In short. This is normal: in heating mode the unit first warms up the indoor heat exchanger and only then switches on the fan, so that it does not blow cold air. In cold weather this takes longer, up to 7–10 minutes. If there is still no warm air after half an hour, it is time to call a technician.
What happens in the first minutes after you switch it on?
Outside the compressor is already running, but the indoor unit is silent. It looks as if the air conditioner has broken.
“In heating mode the air conditioner has a longer delay. First it switches on, then the compressor builds up pressure in the coil, the sensor reads that pressure, and only then does the indoor fan start and the unit begin to deliver heat.”
— Egor Martynov, Director, Arctica Service (translated from Russian). Video, 32:36 · chapter on our site
This protects you from a blast of cold air: until the heat exchanger is warm, there is nothing to blow.
Why does it take longer in frost?
“Sometimes, in very cold weather, the compressor needs a bit more time to build the required pressure in the coils. And only then does the indoor unit start up to take that heat.”
— Egor Martynov, Director, Arctica Service (translated from Russian). Video, 32:36 · chapter on our site
The colder it is outside, the harder it is for the unit to extract heat from there, and the longer the warm-up. Every model has a lower limit down to which the manufacturer allows heating operation. If it is colder than that, the unit may not start or may switch off to protect the compressor. We show this figure on each model’s page.
| Model | Area | Heats down to | Heat, kW | With installation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDV Infini Nordic MDSAN-12HRFN8 | up to 35 m² | −30 °C | 3.81 | 13 099 lei |
| Gree Cosmo GWH12AWCXB | up to 35 m² | −25 °C | 3.8 | 15 400 lei |
| Gree Cosmo GWH09AWCXB | up to 25 m² | −25 °C | 3 | 14 210 lei |
| Gree Bora GWH12AAB | up to 35 m² | −15 °C | 3.4 | 13 530 lei |
Prices as of 24 September 2026, with full installation at 1 800 lei; heating limits are the manufacturer’s figures. All winter-ready models are in the “with heating” section; how to choose a unit for heating is in “Heating with a reverse-cycle air conditioner”.
How long is a normal wait, and when is it a fault?
The host asked directly: if the unit has still not started blowing after half an hour, is something wrong with it?
“Half an hour, yes. But for 7–10 minutes the unit may well be “thinking”. You think it is not working, but actually it is: the outdoor unit is running, the indoor unit just is not blowing.”
— Egor Martynov, Director, Arctica Service (translated from Russian). Video, 32:36 · chapter on our site
| What you see | Normal? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| After switching to heating, the indoor unit does not blow for a few minutes (up to 7–10 in frost), the outdoor unit is running | Yes | Wait |
| It was heating, then stopped blowing for a few minutes, steam rises from the outdoor unit | Yes, it is the outdoor unit defrosting | Wait, heating resumes by itself |
| No warm air for half an hour or more | No | Check the mode and filters, then call a technician |
| It blows, but the air is cool | No | Check the mode and set temperature on the remote; a dirty heat exchanger has the same effect |
| It switches off in hard frost | Depends on the frost | Compare with the “heats down to” figure in the model’s specs |
What to check yourself before calling a technician
- Mode. The remote should be set to heating (usually a sun symbol), not “auto” or cooling.
- Temperature. The set temperature must be higher than the room temperature, otherwise there is no reason to heat.
- Filters. Clogged mesh and a dirty heat exchanger stop the heat getting out.
- Outdoor unit. Make sure it is not buried in snow and has no thick ice at the bottom.
“People switch it on between seasons and the unit gives no heat, because the coils are completely clogged.”
— Egor Martynov, Director, Arctica Service (translated from Russian). Video, 27:07 · chapter on our site
If there is still no heat after these checks, book diagnostics for 350 lei. If the unit has not been cleaned for a long time, start with winter preparation for 1 200 lei: it includes a cleaning and a heating check. Other winter faults are covered in “Air conditioner not heating, leaking or showing an error”.
Article expert: Egor Martynov, Director of Arctica Service, refrigeration engineer (ONAFT, formerly the Odesa Academy of Refrigeration), in the trade since the age of 15 — he started out with his father.
The quotes come from our air conditioner podcast (video on YouTube, in Russian). Arctica Service has been on the Moldovan market for over 15 years.
