Heating with air conditioning? Do you know the pros and cons?

Air conditioning is no longer just for cooling a room. You can also use it to heat your home. But what are the other advantages, and the disadvantages, of heating with air conditioning? Our article tells you everything you need to know.

Advantages of heating with air conditioning

Fast heating

Probably the most important reason to choose air conditioning is how quickly it heats. The air starts to warm up straight after you switch the unit on. So the first advantage of heating with air conditioning is that it also saves you time. If you have conventional heating, you know you have to allow for a delay, mainly because the radiators need time to warm up.

Low energy consumption

Another advantage is low energy consumption, which is also better for the environment. Compared with standard electric heating, air conditioning delivers roughly three times the output for the same consumption. When choosing a unit, you should also focus on efficient operation. This means checking which energy class the air conditioner belongs to. Experts generally agree that a modern air conditioning unit should be rated A++ for cooling and A+ for heating.

When heating with air conditioning, also keep output and noise in mind. A noisy air conditioner will not make your home feel cosy, and some lower-quality units may not have enough output.

Nature is a powerful sorceress, even when it comes to air conditioning.

The (wrong) choice for allergy sufferers

Every coin has two sides, and if you heat with air conditioning, you must keep the filters clean. Some manufacturers like to say in their promotional materials that air conditioning benefits allergy sufferers, but they somehow forget that clean filters are essential. Otherwise, your flat will become a breeding ground for bacteria. Do you know what Legionella is? The correct answer is a bacterium, and it absolutely loves air conditioning units. You may remember the case in the USA where an outbreak of pneumonia broke out during a convention of army veterans. The subsequent investigation identified not only a previously unknown genus of bacteria, but also that it had spread through the air conditioning. Yes, nature is a powerful sorceress.

Smart home

Modern controls, including a timer or remote control, make the system very convenient to use. You can connect your air conditioning to a smart home system, which means you always have control of all your appliances and devices at your fingertips through an app on your smartphone.

What are the disadvantages of heating with air conditioning?

Heating with air conditioning also has its drawbacks. For some people, they are quite serious.

The fan

Just one word is enough to make some people’s hair stand on end. Yes, it is the fan. Air conditioning works by blowing air with a fan, which some people may find unpleasant, especially if the unit is in an unsuitable place.

You will most likely have this unpleasant experience at work. I remember from my own experience an air conditioning unit mounted on the wall right behind my back. I don’t need to tell you how my neck felt about it.

Demanding maintenance

If you use air conditioning for heating, you will soon find out how demanding the maintenance can be. The filter clogs up very quickly, so you will have no choice but to clean it thoroughly at least once a month. As we mentioned, otherwise dust and dirt will start to build up in the filter until the air conditioner begins blowing them back into the room.

How much does heating with air conditioning cost?

And what about the most important item on the list, the cost of heating with air conditioning? You may come across information that the running costs of heating with air conditioning can be up to half as much. However, other properties differ. A heat pump is usually installed together with underfloor heating, where a lower temperature is enough to keep a high level of thermal comfort, but with air conditioning it is exactly the opposite. The warm air is blown directly into the room, usually just below the ceiling. It takes a while for the heat to spread through the room, so it will be cooler near the floor and warmest near the ceiling.

It goes without saying that during a power cut, air conditioning will not do much to heat or cool you. In addition, you cannot get away from the constant noise and moving air. In short, heating with air conditioning is a very interesting option, but you need to allow for a few specific features and for the costs.