Portable split air to air

tfhnota

you would have to make a hole the size of smaller of the two units and then brick it back up (or fill with insulation board if there is already support above the hole), if not wanting to use a window (or you could fit it and then brick up a window), quite easy to have a wall fall down on you if you are not careful, mind.

Reed_Richards

you would have to make a hole the size of smaller of the two units

Which would be how small? We have one room with a redundant and now bricked-up vent which would be the obvious place for a hole in the wall.

QrizB

I'm not suggesting anyone actually tries this.

Which would be how small?

Roughly 50cm x 30cm. A bit bigger than A3 (which is roughly 40x30).

Edit to add: if I was to do something like this (and I'm not planning to) I'd see if I could remove a UPVC window and notch the brickwork below the sill to accommodate the umbilical, then refit the window.

TroubledTarts

That heating output will be very handy on those cooler days as Autumn transition into winter and winter into spring etc.

We have already pretty much planned another unit for downstairs in a couple of months.

Preferring seperate systems rather than split systems.

QrizB

That heating output will be very handy on those cooler days as Autumn transition into winter and winter into spring etc.

Yes, it should be useful!

My highest daily winter gas use for the past few years was around 100kWh, which (averaged across the day) is about 4kW. I should be able to meet most of that demand with the split, although even with my 16kWh Fogstar I'll run out of stored electricity before the day's over if I do.

It'll be an interesting experiment.

Edit to add: I've not had a smart meter during a really cold snap. I remember a period when my kids were in primary school (so the late 2000s or early 2010s) when we had overnight temperatures below -10 and daytime highs that were still well below zero. If we get that again I'm under no illusions; I'll have to run the gas hard!

TroubledTarts

What temperature is that unit rated down to to provide heat, I think our air to air is -15oC (will check manual)

QrizB

What temperature is that unit rated down to to provide heat, I think our air to air is -15oC (will check manual)

The short answer is "I don't really know" as the manual is rather light on technical info. But there are some hints elsewhere in the literature.

It's rated for use in a "standard" climate per EU energy labelling. Annex VII, Table 3 of that EU standard for energy labelling suggests the operating limit temperature for the "standard" climate has to be no warmer than -7C, so it should be able to provide heat down to that temperature. I suspect the COP will be poor under those conditions.

tfhnota

If it does not have an inverter probably not going to work much above zero for heating. I like the PTAC all-in-ones but that requires a narrow but wide hole in the wall, alibaba may be worth a look (just search for PTAC and select one or two units in the filter, it sometimes generates shipping discounts if you play on it for long enough). Oddly Temu has some cheap portable air-conditioners with local shipment, more so than aliexpress. eBay for the all-in-one radiator types that require two large vents in the wall, inverter types £800-1000 (twice what they should be).

QrizB

If it does not have an inverter

The literature says it has an inverter.

Although, inverter drive is all about varying the speed of the compressor; can you explain why you think it specifically affects heating performance?

QrizB

Unlike some forumites, it's been mostly overcast here today so the portable split has been switched off.

However there's a bit of a challenge in the days ahead:

Well have to see how we get on!