air conditioning units (merged threads)

little_ole_me_3

I use my air con unit in the lounge & have the hose out of the window, it's about the same size as the ones you get on a tumble drier.

My OH keeps on about making a hole through the wall for it, but I not sure what you would do with it (the hole that is) during the winter months as we store the unit in the garage.

littlepockets

jackieb wrote: »

Thanks littlepockets - i've got them to send an e-mail if it comes back in stock. I never noticed that when I was on earlier. Let us know how you get on with it please!

The unit arrives Tuesday so I'll let you know how I get on. I forgot to go through Quidco but did pick up a free delivery code from the Discounts forum - every little bit helps

missile

It may cost a lot more, but a proper fitted unit will be much better and many can be used to provide heat in the winter.

The cheaper units can make a lot of noise, which may be a problem particularly if you are using it in a bedroom

mjr600

There is a huge thread ,started by me some time ago, regarding portable units and giving the best bang per buck. It includes deals found by others, peoples experience etc.

I have to say it seems units with low power are not well thought of. I have a 12000btu version and it chills rooms quickly.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=437558

jackieb

I've ordered one from Tesco today. Got free delivery too, thanks to a code posted on this site. It'll be here on the 26th. Fingers crossed that it does the job!

moonrakerz

The trouble is with using the hose supplied with the unit is that after a while it get very hot, so most of the heat you have extracted from the room is then radiated back into the room from the surface of the hose.

If at all possible, put the unit up against the wall and cut a hole through the wall and vent the hot air straight through the wall with as short a length of rigid plastic pipe as possible.

handyman.

Which? report : Portable air conditioners | 01 May 2007Best Buys

As the heat rises, avoid that panic buy you'll regret. We've found two portable air conditioners to allow you to sit back and chill.
We’ve tested ten typical portable units and have found four models which are a cut above. We plan to continue testing more air conditioners throughout the summer so keep an eye on these pages for updates.

Most of the air conditioners we tested did what they said they would - cool down a room. However, we found that the claims made by the manufacturers' didn't live up to reality in our test rooms. For a true picture, look at our cooling ratings.

In addition, some were very noisy as they went about it and you might wish to avoid these ones if you are looking for a quiet night's sleep.

By comparison, the four Best Buys both have high cooling capacities, meaning they can cool a large volume of air quickly.Finally they're not too noisy, and are easy to use.



Best Buys Olimpia Splendid Issimo 8HE
Price: £636
Score: 81%
This Best Buy is the clear winner in our test. It’s one of the best at cooling but, just as importantly, it’s by far the most energy efficient. This means it will be cheaper to run than others and also slightly kinder to the environment.

The creamy beige Issimo is pleasingly compact – it’s only 49cm high, about two-thirds the height of other models on test. This means it can fit neatly under a table and won't intrude into your line of vision as much as others.



Delonghi Pinguino PAC C110
Price: £300
Score: 73%
The Pinguino PAC C110 has a high cooling capacity and - while missing its claimed level – offers good energy efficiency.

DeLonghi’s Pinguino ranges have been around for several years and it’s one of the best-selling brands. Compared to the Issimo Best Buy, the silvery-grey DeLonghi has a more traditional look and feel. It’s very easy to operate, either using the remote control or the buttons on the machine’s control panel.



Amcor PLM12KE-410
Price: £400
Score: 70%
The Amcor PLM12KE-410 has a high cooling capacity and is easy to use.

It's a modern-looking air conditioner, in a silvery-grey finish and has several useful functions. You can set the air conditioner to switch itself off and on at specified times, which is a good way to keep track of usage and handy if you want the machine to cool as you fall asleep but then turns itself off. There’s also a night mode, which runs the air conditioner at a slower speed to reduce noise.



Omas Vision
Price: £800
Score: 70%
The Omas Vision isn’t a portable unit, but works in a similar way.

Instead, it’s a large wall-mounted unit which also has a heat option, so can double up as a heater in winter months. As with the portable units, you need to expel hot air but this unit has a shorter extraction hose of just 49cm which is designed for channelling through an external wall rather than a window.

jackieb

moonrakerz wrote: »

The trouble is with using the hose supplied with the unit is that after a while it get very hot, so most of the heat you have extracted from the room is then radiated back into the room from the surface of the hose.

If at all possible, put the unit up against the wall and cut a hole through the wall and vent the hot air straight through the wall with as short a length of rigid plastic pipe as possible.

I'm not sure if that will be possible. It's for the loft bedroom. As we live in a terraced house it would have to go through the roof tiles and the kingspan insulation we have. We had quite a few vents put in when we converted it and we had a roofer for that (not getting my OH to do it! :eek: )

It's an Amcor AMP10KM-410 model i'm getting. As long as the boys can get their room down to a decent temperature it'll do fine. They had a fan but that was just useless. Their bedroom was 31.5C a few days ago, and it's only June.

scarletjim

This thread has gone quiet recently, I wonder why... I've read through this one, and the other big thread about air cons, but still need some help. I know the basics, but:

I live in a relatively small flat (about 700sqft) that gets unbearably hot. As we are not allowed to 'DIY' the walls etc, I believe I have 2 options:

1. Buy a portable air conditioner big enough (say 15000 BTUs might do it) to cool the whole flat. Or:

2. Buy two smaller units, one for living room and one for my bedroom. (Other bedroom is not so important).

So, a few pointers needed...

With regard to Option 1, is it likely it would work with all the doors open in the flat to allow the unit to reach every room? Or would we end up freezing to death in the living room whilst only cooling the bedroom by a couple of degrees?

With regard to Option 2, how much room does a unit need around it? My bed is currently right up against the window, and due to the usual 1.5m hose length, I couldn't really put the unit anywhere other than right near the window. So the bed would have to move out a bit, but how much, as I haven't got much room to spare? I don't want to end up sleeping in the en-suite!!

With regard to specific products, these are probably not as good value as those listed already on this and other threads, but anyway...

http://www.asda-electricals.co.uk/shop?i=84ae387e2947ea8eff4cc88ec14b76cd&vp=5&bg=048&bp=plm12s&bi=0

Above, Asda are currently selling an Amcor model far cheaper than it is available elsewhere, seems to be £400 in many places, and haven't found it less than £300 anywhere.

Then, totally against the spirit of SME :rotfl: , for the very rich, vain and wasteful amonst you, take a look at this one:

http://www.meaco.com/proddetail.asp?prod=PCM15KEH

Not cheap, but far prettier than most models, and new for 2007.

Just thought I'd post those two examples of some pricier models, I haven't owned or tried them so I'm not recommending them, just adding more info for anyone who is looking...

jackieb

I would think if you could leave about 2ft around the a/c unit it should be okay.

Sorry, but I don't know the answer to your other question. My sons won't leave their bedroom door open, so I don't get the chance to find out if it would cool other rooms too.

Just to let you know, I got the a/c unit from Tesco and the boys like it. Ds says it's a bit noisy but as they don't sleep with it on it's not that much of a problem. He got his room down to 19C the other week, from 31C. He said he felt so cold he needed a jumper!