Patent ID: 8752397

Claim:
An air-conditioning apparatus, comprising: an intermediate heat exchanger for heating a heat medium and an intermediate heat exchanger for cooling a heat medium, each intermediate heat exchanger exchanging heat between a refrigerant and the heat medium different from the refrigerant; a refrigerating cycle in which a compressor, a four-way valve that switches an outlet side flow path of the compressor between at a time of heating and at a time of cooling, a heat source side heat exchanger, at least one expansion valve, and at least one of refrigerant side flow paths of the intermediate heat exchanger for heating the heat medium and the intermediate heat exchanger for cooling the heat medium are connected via piping through which the refrigerant flows; a heat medium circulation circuit in which at least one of heat medium side flow paths of the intermediate heat exchanger for heating the heat medium and the intermediate heat exchanger for cooling the heat medium, a pump corresponding to the intermediate heat exchangers for heating the heat medium and a pump corresponding to the intermediate heat exchanger for cooling the heat medium, and a plurality of use side heat exchangers connectable to the respective intermediate heat exchangers are connected via piping through which the heat medium flows; and at least one controller that controls a defrosting operation, the defrosting operation introducing a high temperature and high pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor into the heat source side heat exchanger via the four-way valve by switching the four-way valve to a cooling side and melting frost surrounding the heat source side heat exchanger, wherein the heat source side heat exchanger, the intermediate heat exchanger for heating the heat medium and the intermediate heat exchanger for cooling the heat medium, and the use side heat exchangers are formed in a separate body and adapted to be installed at separate locations, and the at least one controller is configured to simultaneously perform a cooling operation during the defrosting operation to circulate the heat medium between the use side heat exchanger in need of cooling and the intermediate heat exchanger for cooling the heat medium by driving the pump corresponding to the intermediate heat exchanger for cooling the heat medium, and a heating operation during the defrosting operation to circulate the heat medium having heating energy in the intermediate heat exchanger for heating the heat medium in the heat medium circulation circuit including the intermediate heat exchanger for heating the heat medium between the use side heat exchanger in need of heating and the intermediate heat exchanger for heating the heat medium by driving the pump corresponding to the intermediate heat exchanger for heating the heat medium.