stephen1962

wondering is it worth getting air conditioning fitted to my apartment for summer or winter,
anyone think its worthwhile or not, and does it save on electric bills

whats your thoughts guys

EMR

Aircon is probably the most expensive item when it comes to using electricity.
The average holiday maker does not seem to understand that for it work properly doors and windows need to be closed.
We have found them sitting on the terrace , doors open aircon blasting out as it tries to cool down the entire world.
They also set it so low they need duvets or blankets on the beds to sleep.
If you can live without it then do so or be prepared for the bills.

stephen1962

its my own place i dont rent it out, my understanding it would be more economical than oil filled radiators in winter and better distribution and control of heat and no fans in summer, and generally more comfortable no windows open in summer so no nasty insects driving you mad at night time
the new units look very neat and tidy as well

Fredbargate

Yes

But shop around for the right price, very efficient use of electricity for winter warmth, plus the convenience of summer cool.
However I would also consider the use of ceiling fans as well.

Countryboy1

Difficult to generalise I appreciate, but currently during winter I wheel in two oil filled heaters into my lounge for heating. Would an inverter air con unit be a better option in terms of heat and running costs?
Thanks.

Fred James

Almost certainly.

An electric heater is about 95% efficient at best -ie. put in a kilowatt and get out 950 watts. A/C uses the heat pump principle and a one kilowatt input can result in nearly 3 kilowatts of heat output.

They do have to be used with a bit of common sense, particularly when cooling, as EMR said.

Inverter units can be more efficient than the older type units but it depends very much on their usage pattern, one thing is for sure, the savings claimed for them by the salesman are usually wildly optimistic.

Countryboy1

Thanks for that Fred.
My next question may be ask for recommended installers!

stephen1962

i guess its down to personal preference then.
the thing is if anyone on here has one do they use it and would they be without it in their home

Fredbargate

Yes and No

However I have always fitted my own at a very low cost.

My present home has an 18.000 BTU unit at a total fitted cost of £300, I have fitted 6 units into a previous property at no more that €200 per unit.

A reasonably easy job for a competent DIY person

stephen1962

you taking orders fred lol

Fredbargate

I have fitted for a few friends, but I don't travel far

Fred James

Most of the big hypermarkets sell very cheap units for around €250 or even less. They can usually arrange installation from as low as €100 but it could be more even though as FredB said, they are actually fairly simple to install.

You can get some really good deals if you shop around but conversely some of the specialists will sell you really expensive units and charge a lot to install.

We have five units and three are used for cooling most days in June through September for an hour or two when really needed. In winter they are used less as we have underfloor heating and a wood burner. Even then they can be useful if the house is cold and we need some quick heat before the wood burner gets going.

stephen1962

thanks for that information, im out again on the 19th and il check out the supermarkets

thankyou

big wheels

One thing to consider, especially if the unit is to be fitted in a bedroom is the noise factor. Some of the cheap supermarket versions can sound like a 747 on take off.


My advice would be to go for a well known Japanese brand, ie Mitsubishi or Fujitsu. they're no way near the cheapest but they come up best on all the comparison sites for both being very quiet in use and economical to run.

Our Mitsubishi unit is set to come on half an hour before we arise in the mornings, it never wakes us on start up and the bedroom is toasty when we get up. It's been in for 3 months now and I don't know how we managed before.

Ps
Yes I do. We stayed in bed for another hour and never wanted to get out because the bedroom was always freezing cold.

stephen1962

hi,
i have been quoted for a fugitsu, and told they are very reliable and need little maintenance, i actually looked at one and they are a very compact nice looking stylish unit, ive been quoted about £700 fitted ive checked in uk and the model quoted is around £500 trade
guess you get what you pay for long term