Serious warning: Do not use this type of air source heat pump in freezing weather

State company promoting energy efficiency Motivates reminds that the air heat pump should be used within the frost limits of the device.

“There are significant differences between air heat pumps. Newer models produce heat efficiently even in severe frosts, and their efficiency is clearly better than older devices,” says Motiva’s website.

Motiva expert Brother Matti Virtanen tells Talouselämä that the frost limit is always specific to the heat pump.

“The new heat pumps work more efficiently at different temperatures than the old ones. No precise general instructions for the device’s age or outside temperature limit can be determined, but they can be found in the device’s user manual,” says Virtanen.

“For heat pumps that are more than 10 years old, I would take a closer look at these frost limits and the operation and use of the heat pump in severe frosts, for example, whether the heat pump shuts itself off using control automation, or whether the user is required to act, and at what temperature the heat pump can be restarted.”

According to Virtanen, the new heat pumps take care of turning themselves off when the freezing point is reached, but the user should read the user manual for newer heat pumps as well.

A company offering heating and cooling solutions Lämpöykkönen the website warns that air heat pumps intended only for cooling should not be used in winter.

“Although some air heat pumps specifically intended for cooling can also heat, using the cooling pump’s heating function is not recommended under any circumstances. If you use an air heat pump intended for cooling to heat, it will freeze and break,” says Lämpöykkönen’s website.

Lämpöykkönen’s website also tells about another serious mistake that the user of the air source heat pump can fall into in winter.

“The air heat pump should not be turned off in severe frosts (-25°C), as it can destroy the pump. When the heat pump is turned off, it cools down quickly. If it is started again in mild weather, the rapid heating of the device can cause its parts to break.”