Air Conditioning for Heating in Cheam

How reverse-cycle systems work, in simple terms

Air conditioning units that also provide heating work by reversing their normal cycle. In cooling mode, the system moves heat from inside a room to the outside. In heating mode, it works the other way round, drawing heat from the outside air and releasing it inside the room, even when the outside air feels cool. This is why the equipment is sometimes described as a heat pump.

This is a different process to a traditional electric heater, which simply converts electricity directly into heat, and it is why heat pump-style systems can be a useful complement to, or in some cases an alternative to, other forms of heating, depending on the property.

Switching between heating and cooling

Most systems allow you to switch between heating and cooling modes using the remote handset or wall controller, generally choosing the mode that suits the season or the immediate need in the room. Some systems can also switch automatically between modes to maintain a set temperature, depending on the model installed.

Defrost operation

In colder outdoor conditions, the outdoor unit can develop frost on its coil as it draws heat from the surrounding air. To deal with this, the system periodically runs a defrost cycle, during which the outdoor unit briefly reverses operation to clear the frost before returning to normal heating. This is a standard part of how these systems work and is not a fault.

Room control and comfort

As with cooling, heating performance in a room depends on unit positioning, room insulation, glazing and how warm air is distributed. We consider these factors during the survey so that any heating capability recommended is realistic for the specific room rather than assumed.

Seasonal use across the year

A reverse-cycle system can provide cooling through the summer and heating through the cooler months from the same equipment, which some households and businesses find convenient compared with running separate cooling and heating systems. Whether this fits your existing heating setup, and how it might be used alongside it, is something we discuss during the survey.

Sizing for heating as well as cooling

Sizing a system that will be used for both heating and cooling takes into account the room's insulation and heat loss in winter as well as its cooling load in summer, since these are not always the same figure. We factor both into our recommendation rather than sizing solely around summer cooling.