Long Hot Summer - Portable Air Conditioning Units

Mathers_2

Makro's are selling portable air con units in their makro mail.

9000 BTU (16-30C) Energy A £149.99 +vat
12000 BTU (16-30C) Energy B £199.99 +vat

Both have Hitachi compressors

Also split units
9000 BTU (16-30C) Energy B/C £249.99 +vat
12000 BTU (16-30C) Energy B/C £299.99 +vat

Here's the link in their makro mail:

http://www.makro.co.uk/flash10/nonfood/page27.pdf

marct10

Im not too happy about having a window open all night, can the portable units vent up a chimney ?

mjr600

marct10

Interesting point, in theory, yes they could vent up a chimney, the expelled heat would simply rise in the normal fashion. I guess you just need to ensure you have a chimney to which the tube can be attached safely. The effect of the heat being drawn up the chimney will create a negative pressure thereby increasing cooling airflow into the room as air is pulled from other parts of the house to the room with the air conditioner.

Worth a try.

tallica_2

may be a silly question but,why does the op's 9000 unit cover a room 16m2,and the makro one 75m2 for the 9000 model?????im confused as to what the difference may be?

Andrew_G

I have a query folks, something that's long been puzzling me about Portable Air Con. Units.

If the unit needs the window open to vent warm air outside, what stops that warm air and the warmer temperatures outside in the Summer anyway getting back in through the open window?


My window is a large awning type (hinged at the top and opens outwards) and would not lend itself to blocking partially.
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:rtgCY5iyRSJyKM:http://www.loewen-window-centre.com/awning-last.jpg

hesjane

Andrew_G wrote: »

I have a query folks, something that's long been puzzling me about Portable Air Con. Units.

If the unit needs the window open to vent warm air outside, what stops that warm air and the warmer temperatures outside in the Summer anyway getting back in through the open window?


My window is a large awning type (hinged at the top and opens outwards) and would not lend itself to blocking partially.
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:rtgCY5iyRSJyKM:http://www.loewen-window-centre.com/awning-last.jpg

When we had portable air conditioning my husband bought a sheet of perspex which was fitted over the open window and was clipped on with a little twisting toggle things my husband had made (not very good at describing things - sorry). The perspex was therefore tight to the window frame and the window could be open behind it. The vent hose from the air conditioning unit was fitted into a hole that he had cut into the perspex (most portable units come with some sort of fitting kit just for this sort of thing, I believe). However, we have wooden window frames and it was therefore easy to add the wooden toggles to the four corners of the frame - I don't know what we would have done if we had UPVC or aluminium though. Also, it was a palava having to take the perspex down and secure the windows whenever we went out of the house.

I have nothing against portable units - they do the job. For personal reasons - the almost silent operation, the storage, etc. etc. I wouldn't go back to portable units. We have the 9000btu split units fitted in the bedrooms and during hot days I just open the bedroom doors, turn one unit on and the whole upstairs is kept cool (I have a four bed house). Downstairs we have one 12000btu unit in the lounge. We keep the doors open and whilst the lounge is the coolest room, the whole downstairs is comfortable, even on the hottest of days.

smsmasters

I'm sorry but I wouldn't even think about buying an air con in this country. It doesn't get that HOT in my opinion.

If we had a tropical climate where it is hot and humid day and night and you sweat profusely every second, then yes, but I think it is overkill to buy an air con in this weather.

Save the electricity and do your bit to save this planet from global warming.

[Deleted User]

hesjane wrote: »

When we had portable air conditioning my husband bought a sheet of perspex which was fitted over the open window and was clipped on with a little twisting toggle things my husband had made (not very good at describing things - sorry). The perspex was therefore tight to the window frame and the window could be open behind it. The vent hose from the air conditioning unit was fitted into a hole that he had cut into the perspex (most portable units come with some sort of fitting kit just for this sort of thing, I believe). However, we have wooden window frames and it was therefore easy to add the wooden toggles to the four corners of the frame - I don't know what we would have done if we had UPVC or aluminium though. Also, it was a palava having to take the perspex down and secure the windows whenever we went out of the house.

I have nothing against portable units - they do the job. For personal reasons - the almost silent operation, the storage, etc. etc. I wouldn't go back to portable units. We have the 9000btu split units fitted in the bedrooms and during hot days I just open the bedroom doors, turn one unit on and the whole upstairs is kept cool (I have a four bed house). Downstairs we have one 12000btu unit in the lounge. We keep the doors open and whilst the lounge is the coolest room, the whole downstairs is comfortable, even on the hottest of days.

I'm interested in air con. I had portable units previously which were plumbed through the wall and as i have to sleep off nights I found them too noisy.

Out of interest Hesjane -what's your electric bill like in the summer for running the air con?

ukdoctor

See my posts in this thread about my experience with portables

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=429921


I have found out that the trick to reduce the noise is to put it on full blast for 1-2 hours before I sleep and then put it in the lowest setting.

Slept like a baby last night

[Deleted User]

ukdoctor wrote: »

See my posts in this thread about my experience with portables

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=429921


I have found out that the trick to reduce the noise is to put it on full blast for 1-2 hours before I sleep and then put it in the lowest setting.

Slept like a baby last night

As I don't get home till 0700 I don't wanna wait 2 hours before going to bed. I've got rid of my units anyway and currently use a ceiling fan in the summer when I'm sleeping during the day. Although it only moves the air about and doesn't cool it - it DOES however cool the body nicely when you are lying beneath it. It also has 3 speeds including hurricane force.

And it is totally silent.

My portable units were trumped up as being an effective alternative to full air con - but almost as soon as they were switched on the noisy fans would kick in.

I didn't find them that effective to be honest - although having said that they were an 'end of line' sale item in B&Q a few years back so things may have improved since then.

From a moneysaving point of view - if you can put up with the heat the rest of the time and you only want the cooling aspect for sleeping better in the hot weather - get a ceiling fan. It's much cheaper to buy and run.