Air conditioners and cooling

opethdisciple · 11 Apr 2021 at 13:48

Please recommend me a device for cooling down a loft conversion during summer.

Now that I work from home I am dreading to think what the summer is going to be like in my loft where I have my computer equipment set up.

It gets warm up here even when the weather is around 18c let alone when it reaches 30c + in the summer.

So I need something that is not too expensive, not too big etc... that will cool a loft conversion adequately.

Any recommendations?

Matthew.M · 11 Apr 2021 at 13:58

Do it properly and get a split air conditioning unit. We’ve got one and it’s amazing. We previously used a mobile air con machine, with a hose out the window, and it’s not comparable.

andy_mk3 · 11 Apr 2021 at 13:59

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/forums/threads/split-air-con.18876112/

Mylestheone · 11 Apr 2021 at 14:24

Split is probably the best way to go if its for a loft. I personally use the typical portable ones and it does everything I need, but my room is also on the ground floor

opethdisciple · 11 Apr 2021 at 14:38

What I am looking for is actually devices people are using and rate. I haven't had a moment to look in to what 'split ' is yet.

OK, I just had a quick google what split is and I don't think that will work for me.

This is my parents house and they will have no appetite for mounting things to walls and installing something on the external of the house.

paradigm · 11 Apr 2021 at 15:11

opethdisciple said:
What I am looking for is actually devices people are using and rate. I haven't had a moment to look in to what 'split ' is yet.

OK, I just had a quick google what split is and I don't think that will work for me.

This is my parents house and they will have no appetite for mounting things to walls and installing something on the external of the house.

Yeah Split systems are far more economical to run, but not an option if you don't have permission of the home owner to install one.

With a portable unit. Does your loft conversion have a window? If not then getting the pipework out of the space may prove difficult/impossible.

Tony Edwards · 11 Apr 2021 at 15:37

opethdisciple said:
What I am looking for is actually devices people are using and rate. I haven't had a moment to look in to what 'split ' is yet.

OK, I just had a quick google what split is and I don't think that will work for me.

This is my parents house and they will have no appetite for mounting things to walls and installing something on the external of the house.

That sounds like you might have to put up with a fan and bowl of ice Im afraid.

The portable ones are quite good but loud ASF. I wouldnt recommend my one to a deaf person, but Im used to it.

Mylestheone · 11 Apr 2021 at 15:39

opethdisciple said:
What I am looking for is actually devices people are using and rate. I haven't had a moment to look in to what 'split ' is yet.

OK, I just had a quick google what split is and I don't think that will work for me.

This is my parents house and they will have no appetite for mounting things to walls and installing something on the external of the house.

I'm just using a typical 9000btu portable that I bought 5 odd years ago from Very

I'd buy a standard portable 12000btu from appliancesdirect if your parents are ok with a hose going out the window

They are noisy but the comfort out weighs the noise for me at least. That, plus I'm normally using headphones so not an issue.

Pawnless Endgame · 11 Apr 2021 at 15:43

Tony Edwards said:
The portable ones are quite good but loud ASF. I wouldnt recommend my one to a deaf person, but Im used to it.

Oi you!

I'm deaf, severely deaf actually according to my last audiogram, and the portable units work fine for me. I even sleep ok with one operating in the bedroom. A £280(ish) unit is good for cooling a 5M x 4M room and it's essential for me during summer nights, even at night-times when the outdoor temperature is still knocking at around 20C.

Tony Edwards · 11 Apr 2021 at 15:50

Pawnless Endgame said:
Oi you!

I'm deaf, severely deaf actually according to my last audiogram, and the portable units work fine for me. I even sleep ok with one operating in the bedroom. A £280(ish) unit is good for cooling a 5M x 4M room and it's essential for me during summer nights, even at night-times when the outdoor temperature is still knocking at around 20C.

Then sir/madam I may have a second hand portable air conditioner you might be interested in.

ubersonic · 11 Apr 2021 at 15:53

opethdisciple said:
This is my parents house and they will have no appetite for mounting things to walls and installing something on the external of the house.

Well that rules split and ducted out, your last option is portable (aka ****), basically like a little reverse fridge (and not that much smaller unless it's performance is garbage): They suck air in, remove the heat and blow it back out cold, then exhaust the heat out a 4-5" hose, that will need sticking out the loft window, if you don't have one your out of luck.

sneakysnail · 11 Apr 2021 at 15:58

a large fan maybe? it generally goes the trick. aircons nice but if you aren't going to use it a lot it's a bit of a pointless extravagance when could be using a cheap and cheerful fan.

Cooler running · 11 Apr 2021 at 16:01

Get a heat pump, keeps you cool in the summer and hot in the winter.
They're the best solution for home climate control, no idea why more peeps don't have them.

The system might be a little more pricey than AC initially, but it makes its money back fast due to low running costs.

Werewolf · 11 Apr 2021 at 18:46

If it's in the loft space you may need to get something with a lot more power than you'd need for a normal room the same size as in my experience lofts tend to get exceptionally hot in the summer and cold in the winter (ours gets swelteringly hot when the rest of the house is still comfortable).

mbmbmb · 13 Apr 2021 at 11:13

I had an exhaust tile fitted to the roof and then ran an exhaust hose to a plywood face behind one of the eve doors which I open and connect a stand alone unit to. Not having any windows open and the negative pressure pulling air up from downstairs is considerably better than running a hose out the window, but still is a tough battle against loft heat.

N.B Shade covers on the outside of the windows (About £30 per window also made a big heat and noise difference.

dirtychinchilla · 13 Apr 2021 at 11:24

Why is it overheating so much? I'd tackle that first. Perhaps you need to add some insulation to the space or have more hot air exhaust from the top of the building, as mbmbmb suggests.

dirtychinchilla · 13 Apr 2021 at 11:36

Einskis Nokkur said:
It's a loft. Lofts get hot in the summer.

Why do they get hot? You're putting energy into a building because you can't be bothered to work out how to cool it down without using the easy way. It boggles my mind...someone would rather pay what £3k (?) and then the bills for running the thing instead of tackling the actual problem which is why the loft is actually overheating.

OK to be a little more helpful OP, you have a lot of hot air sat in the loft. Try and minimize how much thermal gain you're getting from the sun if you are getting any? Then I would look to extract as much of the hot air as possible. Then, if you are still hot maybe look at cooling down the room overnight i.e leaving windows open. This helps cool down the thermal mass.