Comparison Gree Praktik Pro GWH07QA-K3DNA2C 22 m² vs Gree Smart GWH07QA-K3DNB6C 22 m²

Cooling and ventilation modes are in each model by definition. But air conditioners with humidification are relatively rare. For them, the opposite format is mandatory — dehumidification and heating.

- Cooling. The mode of lowering the air temperature in the room is the main function of any air conditioner. Note that conventional air conditioners, when cooled, also remove moisture from the air. However, due to a decrease in temperature, the relative humidity in this mode changes slightly (or does not change at all).

- Ventilation. The mode in which the air conditioner provides only air circulation throughout the room, without changing its temperature and humidity. Such a function can be useful, for example, for air mixing and temperature equalization; in addition, when passing through the air conditioner, the air is filtered, which is useful, for example, for cleaning from dust and smoke, or for ensuring hygiene in a room where a sick person is. Let us emphasize that ventilation must be distinguished from the fresh air intake(see "Functions"). The ability to add air from outside is rare and only in expensive models of air conditioners.

- Dehumidification. Mode for removing excess moisture from the air. This function works by condensing water vapour on the cold heat exchanger of the air conditioner; the collected mo...isture is usually removed to the outside through a drainage tube or accumulates in a special reservoir. Note that condensation also occurs in the cooling mode (see above); the dehumidification mode differs from it in that the temperature of the air passed through the air conditioner changes very slightly — usually by no more than 1 °C — but the humidity drops very noticeably.

— Heating. The mode of increasing the air temperature in the room. It should be borne in mind that most air conditioners with this function are not designed to be used as full-fledged heating systems - their task is to "help" such systems, as well as heating in the off-season, when the main heating does not work. In addition, the permissible outside temperature (see “Minimum t for heating mode”) can be different: for example, not every unit with a heating mode can work in cold weather. On the other hand, there are exceptions - powerful cold-resistant models, approaching the characteristics of heat pumps and withstanding temperatures of -25 ° C and even lower.

- Humidification. A need to increase air humidity often arises in winter. When the air is heated by heating devices, its relative humidity decreases (and the overall comfort in the room is associated precisely with relative humidity). In addition, in rooms where there are small children, it is recommended to specially humidify the air. The humidifying mode in air conditioners is rare and only in premium models. And for the operation of the humidifier, a supply of water is required, which must be monitored and periodically replenished.

— Fresh air intake. Ability to mix fresh air from outside with the air passed through the conditioner. Thus, models with this function not only change the temperature and humidity of the air but also additionally refresh it. On the other hand, mixing significantly complicates both the design of the air conditioner itself and its installation. Therefore, this function is rare, and mainly in models of the middle level and above.

— Automode. A function that relieves the user of the need to manually control the parameters of the air conditioner. It is enough just to set the desired microclimate in the room. After that, the unit will independently monitor the current conditions and select the desired operating mode. Most often, this function provides temperature monitoring and automatic switching between cooling and heating but advanced models may provide more advanced features, such as humidity monitoring with automatic dehumidification or even humidification.

— Night mode. A function that allows you to use the air conditioner as comfortably as possible at night. There are two main features of this mode. First, the fan speed is set to a minimum, which reduces noise and avoids strong air currents that can disturb sleepers. Secondly, the temperature change occurs very slowly and smoothly — by a couple of degrees within two to three hours; this is considered optimal for sleep. Additionally, in the night mode, a timer can be provided that turns off the air conditioner after 7-8 hours.

— Emergency heating. A function found in air conditioners with heating (see "Operating modes"); is intended mainly for summer cottages and other similar places that can be left unattended for a long time during the cold season. When using standby heating, the air conditioner maintains a low positive temperature in the room (about +8..10 °С). It is enough to avoid freezing of walls and damage to communications, and at the same time, energy consumption is low.

— Self-cleaning. The mode of automatic cleaning of the internal parts of the air conditioner — usually due to intensive purging with air. It allows you to remove the accumulated dust inside and dry out excess moisture and also prevents the growth of harmful microorganisms. At the same time, self-cleaning does not eliminate the need for full manual cleaning or replacement of working elements in the air conditioner filters.

Additional features provided by the device.

— Inverter control. The presence of a compressor with inverter power control in the air conditioner. Models without an inverter have only two modes of operation — full power and off, and the set intensity of heating/cooling is provided by turning the compressor on and off for certain periods. In turn, the principle of inverter control is to smoothly change the compressor power, which avoids constant switching on and off. It provides several advantages: minimal wear, no power surges and unnecessary load on the mains, as well as a comfortable (low and stable) noise level. The main disadvantage of inverter models is the rather high cost.

— Timer. A function that allows you to set the time for automatic shutdown of the air conditioner. Thanks to the timer, you can, for example, start the air conditioner before going to bed and fall asleep peacefully without worrying about turning off the device — it will turn itself off after a user-defined time. And in some models, the timer is part of the night mode (see below).

— Auto restart. Automatic restoration of air conditioner settings after a power outage. Simply put, when power is restored, a device with this function will continue to operate in the same mode as before the power outage.

— Air pollution sensor. A sens...or that monitors the presence of smoke, dust and other contaminants in the air passing through the air conditioner. The use of such a sensor can be different: some models can independently start the ventilation mode when pollution is detected, in others the sensor is only responsible for automatic shutdown, and ventilation must be turned on manually. However, this function greatly facilitates the monitoring of air quality.

— Motion sensor. A sensor that monitors the presence of people in the room. Using the location of people in the room, the air conditioner can change the direction of the flow away from people, thereby protecting against drafts. If the presence of people is not detected, then the air conditioner may switch to low power consumption mode and work not at full capacity, maintaining a comfortable temperature, and depending on the implementation of this functionality, it may even turn off if there is no activity in the room for a long time. It helps to save energy and provides an additional guarantee in case the user forgets to turn off the air conditioner manually.

— Vertical blinds drive. Recall that in most models the air outlet has the form of a slot, equipped with two types of blinds — horizontal (usually one), along the length, and vertical, along the height. By default, the motor drive has only a horizontal blind: this allows you to change the direction of the airflow vertically, as well as close the duct during non-working hours. However, some modern air conditioners (mostly wall-mounted, see "Installation") also provide a vertical blinds drive — it allows you to turn them from side to side, changing the direction of the horizontal airflow. It significantly expands the possibilities for setting up the unit for the specifics of the situation.

— Self-diagnosis. The ability to automatically detect malfunctions and errors in the operation of the air conditioner. The specific features of the operation of this function may be different: in some models, the “health” of the unit is constantly monitored or automatically checked at certain intervals, in others, such a procedure is only started manually. Usually, self-diagnostic systems can automatically fix minor problems that do not require external intervention. More serious problems are reported to the user by the device, for example, by an error code on the display.

— Control via smartphone. The ability to remotely control the air conditioner from a smartphone or other similar device, such as a tablet. Usually, for this, you need to install a special application on the device. Such control can be more convenient and intuitive than using the remote control — the application can provide various specific parameters and functions that are not available for the remote control (for example, the schedule of work by day of the week). In addition, through the application, you can monitor the operating parameters of the air conditioner in real time — the set temperature, speed, programme, etc. — and receive notifications of problems. And some models with this feature can even be connected to the Internet — and get access to air conditioning control from anywhere in the world where there is access to the World Wide Web. Connection with the control gadget can be carried out via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, depending on the model. For some devices, this feature may require the use of an external Wi-Fi module (see below).

— Wi-Fi module connect. Such equipment significantly expands the functionality: a Wi-Fi connection can be used to control via a smartphone or even via the Internet, to transfer statistics and other service data to external devices (smartphone, laptop, etc.), for remote diagnostics and troubleshooting, etc. The specific set of capabilities associated with the wireless module should be specified separately; however, this feature is typical mainly for fairly advanced models. Note that modern air conditioners can be equipped with built-in Wi-Fi modules. However, when buying such a model, you have to immediately pay extra for additional communication options, while with a separate Wi-Fi adapter, there is a choice — you can buy it both together with the air conditioner, and separately, later (or even not buy at all if this function turns out to be unnecessary).

— I Feel (remote control with temperature sensor). The presence of a temperature sensor in the complete remote control. Usually, such a remote control also has a separate button, when pressed, the air conditioner measures the temperature at the location of the remote control, that is, near the user. It allows you to more accurately control the microclimate than when using a sensor on the indoor unit — the device estimates the temperature at the user's location, and not at the installation site of the indoor unit.

Cooling factor EER provided by the air conditioner. It is calculated as the ratio of the useful operating power of the air conditioner in cooling mode to the electricity consumption. For example, a device that delivers 6 kW of operating power in cooling mode and consumes 2 kW will have an EER 6/2 = 3.

The higher this indicator, the more economical the air conditioner is and the higher its cooling energy efficiency class (see below). Each class has its clear requirements for EER.

It is worth noting that this indicator is considered not very reliable, and in the European Union another coefficient has been introduced that is closer to practice — SEER. See Energy efficiency SEER (cooling) for more details.

The heating coefficient COP provided by the air conditioner. It is calculated as the ratio of the heat output of the air conditioner in heating mode to the electricity consumption. For example, if a device consumes 2 kW and produces 5 kW of thermal power, then the COP will be 5/2 = 2.5.

The higher this indicator, the more economical the air conditioner is and the higher its energy efficiency class when heating (see below). Each class has its own clear COP requirements.

Note that COP values are usually higher than the values of another important coefficient — EER (see above). It is due to the technical features of the air conditioners.

It is also worth mentioning that since 2013, a more advanced and closer-to-practice coefficient, SCOP, has been put into use in Europe. See "Energy efficiency SCOP (heating)" for more details.

The general energy efficiency class that the air conditioner complies with in cooling mode.

This parameter is indicated by letters from A (highest efficiency) and beyond. It is directly related to the value of the EER factor (see "Cooling EER"): each energy efficiency class corresponds to a certain range of factors (for example, B — from 3.0 to 3.2). Specific coefficient values for each class can be found in special tables; here we note that more efficient air conditioners are more expensive, but this difference can pay off due to less electricity consumption.

The general energy efficiency class that the air conditioner corresponds to when operating in heating.

This parameter is indicated by letters from A (highest efficiency) and beyond. It is directly related to the value of the COP coefficient (see "Heating COP"): each energy efficiency class corresponds to a certain range of coefficients (for example, C — from 3.2 to 3.4). Specific coefficient values for each class can be found in special tables; here we note that more efficient air conditioners are more expensive, but this difference can pay off due to less electricity consumption.

The lowest outdoor air temperature at which the air conditioner can operate normally in cooling mode.

The need for air cooling arises not only in hot weather — for example, efficient heat dissipation is constantly needed in closed rooms with a lot of heat-generating equipment (such as server rooms). And the limitation on the minimum outdoor temperature is because a large temperature difference between the condenser (heater) of the outdoor unit and the environment can damage the circuits.

Note that in domestic air conditioners, this limit can be quite high — +20 °С and even higher (up to +25 °С); however, additional cooling is usually required for warmer weather, and such air temperatures are not so high as to cause significant discomfort. But in professional units, the minimum temperature for the cooling mode can be significantly below zero — up to -40 °C and even lower.

It is also worth mentioning that in the presence of a heating mode, the permissible temperature for it is noticeably lower than for the cooling mode. It is due to the difference between the formats of the air conditioner in these modes.

The lowest outdoor temperature at which the air conditioner can operate normally in heating mode.

Modern air conditioners with heating mode are quite cold-resistant appliances. Thus, models where this temperature limit exceeds 0 °C are rare. A lot of units, even quite inexpensive ones, have a minimum temperature allowed for heating in the range of -5 ... -10 °C or -11 ... -15 °C. Models with indicators of -16 ... -20 °C and -21 ... -25 °C, although much less, are still quite a few, and air conditioners capable of heating at -25 °C and below are very close in terms of capabilities to heat pumps.

A small screen installed on the indoor unit of the air conditioner. Such a display usually has basic functionality and displays a limited set of characters - numbers, some letters, sometimes also individual graphic icons. However, even such a screen can display quite a variety of information: set temperature, operating mode, timer settings, filter status, error codes, etc. Thanks to this, control is more convenient and visual.

— Hidden display. When switched off, the hidden info display blends in with the surface design of the indoor unit of the air conditioner and remains invisible. In active mode, the characters on the screen are visible through a certain place in the texture and all the necessary information is displayed on the display. On most models, the screen can be turned off using the remote control, and this feature can often be set to automatically hide after a certain period of inactivity, which will be useful at night.