Ever considered DIY...
 

[Closed] Ever considered DIY air conditioning for your house?

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I hate these humid nights; I can't sleep and the bedclothes get smelly and yellowed over time with sweat and smell worse in the humid air despite the windows being open day and night.

I installed an evacuated tube solar water system on my roof and it's working well so I reckon it ought not to be too hard to install AC. You can buy a split system from B&Q; all you would need would be to fit it in the attic with ducting down to the bedroom ceilings and a simple flap system to regulate which rooms get the flow. Fit the hot bit outside on the gable and suck air in from the attic space so that the system becomes a simple forced air setup.

What could possibly go wrong?


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 3:08 pm
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Can you get those ones that fit in a sash window over here?


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 3:09 pm
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If you mean the units that fit on a hole in the window or wall, I've never seen them here and they are noisy anyway.


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 3:10 pm
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In theory there is no reason why not - however you aren't allowed to mess about with refrigerants unless you are F-Gas certified - although I think you can buy DIY systems with pre-charged pipework now.

If I ever did another house renovation/conversion I'd put A/C into the bedrooms.


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 3:25 pm
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What could possibly go wrong?

Well, all the energy required to run it could end up heating the planet up as a whole, thusly leading to a higher demand for mechanical air conditioning units and ultimately increasing the demand on our natural resources (along with the associated emissions) which in turn will lead to further global warming, etc, etc...

Downstairs window open.
Upatairs window open, or vented through the roof.
Bob's your aunty's live in lover.


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 3:32 pm
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Fan on the ceiling above you bed, much better than Air Con.


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 3:35 pm
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Sleep outside?


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 3:37 pm
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Where can you buy those huge white ceiling fans in the UK? I mean proper tropical fans, not the stupid little ones with brass and raffia bits that you get in DIY stores. They are almost silent and really nice on a hot night.


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 3:41 pm
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Fan on the ceiling above you bed, much better than Air Con

Noisy and just circulates hot air round the room. And look hideous.


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 3:42 pm
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No they work well because they allow the body to cool itself naturally.


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 3:43 pm
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Noisy and just circulates hot air round the room. And look hideous.

Have you tried them? I found that they were an excellent solution when night time temps didn't drop below 25 degrees.
It's cool enough in the UK for open windows to be sufficient.


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 3:49 pm
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Noisy and just circulates hot air round the room.

Everywhere I've been that has them, they are silent and a godsend on muggy nights. Moving air cools you much better than still, and it only needs to move slightly.


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 4:05 pm
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Fan on the ceiling above you bed

Not enough space with the big mirror.


 
Posted : 08/09/2016 4:07 pm
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We got a mobile unit from a company in Germany, it uses both water and air con cooling, and is re-gassable, so not like the throw away ones you get in B&Q. Hubby then drilled into the dormer ceiling and fed through the exhaust pipe, so it vents into the ceiling space. Its great as the water part stops it drying out the room. Hubby sleeps happily with the noise, I just use earplugs. Get far more sleep with the small amount of noise, than trying to sleep on the third floor of a new build in summer!


 
Posted : 09/09/2016 2:51 pm