Today, with a variety of brands and models of air conditioners, it can be difficult to immediately find the one that would suit you. Sellers praise their goods. Their split systems are, of course, the best. Manufacturers in every possible way highlight their brands, adding new features and modes. And for the buyer, the modes of operation of the air conditioner that he will use are important.
Why is knowledge of the modes useful?
The article does not give tips on how to calculate the power of the air conditioner for your room, where to install the split system, how to verify the correct installation. This is not an air conditioner instruction manual. The instruction is written individually for each air conditioner and describes the functions of only one model. It provides clear descriptions of the main functions of air conditioners. It is very convenient to compare equipment (even different price groups) and choose what you need, rather than overpaying for extra options.
The main modes of operation of the air conditioner
A household air conditioner is, first of all, equipment that maintains the desired room temperature. Air conditioners are controlled by remotes that are remote and stationary (wall mounted, for example). The purpose of all buttons on the remote control is described in detail in the operating instructions for the air conditioner. But it can be understood intuitively by the icons and inscriptions near the buttons on the remote.
Mode button
Different air conditioners can have very different sets of keys on the front panel of the remote. But everyone has one button. The button is MODE. Pressing it successively turns on the main modes of the air conditioner alternately: “Cooling”, “Heating”, “Auto”, “Drying”, “Ventilation”.
Features of the main modes
- "Cooling". The main function of the air conditioner. When it is turned on in the room, air cooling occurs . A sensor is installed in the indoor unit of the air conditioner that monitors the temperature change and sends a signal to the air conditioner when it changes. When working on cooling by successive pressing the FAN button, you can change the fan performance, and hence the cooling intensity.
- "Heating". The task is to heat the air in the room. Since the air conditioner is a heat pump, when working in this mode it will consume three times less energy than an electric heater. In this mode of operation of the air conditioner, you can also change the intensity of heating the room, changing the performance of the fan of the indoor unit, successively pressing the FAN button.
- "Ventilation". The air of the room is driven through the indoor unit of the air conditioner without changing the temperature and is filtered. In this mode of operation of the air conditioner, air recirculation occurs. There is no receipt or deletion.
- "Draining". In this mode of operation of the air conditioner, the icon on the remote control will look like a drop. In the drainage mode, excess moisture is removed. First, the air conditioner dries the air for ten minutes, then it does not work for 2 minutes and, finally, it works for 5 minutes in the enhanced purge mode. In dehumidification mode, by switching the fan speed, you can select the dehumidification rate.
- In the "Auto" mode, the temperature is automatically set to 22 degrees and the fan speed. The air conditioner itself chooses between the “Cooling” and “Heating” modes. Itself supports the given conditions. Changing any settings inside the "Auto" mode is not provided.
- SWING mode. Management of horizontal (in some models and vertical) blinds of the indoor unit.
Table of main operating modes
The table provides a brief description of the operating modes. This is like a cheat sheet on how to use air conditioning in basic modes.
Additional Modes
The main modes shown in the table are for all air conditioners. They provide minimal comfort.
Now we’ll talk about the options that make each air conditioner unique in its own way, and how to use the air conditioner in additional modes.
Choose your favorite, and the consultant of the climate technology store will tell you the suitable split model.
- "Ionization". Turning on the mode implies saturation of the room with negatively charged ions (anions). On average, air conditioning produces up to 20,000 of them per square centimeter. Such an anion quantity is found only in ecologically clean places. Anions have an antibacterial effect. The ionization function can be considered as an additional fine filter.
- "Self-cleaning". When using this function, the air conditioner will never start mold. The process lasts about half an hour: the blinds close and the indoor unit is purged, all moisture is removed, the heat exchanger heats up, dries, the air conditioner switches to FAN mode (“Ventilation”), and the air entering the air conditioner takes away all unpleasant odors.
- Oxygen Generator. The enrichment of air with oxygen, based on the uneven passage of gases through the polymer membrane.
- "Advanced filtering mode." Many models have additional filtering systems. For example, LG brought a plasma filter to the Russian market, Samsung brought a bio-filter. Almost every brand has multi-stage filtration models. A very useful option.
- "Supply of fresh air." The function in systems with wall blocks is more likely an advertising one. A very small section of the tube through which air must enter the room. If this function exists, then it is used in air conditioners with multi-stage filters.
- "Night mode" ("Sleep mode"). The transition of the air conditioner to the optimum mode for sleep. The fan turns on in low noise mode. That is, its rotation speed decreases. In addition, when the air conditioner is in cooling mode, the temperature rises by 1-3 degrees for several hours. And when working in heating mode, it drops for several hours.
- "Timer". Allows you to turn on the air conditioner at a specific hour (for example, by the time you arrive at work) and turn it off at a specific time.
- "Forced cooling or heating." In some models, the mode may be called TURBO, in others - JET COOL. The bottom line is that for half an hour (after pressing the appropriate button) the air conditioner operates at a minimum temperature at the maximum possible fan speed. It is used to quickly cool the room.
- I FEEL. In this mode, the temperature is measured not by the sensor of the indoor unit, but by the sensor of the remote control. The most comfortable conditions are created in the place where the remote control is located, i.e. next to the person.
- The smart eye. I SEE - volumetric temperature scanning sensor. Monitors temperature and humidity throughout the room. The air conditioner, receiving information, adjusts the temperature in the zones. I SEE does not allow sudden changes in temperature, synchronizing the operation of the fan and the blinds.
Security systems
Additional features increase comfort. In addition, manufacturers install protection and control systems on air conditioners.
- "Defrosting (thawing) of the outdoor unit." The function turns on automatically when ice freezes on the outdoor unit. The split system starts heating the outdoor unit. Unfortunately, not all air conditioners are present. If it is not in the air conditioner of your choice, then you can melt the ice on the outdoor unit by turning on the cooling mode for a short time.
- Autorestart. The function of the air conditioner is to restore settings after power is restored during a power outage.
- Warm start. Protection against the flow of cold air when switching to heating mode. The indoor fan will not turn on until the refrigerant warms up. With this option, getting cold air onto a person is impossible.
- "Compressor protection".
- "Self-diagnosis function." Breakdown is diagnosed by a microcircuit integrated in the air conditioner indoor unit. The type of malfunction can be found by the error code or by the flashing of the indicator lights.
- "Work at low temperatures." Air conditioners work stably during the off-season (temperature up to -7 degrees). If you want to heat the air conditioning in the winter, then you should buy an inverter. Many inverter models can work without heating loss for heating at an outdoor temperature of -15 degrees. Air conditioners with an optional set for low temperatures can work at temperatures below -60 degrees. But the price of systems with a heat pump is several times higher than that of conventional air conditioners.
If the remote is lost. Turning on the air conditioner without using the remote control
There is another interesting feature for wall splits. They can be turned on in test mode, even if the remote is lost. Under the front panel on the right side, covered with a plastic cover, there is an OPERATION or ON / OFF button. By pressing it, you can start the air conditioner without a remote control.
There is only one "but." When this button is pressed, some models are turned on in the "Auto" mode, but most are in the mode in which they worked before turning off.
All modern air conditioners (from any price segment) have a complex and often matching set of functions: "Cooling", "Heating", "Drain", "Ventilation", "Turn on / off timer", various filters ... The difference between high-end models and simpler models - the percentage of defects in the batch of equipment and the manufacturer's guaranteed service life. Brand selection is also important. But this is a completely different story.