Patent attributes
An air-conditioning apparatus includes a heat medium circuit in which a compressor, a flow switching unit, a flow regulating unit, a gas header, a heat source-side heat exchanger, a distributor, an expansion unit, and a use-side heat exchanger are connected by a pipe, and during a defrosting operation to defrost the heat source-side heat exchanger, heat medium circulates, in order, the compressor, the flow switching unit, the gas header, the heat source-side heat exchanger, the distributor, the expansion unit, and the use-side heat exchanger. The heat source-side heat exchanger includes a first heat exchange unit, and a second heat exchange unit provided lower than the first heat exchange unit. The flow regulating unit is configured to, during the defrosting operation, regulate a flow rate of heat medium flowing through the first heat exchange unit and a flow rate of heat medium flowing through the second heat exchange unit.