Split Air con

Soldato
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2 Nov 2013
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Yeah, that was my thought. If it's properly specified it should be absolutely fine.

But the argument about whether it recirculates air like an in-room unit does might be key. I'll check that with my installer when I next get a chance.
 
Soldato
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But surly the main unit that controls and sends the cool air down the ductwork has the correct BTU size for the rooms it feeds?

Therefore cooling at the same rate an individual room unit would.

No the fan speed isn't powerful enough to cool down three rooms compared to 1 individual unit. A wall unit on maximum fan speed and lowest temp could easily cool a room within 5 mins. A loft unit would take a lot longer.
 
Soldato
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Hey all,

I've had an offer accepted on a house, so all being well I'll be moving early next year. The build is only about 3 years old and the owners were frank and said it does get toasty in the summer.

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The front of the house which has the main bedroom and the two lounges is just about south facing, which won't help either. I strongly imagine we'll get a split unit in the first year or two. Intention would be to cool the two lounges and master bedroom (possibly also bedroom three, top right of floor plan, which will contain the gaming PC and would be where I work from home sometimes, as well as girlfriend doing some evening work if she needs her computer). The family room, which is a converted garage, didn't have a heating radiator run to it so currently has electric, wall-mounted heater, so the split would help to do some heating in there come winter.

However, as I'm sure is always the case, I'm not sure where I'd put the outside unit (especially if it needs to be big enough for 4 wall units):
  • To the left of the house is a pathway which gets to the back of the house on the left (plot 51) so that's out.
  • On the right, is a dedicated path for our back garden, which goes between our house and a garage for a house on the next street (plot 49). It's only a little bit wider than the wheelie bins so not much room there.
  • That leaves mounting it higher on that side wall which is facing the backs of the houses on plots 47 and 48 (though Google suggests we're about 10m wall to wall there), or finding somewhere to put it at the back or front that won't look a bit frightful :D
  • The electrical consumer unit is also in the hallway on the outer wall, so the electric run would have to come from there, and I need to leave room for future EV charger around there.
I included a pic of the front of the house to show there isn't the most room in the world to run the pipe ducting either. So while I know I'll get some actual A/C fitters to come out and quote once we get the keys, I like to plan a while ahead.

So:
  • Any ideas where I could (or you would) put the outer unit?
  • Does anyone have the main bedroom wall unit just above the headboard? As far as I can tell it's probably the best place as it's the outer wall, though could possibly fit it between the two bedroom windows - it just comes back to where the outer piping and ducts would go!
Thanks :D
 
Soldato
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5,594
@squerble your options are a bit limited really, the rear of the property looks like the only realistic option there as you need approx 2m of free space in front of the compressor fan for it to work effectively so that rules out siting it low down at the side, planning doesn't allow it at the front and would you really want it there? If you were to mount it on the side wall higher up your neighbours could possibly object and going by the rulebook you are meant to have a minimum gap of 1m from the unit to the boundary of your property which would likely be breached in your case.

How much room is there on the rear wall between the corner of the house and your patio doors? As that would be the most sensible place tucked into the corner with conduit running up to the loft space which is the neatest solution if it follows the existing guttering anyway.
 
Soldato
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@squerble your options are a bit limited really, the rear of the property looks like the only realistic option there as you need approx 2m of free space in front of the compressor fan for it to work effectively so that rules out siting it low down at the side, planning doesn't allow it at the front and would you really want it there? If you were to mount it on the side wall higher up your neighbours could possibly object and going by the rulebook you are meant to have a minimum gap of 1m from the unit to the boundary of your property which would likely be breached in your case.

How much room is there on the rear wall between the corner of the house and your patio doors? As that would be the most sensible place tucked into the corner with conduit running up to the loft space which is the neatest solution if it follows the existing guttering anyway.

Yea the boundary and neighbour worries are certainly there.

Not the best pic of the back but this is what it looks like:

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We could move the plastic storage thing and mount bottom left, or maybe somewhere in the middle would be best as pipe runs would have to go to both sides of the house, if we wanted to make sure that all the internal units were against outer walls meaning we could gravity drain the condensate?

Wanting to cool both lounges is the biggest headache I think, just due to them being on opposite sides of the house. If I only did the master bedroom, bedroom 3, and the converted garage then all the pipe runs are only on one side of the house. :( bit of an awkward one, I fear.
 
Soldato
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Yea the boundary and neighbour worries are certainly there.

Not the best pic of the back but this is what it looks like:

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We could move the plastic storage thing and mount bottom left, or maybe somewhere in the middle would be best as pipe runs would have to go to both sides of the house

Better to route them straight up in to the loft space. Then you can effectively reach any room. Your living room would be a case of bringing out the pipework on the side wall and ducting it down which wouldn't be a big deal as it's fairly obscured down there.

From that picture under the kitchen window would be my preference as the unit would be approximately the same width so would look balanced and it's out the way of the path. You might even be able to use that existing outdoor power supply depending on the current rating of the cable which would be handy. :)

Congrats on the house purchase btw.
 
Soldato
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Better to route them straight up in to the loft space. Then you can effectively reach any room. Your living room would be a case of bringing out the pipework on the side wall and ducting it down which wouldn't be a big deal as it's fairly obscured down there.

From that picture under the kitchen window would be my preference as the unit would be approximately the same width so would look balanced and it's out the way of the path. You might even be able to use that existing outdoor power supply depending on the current rating of the cable which would be handy. :)

Congrats on the house purchase btw.

Would routing it up to the loft be extra pipe run that isn't really needed? I just need to decide if it's a silly idea to put the master bedroom wall unit above our bed, and therefore directly over our heads, or if we should put it on the wall between the windows, which also means it'd face the landing a bit. If we wanted it on the south wall the loft run would be best I guess, but otherwise those three rooms could be served from the east wall and just run directly along the path at the side of the house? The living room run similarly could just run along the back wall and then around the other side?

I think the outdoor power supply is just tapped from the kitchen sockets. I'll be able to find out once the sale completes etc. I think the preference would be to run a dedicated line with rotary isolator though.

And thanks :D I'll feel happier in a few months when we get keys in hand, plenty to go wrong before then :)
 
Soldato
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Would routing it up to the loft be extra pipe run that isn't really needed? I just need to decide if it's a silly idea to put the master bedroom wall unit above our bed, and therefore directly over our heads, or if we should put it on the wall between the windows, which also means it'd face the landing a bit. If we wanted it on the south wall the loft run would be best I guess, but otherwise those three rooms could be served from the east wall and just run directly along the path at the side of the house? The living room run similarly could just run along the back wall and then around the other side?

I think the outdoor power supply is just tapped from the kitchen sockets. I'll be able to find out once the sale completes etc. I think the preference would be to run a dedicated line with rotary isolator though.

And thanks :D I'll feel happier in a few months when we get keys in hand, plenty to go wrong before then :)

Maybe for upstairs look at installing a loft/ducted unit that can cool all three bedrooms. I was initially looking at 1 unit each in 2 of my bedrooms but Sub Cool advised it was probably better installing ducted system so that the 3rd small bedroom can also get air con :)
 
Soldato
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Maybe for upstairs look at installing a loft/ducted unit that can cool all three bedrooms. I was initially looking at 1 unit each in 2 of my bedrooms but Sub Cool advised it was probably better installing ducted system so that the 3rd small bedroom can also get air con :)
I had considered that, but I don't want to lose individual control over room temperatures really :) also I understand the insulation in the loft is obscenely big so not sure there's room without ripping out some insulation or building some kind of platform.
 
Caporegime
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I had considered that, but I don't want to lose individual control over room temperatures really :) also I understand the insulation in the loft is obscenely big so not sure there's room without ripping out some insulation or building some kind of platform.

You can still do individual room control if you buy an electronic manifold with valves.
 
Soldato
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If we wanted it on the south wall the loft run would be best I guess, but otherwise those three rooms could be served from the east wall and just run directly along the path at the side of the house? The living room run similarly could just run along the back wall and then around the other side?

Getting to the living room is going to be the most problematic though. It all depends what your views on ducting are. If you kept it tucked to the ground it looks like you'd semi-block that red air brick, plus it'd stick out on the neighbours path on the other side so that's a no-go. The alternative being to route it up and over the patio doors and around but that's not going to look very appealing plus if ever it came down there's going to be a lot of holes in the brickwork which will be nigh impossible to cover.

Alternatively take the living room run straight up to the loft allowing you to reach bedroom 3 along the way and route the rest around the path on your side which is probably the best of both.
 
Soldato
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Put my deposit down with Subcool for system earlier (ducted upstairs, lounge and external office) for first week in November! Just need to clear the loft now..
 
Associate
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Posted this as a thread but reposting it here as well in case it’s more visible.


I live in London and had an AC guy come over to do a survey for 2 AC units in my house (ground floor and attic). He came back with a quote which I think is expensive but I just don’t know for sure. Here’s what the quote says (ALL PRICES BELOW EXCLUDE VAT):

1 x Daikin 32 5.0kw Wall Mount (Ground Floor) = £2094

1 x Daikin 32 5.0kw Wall Mount (Attic) = £2094

Piping, Water Pumps, Trunking, Electrical Cable = £257

Outdoor wall bracket, drain hose, electricians install of supply cable from fuse box = £326

2 days Labour and Commissioning = £800

TOTAL: £5572 excluding VAT / £6686 including VAT


Can someone tell me if this quote is crazy expensive or just normal? And if crazy expensive, what would be a more reasonable price?

I think he might be overcharging me for the cost of the units. I personally find it hard to believe that 1 AC indoor unit (and external part) is £2094 excl. VAT.
 
Soldato
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25 Feb 2004
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18,139
Location
Hampshire
Posted this as a thread but reposting it here as well in case it’s more visible.


I live in London and had an AC guy come over to do a survey for 2 AC units in my house (ground floor and attic). He came back with a quote which I think is expensive but I just don’t know for sure. Here’s what the quote says (ALL PRICES BELOW EXCLUDE VAT):

1 x Daikin 32 5.0kw Wall Mount (Ground Floor) = £2094

1 x Daikin 32 5.0kw Wall Mount (Attic) = £2094

Piping, Water Pumps, Trunking, Electrical Cable = £257

Outdoor wall bracket, drain hose, electricians install of supply cable from fuse box = £326

2 days Labour and Commissioning = £800

TOTAL: £5572 excluding VAT / £6686 including VAT


Can someone tell me if this quote is crazy expensive or just normal? And if crazy expensive, what would be a more reasonable price?

I think he might be overcharging me for the cost of the units. I personally find it hard to believe that 1 AC indoor unit (and external part) is £2094 excl. VAT.

Subcool quoted me for a similar setup, albeit slightly smaller units 3.5kw each for Daikin at £3552 + VAT. To supply my outdoor office, albeit again 3.5kw and being fitted at the same time with barely any run to the external unit for £770+vat, so the £2094 + VAT for a single unit does indeed seem pretty steep, but it is London. Subcool come highly recommended on here, so give them a try if they'll come up to you.
 
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