Living & ownership
The air-conditioner as winter heating: why the coast lives this way
Whoever spends a first winter on the coast notices that many flats have no radiators. Mild winters mean an air-conditioner in heating mode covers most of the season, and the European energy label helps understand differences between units.
Why this works on the coast
Climate data from the meteorological service shows coastal winters are markedly milder than inland ones, with few days below zero, so units operate in the range where they work best.2
In continental areas with long cold spells the same logic does not hold equally, which is why solutions in Zagreb and Split differ.2
What the European label says
Units carry the European energy label with efficiency classes separately for cooling and heating, and model data is public in the European product database.1
For winter use the class in heating mode matters, along with the sound level of the outdoor unit, because in winter the device runs daily and longer than in summer.1
The practical side
Neighbouring facades are the best guide: where outdoor units sit neatly below bedroom windows, residents have already solved heating this way.2