ozzieeagle

Simple quesiton really. Just wondered if any people installed reverse cycle inverter Air cons in their homes in the UK as their main source of heating.... with the bonus that if it actually does get hot for a few days they've got a cooling option as well.


Reason I'm asking is I'm told they are as cheap to run as Gas here in Aus, cheaper to run than any other form of electric heating. .... So why wouldnt they use them in the UK ? Getting two functions for the price of one.

sonlymewalter

There may be some people who use it but i never heard of anyone using it in uk. Most people I know used central heating for the cold months and the hot months are so sporadic with a few hot days here and there and maybe the odd couple of sporadic weeks of heat, hardly worth putting in an aircon type system for hardly any hot days.

So to answer your question no not that I know of

Bermudashorts

No never met anyone with aircon in UK. Heating in winter is the priority, I am not sure the reverse cycle heating is as effective as traditional heating is it? I had those light fittings with fans in a couple of rooms for those rare uncomfortably hot days.

Amazulu

I reckon it would on ly be fitted in very upmarket homes.

I can remember summers where it would have been really nice to have - '03 springs to mind.

ozzieeagle

I think they may be as cheap to run as Gas Central heating.... a 8kwh System only uses around 2.4 Kwh and would do most of a ground floor of the average UK house. The main issue I think would be possible icing up in very cold weather.

DrWho

You need to be careful about the efficiency as well... the colder it gets outside the worse that gets...

You're right about the running costs compared to gas here in NSW but I think perhaps not in Vic where gas is supposedly a fair bit cheaper.

ozzieeagle

I Looked right into the running rates here in Vic whilst I was deciding what appliances to purchase after my Reno. Figured out the cost difference was negligible at best and certainly didn't want to buy Gas Heating and Air con... So settled on IRC ACon.

Someone clever should try marketing them down in Devon and Cornwall perhaps.

papilon

There is no way i can see that being effective in the UK, keeping the house warm is the main issue and GCH is much more efficient and comfortable heat system. With good insulation and double/triple glazing should not be many days in the UK in summer the house would warm up enough to warrant anything more than a fan at most.

Even Melbourne rarely warrants the use of aircon in my opinion, just a few days each summer when we get 2-3 35plus days in a row.
So far this summer i have only had the fan on 3 nights.

papilon

Warmest area in the UK would be in and around London, with London also having fairly high humidity levels.

Alfresco

Agree, two weeks at most, usualy one week every summer where you'd need aircon.

I remember 2006 being the hottest and hit around 36 degrees one day. It then settled down again.

BadgeIsBack

Agreed. We use AC a few days in the hottest weather cycles we get each summer. Maybe 7 days use a year in total. We do have a huge bedroom fan which is great.

My view is that anything that heats costs. I don't think anything is particularly cheap.

Gjn200

Yep. -4 and they stop. (maybe you can get a different refrigerant though)

bcworld

Yeah I worked in an office that had one and it would stop being able to heat long before it got as low as -4...more like around freezing.

Wendy

Maybe you could ask the experts?