactions cause the process ofMr. Slim is a split-ductless design, which simply means the indoor unit is separated from the outdoor unit and

is connected by a gas and a liquid refrigerant line. unit is considered the hot-side during the air-conditioningThe cold-side unit is located indoors. process the compressor reverses this operation, and the heat energy is evaporated in the outdoor unit.  Then the indoor unit collects this heat energy while a fan blows air over the indoor coil and distributes the warm air into the room. Q. What are the installation considerations for mounting the Mr. Slim M-Series indoor and outdoor units? A. The indoor unit is typically installed high on an exteriorAn exterior wall allows for easy connections between the indoor and outdoor units. The indoor unit is suspended on a wall bracket that is first mounted and secured to the wall. indoor unit is so light, there is not significant pressure placedThe indoor unit is mounted horizontally and must beFor the best circulation and air distribution the unit should be at least seven feet high or six inches below an

The outdoor unit should be mounted in a convenient location to allow for easy connection to the indoor unit. place the outdoor unit up to 49 feet away from the indoor unit ifThe outdoor unit can be placed close to the wall but must have at least a foot away. The outdoor unit should be mounted on a concrete pad to assure level footing. The fan outlet should be facing away from the home or the unit can be mounted perpendicular Q. What color is the M-Series indoor unit? A. The units are white with varying degrees of brightness across Q. Why do you need a three-inch opening in the wall to A. Unlike window units or hotel style units, which require a large wall or window opening to be cut, Mr. Slim only requires aThis opening in the wall is necessary to allow the refrigerant lines and the wiring to connect the indoor unit to the outdoor unit. This opening is sealed and insulated by your installing contractor so no drafty air leaks or water from

Q. What is the I FEEL mode on the M-Series remote A. This answer applies to all newer M-Series equipment. function samples the indoor temperature for 2 minutes and then based on that temperature chooses the mode the unit will operateIf the temperature in the room is more than 79 degrees it will be set in the Cool mode at 75 degrees. If the room temperature is 77 to 79 it will be set to the Cool mode minus 4 degrees of theIf the temperature sensed is 73 to 77 degrees then the unit will be set in the Dry mode minus 4 degrees of the current room temperature. If the room temperature is less than 73 degrees then the unit will be set in the Heat mode. "I Feel" mode the temperature display disappears and pressing the "Too Warm" or "Too Cool" button will change the set point by 2-4 Q. Why should I consider buying Mr. Slim? Mitsubishi Electric is the industry leader in ductless airOur innovations have defined cutting edgeCompare and you'll see no one surpasses Mr.

Slim's performance for quiet, easy-to-use energy efficientAnd since our ductless technology carries the Mitsubishi Electric name, you know every unit is built to last. line is that Mr. Slim delivers the ultimate control of comfort for your home or office. It's true today and will be comfortably self-evident for years to come. Mr. Slim provides all of these important Quiet and efficient operation: Mr. Slim runs at as little as 26This means that you can hold a quiet conversation or sleep without having to worry about the air conditioner interrupting No ductwork is required: You will not have to tear up walls or add expensive ductwork to basement remodels Will not take up a window:  If you take as much pride in your landscape as you do your home, you will appreciate that you can enjoy your handy work from the inside now that you have gotten your window view back. If you own a window unit then you are also concerned with the security issue of someone taking it out and

coming inside your home. Mr. Slim eliminates this concern. Effective zone cooling and heating: True zoning means that you can tailor individual rooms to your personal comfort tastes. Perhaps you prefer it cooler in the bedroom or kitchen. not use your guestrooms, dining room, or bonus room regularly, why cool them day-in, day-out? Versatility: You can air condition spaces you at first thought impossible because there is no space for ductwork and you don't want a window unit. Both at the home or office, Mr. Slim is flexible enough to work in almost any room environment. Remote controlled operation and timer functions: With Mr. Slim, you can control your comfort from across the room. comes with a wireless remote controller that gives you control of temperature, fan speed, vane operation and more. function means that you can set Mr. Slim to operate when you needFor example, if you know you arrive home from the office

around 6:00 PM, you can set Mr. Slim to turn on at 5:00PM to begin cooling before you get there. This means that you are not cooling or heating your home while you're not there, which saves you Q. PURY-100/80TMU related: What type of communications is used with the City Multi systems? A. City Multi uses a 24 to 30 volts D.C. digital communication called Mitsubishi Network (M-net). This network voltage is generated from the outdoor unit to the B.C. controller and all theThis allows for constant communication between all components in the system that operate via the M-net. Q. PURY-100/80TMU related: Do you require a special control wiring type for the M-Net?It must be a #16 or #18 gauge, two conductor, stranded and Q. PURY-100/80TMU related: Do you need to ground the shielded cable?However it will only go to earth ground at the outdoor unit, no where else. Q. PURY-100/80TMU related: What is the best way to wire