Can you heat your home efficiently with an air conditioner?

Temperatures are dropping, and the heat is gradually being turned back on. But did you know that you don’t always have to turn on your entire central heating system to do that? If you have an air conditioner with a heating function, you can also use it during the transitional season to heat your home quickly and efficiently.

That's because a modern air conditioner also functions as an air-to-air heat pump. It extracts heat from the outside air and brings it indoors. But how exactly does that work, and when is it worth using an air conditioner for heating?

Heating with an air conditioner: How does it work?

When people think of air conditioning, they often immediately think of cooling off on hot summer days. However, many built-in air conditioning systems can also provide heat. Such a unit operates on the principle of an air-to-air heat pump. In the summer, the system extracts heat from the indoor air and discharges it outside. When you turn on the heating function, that process is reversed.

The outdoor unit extracts heat from the outside air, even when it’s cold outside. A refrigerant transfers that heat to the indoor unit, which then heats the room with warm air. So you use the same system to both cool and heat your home. Read more about it here.

Why is heating with an air conditioner a good option?

During the off-season, the demand for heat in the home is often limited. You don’t always need to turn on the entire central heating system to make it comfortably warm. With an air conditioner , you can heat a single room— such as your living room or home office —in a targeted way. It also works relatively quickly. You’ll often notice a difference in the room you’re heating after just a short time.

Can you also use an air conditioner to heat your home in the winter? 

An air conditioner can also provide heat during the winter, even when it’s freezing outside. However, its efficiency generally decreases as the outside temperature drops. In cold and humid conditions, the outdoor unit may also temporarily defrost. During such a defrost cycle, no heat is released into the indoor space for a short time.

Whether you can use it to heat your entire home depends, among other things, on the insulation, the heating requirements, and the system’s capacity. In some homes, it’s a full-fledged alternative to traditional heating; in others, it’s mainly a supplement.

Is heating with an air conditioner cheaper?

Whether heating with an air conditioner is cheaper than heating with gas depends on various factors, but heating with an air conditioner can be financially advantageous. An air-to-air heat pump transfers heat rather than generating it directly. As a result, the unit can deliver several kWh of heat using just 1 kWh of electricity. Exactly how much depends on the system’s efficiency and the outdoor temperature.

How cost-effective this is depends on your unit's efficiency, the outdoor temperature, and energy prices. Especially when you're heating just one or a few rooms, this can be a better option than turning on the entire central heating system.

Combining Heating with Air Conditioning and Solar Panels

Do you have solar panels? If so, using an air conditioner for heating might be even more appealing. When your solar panels are generating electricity, you can also use that energy to power your air conditioner’s heating function. This way, you use some of your own solar energy for heating and reduce the amount of electricity you need to draw from the grid.

Is this method suitable for every home?

Heating with an air conditioner offers many possibilities, but it isn’t necessarily the best solution for every home. Insulation, the size of the rooms, and the system’s capacity all play a role. In a well-insulated home, an air-to-air heat pump can be an attractive heating solution. In other homes, it’s best suited as a supplemental heating source.