Using Air Conditioning for Heating
A reverse-cycle air conditioner is a heat pump.
A reverse-cycle air conditioner is a heat pump. In autumn and spring it can warm a room quickly at good efficiency, which makes it far more than a summer appliance.
Why it heats efficiently
It moves heat from outside air rather than generating it, so the energy delivered exceeds the electricity consumed across most of the heating season.
Defrost cycles
In cold damp weather the outdoor coil ices and the unit periodically reverses to clear it. Brief pauses in heating are normal, not a fault.
Where it complements the boiler
Home offices, garden rooms and extensions where firing the whole central heating system for one room makes no sense.
Getting the best from heat mode
- Set louvres to direct warm air downwards
- Keep filters clean — restricted airflow hurts heating more than cooling
- Allow clearance around the outdoor unit for defrost drainage
Who does the work
- Gas Safe registered engineers — registration 554328
- REFCOM registered for F-Gas refrigerant work
- Worcester Bosch accredited installer
- John The Plumb Ltd, company registration 10026483
Year-round comfort from one unit
If you are considering cooling, ask us about heat mode too — it changes the value of the installation considerably.
Questions we get asked
Will it replace my central heating?
For a single room it can. For a whole house, that is a heat pump design question, not an air conditioning one.
Does heating mode use more electricity than cooling?
It depends on outdoor conditions. Very cold weather reduces efficiency and increases consumption.
Does the outdoor unit drip in winter?
Yes, defrost water is expected. The termination should be positioned so it does not ice a path or doorway.