Is it possible to turn on the air conditioner in an apartment with an open window?

Not everyone knows whether it is permissible to turn on the air conditioner with the window open. On the one hand, in the stuffy summer weather you often want to open the window for additional ventilation. On the other hand, most manufacturers threaten various penalties for operating their products in this mode (revocation of warranty, etc.). Let's be clear: you cannot open vents, transoms and window frames while the air conditioner is running in the room! And now we’ll tell you why.

How does air conditioning work?

To explain why the air conditioner cannot operate normally with the window open, it is necessary to at least briefly touch upon the operating principle of this device. Most air conditioners consist of two units, one of which is located in the apartment and the other outside it. In each of the blocks, heat is exchanged between air and freon, but the meaning of this exchange is different:

• In a unit located inside the room, cold freon cools the air, while it itself heats up.
• In the external block, hot freon gives off heat to the air outside, while itself cools down.

The circulation of freon between the blocks is ensured by a compressor. As a rule, it works periodically, turning on as needed. When the air in the room cools to the temperature set in the operation settings, the compressor turns off to save electricity.

Thus, most household air conditioners do not provide air flow from the street.They only organize constant circulation of air in the room through the cooling chamber, simultaneously filtering it through a mechanical cleaning unit. Recirculating air conditioners do not affect the oxygen content in the air in any way. This may cause a feeling of stuffiness.

In addition to recirculation units, there are supply and recovery systems. They can provide air from outside, “ventilating” the room. But most of these models belong to the industrial class and are rarely installed in residential buildings.

Features of operation with open windows

The operating principle of an air conditioning unit is identical to that used in a refrigerator. This means that an open window or vent creates exactly the same effect as an open refrigerator door. This mode of operation is fraught with several consequences:

• Since there is a constant flow of hot air into the room, the relay causes the compressor to operate in continuous mode. This dramatically increases energy consumption and will affect the amount on your electricity bill in the most unpleasant way.
• The compressor motor gets hot during operation. This heat is removed during downtime, allowing the air conditioner to operate for many years without breakdowns. But when operating in continuous mode, the motor does not have time to cool down. Overheating leads to rapid failure of the compressor.

In addition to the listed dangers that are common to air conditioners and refrigerators, there is one more that is specific to this device. The air passing through the air conditioner is passed through a filter system.Moreover, with constant circulation of the same air masses, the load on the filter unit is minimal, because all the dust is extracted in just 1-2 first passes. But the constant flow of air from the street also ensures a constant flow of dust. This means that the filter will clog much faster.

Even if you use the air conditioner normally, the filters will gradually become clogged. In order for the air conditioner to last for a long time, it is necessary to clean it regularly. The instruction manual will help you learn how to service each specific model.

A few words about the impact on health

In addition to the reasons associated with the risk of air conditioner failure, operating it with open windows can cause colds. According to the laws of physics, cooled air sinks down, so a convection cycle occurs in the room. Hot air coming from the street comes at head level, and cold air circulates near the floor, cooling the feet. This is why in the summer many people catch a cold while sitting in an air-conditioned room.

How to deal with stuffiness?

To make the room pleasant, it must be regularly ventilated. Here's what experts recommend for rooms with air conditioning:

• Ventilate according to a specific schedule.
• Open the window for ventilation for 5 minutes every 1–2 hours.
• Turn off the air conditioning system while ventilating. Restarting is only permitted with the window tightly closed.

By following these recommendations, it is easy to maintain comfortable conditions in the room. In this case, the air conditioning system will not experience excessive loads, and its users will not risk catching a cold or receiving a huge electricity bill.