Cooling towers???

Brie

Given the hot weather I am wondering about purchasing something like an air conditioner to make it easier to cope. (I don't do hot)

The air cons seem quite big and bulky and the alternative seems to be an air cooling tower fan (example in the link).

Has anyone tried these? Are they effective? And easy to move???

John Lewis Water Tank Air Cooler Fan, White

michael1234

I have split air conditioners that work very well but I actually bought them for top up heating in the winter when I didn't want to put on the entire house heating e.g. if it is late at night and folk are sleeping. They are essentially air to air heat pumps and are very efficient.

mark_cycling00

This looks awful for a heat wave. It's adding humidity into the room.

I have one of those big Aircon units with a pipe for the hot air that you hang out of the window.

Its going to cost 25p an hour to use but it throws out cold air at 15degrees and after an hour it's made a huge difference.

Was a pair to carry upstairs and it has to live in the back of a wardrobe for 350 days a year

Rodders53

You can place a bowl of water in front of any fan to do the same evaporative cooling effect (and put moisture in the air to then condense on cold places). Try that first.

Split pack air to air heat pumps are the way to do it properly and quietly.

Portable aircon sort of works if you can vent via a (short) pipe through a hole in the wall, but are still very noisy and far less efficient in electric. Through open windows is not worth the bother or electric.

QrizB

In order of efficiency/effectiveness (most effective to least) and cost to purchase & install (most to least)

1. Proper split aircon (example). Can usually also be used for winter heating. The only one on this list that requires professional & permanent installation.
2. Portable split aircon (example). Uncommon.
3. Twin-hose portable aircon. Uncommon.
4. Single-hose portable aircon (example). Widespread but noisy and not particularly efficient.
5. Evaporative cooling, aka "swamp coolers". Most effective in dry heat, useless when the humidity is high.

Brie

Thanks all - I'll take that generally as a no then. We'll just stick with the fans we have.

QrizB

If you want an air conditioner, look at eBay etc. in the winter when everyone is getting rid of them.

I've got a single-hose unit that I bought used one November in the 2010s for maybe 1/4 of the price the first owner paid earlier that year.

It gets used for half a dozen days a year and the rest of the time it gets in the way.