Is it worth drilling an exterior wall for a portable Air-con unit.

[MassiveJim]

I have a portable Air-con unit that I use in my loft office. to exhaust the hot air I have 3 options

1 - through the velux roof window, this sort of works but the pipe is not secure and often falls onto the floor, and the air-con is not in the most ideal place, in fact is kind of in the way.

2 - the extractor fan for my bathroom runs from the bathroom floor to a vent on the ridge of the roof.
I could adapt some pipework add in a "Y" piece and then and put some non-return valves in to stop exhausted air from either room being exhausted in to the other room.


3 - I drill a hole through an exterior wall and use the supplied "flap" to have a port that I can just plug the air-con in to whenever I need to cool the room. This would put the air-con in the most optimal place in the room as it is in the corner out of the way in a space I cannot otherwise really use.


Is core-drilling a 125mm hole through my wall a bit silly for a portable air-con for 3/4 weeks a year ?

 

[rhysduck]

Is core-drilling a 125mm hole through my wall a bit silly for a portable air-con for 3/4 weeks a year ?

Only you can really answr that question. But it sounds like the best option (if you determine it a viable solution for a few weeks of the year)

 

[Maccapacca]

If you're in a loft do you have tiles? you can replace a tile with a tile vent?

 

[Semple]

Frankly i think i probably would if i had a loft office that was used regularly.

I imagine you're only using it when absolute necessary because of the faff of having to set it up out the window, whereas if it's in the corner you'll probably make more use out of it.

 

[MassiveJim]

If you're in a loft do you have tiles? you can replace a tile with a tile vent?

I think that would be more hassle than just drilling the wall wouldn't it ?
I can get someone to drill the wall for not much money I would imagine, and if it will cost a lot I'll just hire the kit and do it myself.
If I need to remove/replace tiles, I'll end up paying a full days labour if i'm lucky, and if i'm not the builder will want scaffolding etc.

 

[Colonel_Klinck]

If you're in a loft do you have tiles? you can replace a tile with a tile vent?

^^This^^

 

[ANDARIAL]

I can get someone to drill the wall for not much money I would imagine,

Dream on
Loft room?yes?
To finish off you would need an outside vent cover of some sort.Man has to climb ladder or erect scaffold to do this
Loft high is quite a long ladder
I would not risk my health/life for`Not Much Money`

 

[MassiveJim]

I'll fit the vent if my ladder reaches. My sds doesn't have a clutch otherwise I would buy the Arbor and coring drill and do it myself.

At this stage I'm just interested if it is silly to still a hole for this purpose

 

[Abyss]

Used to have a core drilled vent in the last house and the AC was so much more effective. I'd highly recommend it.

Personally I'd also fit a vent in the roof, easier to put back afterwards and probably similar cost if you aren't doing it yourself (core drilling at high level isn't cheap).

 

[Vish Petrol]

Yes

 

[Maccapacca]

I think that would be more hassle than just drilling the wall wouldn't it ?
I can get someone to drill the wall for not much money I would imagine, and if it will cost a lot I'll just hire the kit and do it myself.
If I need to remove/replace tiles, I'll end up paying a full days labour if i'm lucky, and if i'm not the builder will want scaffolding etc.

Took my roofer 20 minutes to climb up, take out a tile, cut a letter box in the felt and slip the new tile vent in.

They are only nailed every 3rd course unless you're in Scotland

 

[MassiveJim]

Took my roofer 20 minutes to climb up, take out a tile, cut a letter box in the felt and slip the new tile vent in.

They are only nailed every 3rd course unless you're in Scotland

Cut through the insulation and plasterboard and make good?

 

[BigBoy]

Cut through the insulation and plasterboard and make good?

Nothing to make good with plasterboard if you know how to cut it properly.

Tile vent and hole in plasterboard and insulation, installing a flexible pipe your looking at 2hrs end.

 

[MassiveJim]

Nothing to make good with plasterboard if you know how to cut it properly.

Tile vent and hole in plasterboard and insulation, installing a flexible pipe your looking at 2hrs end.

So probably going to get charged somewhere around £200 as no builder wants these half a day jobs, and I wouldn't trust a handyman to do a proper job, based on my previous experience with handymen.

I said that my drill hasn't got a clutch, but just been down to the shed to get the exact model number off it. And it turns out it does have a clutch.
I can get a drill bit and Arbor from screwfix for £70, might as well tackle this one myself. I can drill from outside in, and although it's going to be messy is safer that balancing on a ladder, although the ladder might not be too bad as it's in a very narrow alleyway and I can push against the wall behind me for stability of ladder reaches.

My drill is a Bosch gbh 2- 26 DRE, do you think this job is a little much for it? I could always get a cheaper heavy duty sds drill that will cope with this job better, and either keep it for future use or sell on again afterwards.

 

[chaparral]

My drill is a Bosch gbh 2- 26 DRE, do you think this job is a little much for it? I could always get a cheaper heavy duty sds drill that will cope with this job better, and either keep it for future use or sell on again afterwards.

I would not try drilling a 125mm hole with that drill.....I also very much doubt the clutch in would even let you..

 

[BigBoy]

My drill is a Bosch gbh 2- 26 DRE, do you think this job is a little much for it? I could always get a cheaper heavy duty sds drill that will cope with this job better, and either keep it for future use or sell on again afterwards.

No chance that drill have enough torque or the clutch enough slippage to get you through lime stone let alone a brick wall!, By far the cheapest and easiest option it to go with the roof vent

 

[MassiveJim]

No chance that drill have enough torque or the clutch enough slippage to get you through lime stone let alone a brick wall!, By far the cheapest and easiest option it to go with the roof vent

Easiest perhaps, cheapest I'm not so sure. I can't imagine getting any quotes cheaper than £150 - £200. I can buy drill and drill bit for £150 easily and then I have the tools for any future jobs.

 

[BigBoy]

Easiest perhaps, cheapest I'm not so sure. I can't imagine getting any quotes cheaper than £150 - £200. I can buy drill and drill bit for £150 easily and then I have the tools for any future jobs.

Your over thinking it, if you can access the roof via a velux window half your battle is already won! It really is not that hard to lift a tile and replace it with a roof vent. Attach pipe to internal section of the vent then cut hole in plasterboard. If you don't want to lift a tile then put a vent In to the eaves.

 

[MassiveJim]

Not really overthinking it, purely thinking about cost.

ok time for some pictures I think.
Excuse the mess, i am about 60% of the way through a major tidy up and I have stuff all over the place at the minute.

Where the coloured balls are in the corner, that is the ideal spot for the Aircon to sit, the wall on the left of the picture is the exterior wall.
As you can see no access to the eaves.


2nd shot taken slightly further back
You can see my desk on the very left of the picture, and the cupboard door on the left with some stuff leaning against it, is the cupboard where the pipework for the bathroom extractor runs through, that I could potentially tap in to.


3rd shot taken from the other side of the loft, just to show where my desk is and where the velux window is

 

[ANDARIAL]

I would also vote for the roof slate option now
BUT if you do go for the hole in the wall,hire a diamond drill and core bit and drill from the inside.Hell of a lot safer than a ladder and drilling from outside

Any drill that will take a large core bit will have next to no clutch action and you WILL either damage/break your wrist or fall off ladder if it catches in the hole