Air Conditioning
It's getting really hot in my home office - 28-30C and its becoming unbearable. I have a 10 000 BTU portable air conditioning unit but its pretty much useless - only capable of reducing the ambient temperature by 2-3C.
Most air-conditioning companies have quoted me for a 2.5-3kW system but I feel this is underpowered for my requirements as this is equivalent to 10 000 BTU/hr. Does anyone know if the ratings of split systems and portable units are directly comparable?
I was looking at getting a 5-6kW system instead but would this be overkill for a room 5x5m. My objective is to reduce the temperature from 28-30C to ~18C.
Any input anyone please?
I have a Samsung 3kw split system in my lounge (65 cubic metres).
With the doors and windows closed it can make the room too cold to be comfortable (in a t-shirt) in a couple of hours.
It's important to remember that the combination of temperature and humidity decides the comfort level. 25 celsius is great for us with the humidity less than 40% whereas 18 with the humidity over 65 can feel really sticky. We often run the unit in 'dry' mode which makes the room sufficiently comfortable for watching tv.
A word of caution though, your elctricity supplier will love you if you install one. It is very easy to forget about it, unlike a big ugly portable with a snake hanging out of the back!
I have A/C in my bedroom and lounge, both units are 3kw and are more than adequate. The compressor is a dual unit so there is only one unit outside which is a lot neater. Make sure you buy a system with the heat pump option, then you can reverse it in the winter and use it for heating (very effective)
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We had a portable air con unit at work and I would have described it more strongly than "next to useless".
We've just installed a split unit air con system. About £700 from AirconDIY and delivered next day (also bought a bracket for the compressor to be mounted on the wall). Was quoted £2500 by a professional company for the same thing Inc. fitting. Have one of these at two of our practices and they do a great job!
If you're ok at DIY then it may be worth a punt!