Experiences of air conditioning in the home please

Hoploz

Our attic bedrooms are unbearably hot in summer so we are thinking of installing some sort of air con system. Where do we start?

Our whole heating and hot water system requires an overhaul. The attic rooms also stay pretty cool in winter. Any experiences or advice on systems which would both heat and cool efficiently, please?

missbiggles1

I have air conditioning units in the bedroom and living room which are reversible so also used occasionally for room heating when it isn't worth putting the central heating on. We've been very pleased with them and found them the cheapest way to heat a room.

casper_g

How well insulated are the attic rooms? If they're anything like ours were (1920s house, no insulation whatsoever) then improving the insulation should be the first step to making them cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Otherwise any heat you take out will get straight back in (and vice versa in winter).

GwylimT

We have air-con through our home (central air), its very good, we tend to only use the cool temperatures during the night otherwise it can make going out in hot weather a bit harder.

Hoploz

Thanks I will look into central air.
Missbiggles, do you know what sort you have please?

sk240

You want a split air heat pump system such as per the link, installed your looking at around £900 each though...

http://www.orionairsales.co.uk/toshiba-air-conditioning-heat-pump-wall-mounted-avant-ras-137skv-e6-35kw--12000btu-inverter-240v50hz-4037-p.asp

bmthmark

The person who mentioned insulation is spot on. Especially in relation to your attic room.
You can tell a well insulated property because in the summer it stays relatively cool and in the winter the heat stays in. Also if you still have any loft space left for storage you will notice a significant change in temperature between the loft space (for storage) and the actual bedroom.

If you get air con in especially for your attic room it will just be over powered by the heat.

Do you know how long ago the attic was converted to rooms?

DeliaEJames

Go with central air

missbiggles1

Hoploz wrote: »

Thanks I will look into central air.
Missbiggles, do you know what sort you have please?

I've got the sort shown in the other post, although different makes.

Hoploz

It was converted in 1983 so I'm sure the insulation isn't up to today's standards. But short of removing all the ceilings (it's a big place) there's not a lot I can do about that

If it was highly insulated wouldn't it lock the heat in to the upstairs, having risen from downstairs?

brightontraveller

In answer to question about heat there are many influence’s but if you don’t start with the important oe.g. insulation your pretty much wasting your time and money with a domestic air conditioner if as hot as you say it simply wouldn’t cope and commercial are often 3ph so unlikely going to be cost effective or even possible....