Portable Air Conditioners

[MichaelAwkward]

It's that time of year again. We swore last year that we'd buy one over Christmas when it was cold but didn't get round to it.

I know they're not very efficient and loud to operate, but in a 2 bed flat there isn't really any other option as a proper wall mounted one isn't possible.

Are the electriQ ones any good?

https://www.electriq.co.uk/p/p12hpw/electriq-p12hpw-air-conditioner

Want one that's at least A rated and uses the newer refridgerant R290. That one's Wifi enabled so would be good to be able to turn on from work before I get home.

 

[ANDARIAL]

Remember you need somewhere to expel the hot air,and as short a pipe as possible as it gets HOT
We have a small one that is hardly ever used,only suitable for 1 room.Takes quite a bit of power too

 

[Maccapacca]

We bought a pac12 from srw last year £299. They really are only good for one large room. There's no way you'll chill a apartment without spending a fortune.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

Just buy a fan far cheaper and does 80% same thing if you have it near a window.

 

[d_brennen]

Is it worth it for the few days it's warm here?

 

[Ben Cole]

I know how you feel. The flat that I have for when I'm at work is the same. It's a top floor, south facing flat and now that we've hit April and a tiny bit of sun, the temperature in the flat is 25c and above. It can get unbearable very easily. In fact, if this was my permanent property I probably would have sold.

I can't help with advising a new purchase but I can give a couple of hints about use.

I was given a big unit by a friend for a nominal fee. The only way I can use it effectively is by setting it up beneath a window for the hose to go out the window. I've then made a blocking board out of fibreboard to hold the hose in place and keep the air out. This is vital for overall efficiency.

Really you just need to concentrate on getting one room bearable. Keep the door closed and seal up the venting window when in operation.

 

[MichaelAwkward]

Remember you need somewhere to expel the hot air,and as short a pipe as possible as it gets HOT
We have a small one that is hardly ever used,only suitable for 1 room.Takes quite a bit of power too

Yep, already researched the window sealing kits for the pipe to go to.

We bought a pac12 from srw last year £299. They really are only good for one large room. There's no way you'll chill a apartment without spending a fortune.

The flat is only 60sq metres in total, so even if it just keeps the bedroom/office cool that'd be a big improvement.

Just buy a fan far cheaper and does 80% same thing if you have it near a window.

Not really, if it's hot outside and there's no breeze a fan just moves hot air around.

Is it worth it for the few days it's warm here?

It's not a few days though. Last year it was above 25C in the flat for at least 4 weeks. Above 30 C reading on the thermostat in the middle of the flat for more than even one day isn't fun.

I know how you feel. The flat that I have for when I'm at work is the same. It's a top floor, south facing flat and now that we've hit April and a tiny bit of sun, the temperature in the flat is 25c and above. It can get unbearable very easily. In fact, if this was my permanent property I probably would have sold.

I can't help with advising a new purchase but I can give a couple of hints about use.

I was given a big unit by a friend for a nominal fee. The only way I can use it effectively is by setting it up beneath a window for the hose to go out the window. I've then made a blocking board out of fibreboard to hold the hose in place and keep the air out. This is vital for overall efficiency.

Really you just need to concentrate on getting one room bearable. Keep the door closed and seal up the venting window when in operation.

Yeah, that's the idea. Most of them appear to come with those window venting kits to seal the gap so I'll have a go with that. We have blackout curtains on all the windows otherwise and last summer they did help as we kept them closed most of the days. Sadly the kitchen/living room is south facing so that's where it gets the hottest. Will have to play around with the location to find where it works best.

 

[Ben Cole]

Sounds like you're well clued up in the best ways to keep cool. As you've mentioned, black out blinds and curtains are useful tools also.

Good luck with it.

P.S. I've just arrived back at my flat after work and it was 26.8c

 

[Jimbeam3678]

Each to their own but I spent 12 months in Se Asia with just a fan most nights. At home again just use a fan or fans if you position them correctly they are more effective than you think.

On an evening point the fan blowing out to get rid of the warm air and allow the cooler air in.

 

[DampCat]

I spent £500 on one for my newborns room, stuck it on for an hour before his bed time to get the temp from 28° to 18° then turned it off due to noise. It was 28° again within 15 minutes.

Now we open windows at the front and back of the house to create a breeze and leave his door open, brings it down to 20°. The AC is in the garage somewhere.

 

[Firestar_3x]

Interesting use case, but i think the thermal mass of your house will somehow defeat running an AC unit for an hour and expecting it to stay cool!

 

[MichaelAwkward]

Each to their own but I spent 12 months in Se Asia with just a fan most nights. At home again just use a fan or fans if you position them correctly they are more effective than you think.

On an evening point the fan blowing out to get rid of the warm air and allow the cooler air in.

I'm sorry but they're really not. Last year it was above 25 degrees overnight in many cases too making opening the windows a pointlessly noisy exercise. I've travelled a fair bit in Asia and Africa myself and the ubiquity of air conditioning suggests fans alone aren't that effective with hot weather.

I spent £500 on one for my newborns room, stuck it on for an hour before his bed time to get the temp from 28° to 18° then turned it off due to noise. It was 28° again within 15 minutes.

Now we open windows at the front and back of the house to create a breeze and leave his door open, brings it down to 20°. The AC is in the garage somewhere.

Did you have the door and windows open? Blackout curtains/blinds drawn? Of course it would heat up again if you let hot air back in...

 

[DampCat]

Did you have the door and windows open? Blackout curtains/blinds drawn? Of course it would heat up again if you let hot air back in...

Obviously...

 

[Jimbeam3678]

I'm sorry but they're really not. Last year it was above 25 degrees overnight in many cases too making opening the windows a pointlessly noisy exercise. I've travelled a fair bit in Asia and Africa myself and the ubiquity of air conditioning suggests fans alone aren't that effective with hot weather.

But we are talking about the UK where the weather is shall we say not that warm Houses the UK are designed to retain heat so you are always going to be fighting a losing battle with a portable AC.

I’d be trying to focus on airflow through the house, at the very least to compliment any AC. Have you tried those dyson airblade fans a friend swears by them.

 

[MichaelAwkward]

But we are talking about the UK where the weather is shall we say not that warm Houses the UK are designed to retain heat so you are always going to be fighting a losing battle with a portable AC.

I’d be trying to focus on airflow through the house, at the very least to compliment any AC. Have you tried those dyson airblade fans a friend swears by them.

Every year seems to set a new temperature record and scientists say our summers will on average be 5 degrees warmer by 2070. Like I said, last summer saw temperatures above 25C for a number of weeks, even overnight. You're further north than me so perhaps it's not as bad up there.

We already have fans (albeit those that don't cost £300) which we can use to push the cooler air produced by the AC around. This is more of an experiment than anything else, to see how well I can seal the flat and get it cooler.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

I’m in Yorkshire not Iceland

If you seal the flat you still have the exterior walls retaining and absorbing heat which will, I would imagine challenge any portable AC.

Last summer was a long heatwave, I’m sceptical if year on year it will get warmer but putting that to one side if you do why not ask some firms to come round to discuss more effective AC units? At worst you only have an hour or so to lose ?

 

[MichaelAwkward]

I’m in Yorkshire not Iceland

If you seal the flat you still have the exterior walls retaining and absorbing heat which will, I would imagine challenge any portable AC.

Last summer was a long heatwave, I’m sceptical if year on year it will get warmer but putting that to one side if you do why not ask some firms to come round to discuss more effective AC units? At worst you only have an hour or so to lose ?

You'd be surprised what difference geography can make. I lived in Southampton previously and whilst it was warmer there, it's location close to the sea meant it was windier and didn't feel as warm and also got more rain/clouds which made it cooler.

The flat is a leasehold so I can't make any alterations to the exterior walls, hence why a proper wall mounted air conditioning unit isn't an option. The building itself is only 2 years old and has cavity wall insulation so that works both ways. If I can get it cool, it should stay cool so long as I don't open the windows, leave the curtains open all day, etc.

 

[andy_mk3]

I've had a portable ac unit in the bedroom for 7 or so years now. Could not live without it. This weekend even, the bedroom which gets the sun all day long has been reaching 28c.

 

[Jimbeam3678]

I've had a portable ac unit in the bedroom for 7 or so years now. Could not live without it. This weekend even, the bedroom which gets the sun all day long has been reaching 28c.

He’s trying to cool down a 2 bedroom flat.

 

[MichaelAwkward]

He’s trying to cool down a 2 bedroom flat.

Not necassarily all of it.