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Air Conditioning in the house

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  • 26-03-2024 1:31pm
    #1
    Posh Boy
    Registered Users Posts: 174 ✭✭


    Hi,

    I'm considering getting some air conditioning in the house just to help out with the hotter times during the summer months. For background, house is only 5 years old, A-rated, with air to water heat pump feeding hot water and rads throughout. We also have MHVR system for fresh air ventilation.


    What I would ideally like to do is install a split system and have a unit or two around the house. I am wondering if they could be somehow tied into the existing air to water heat pump or would I need a separate unit to run the A/C


    The other option of course is to get a cheaper portable unit but there is the hassle of emptying the water storage tank and how to get the bloody vent pipe connected to the window - all the seals are designed for sliding windows but we have the tilt and open type.


    Any suggestions?



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    #2
    blackbox
    Registered Users Posts: 4,102 ✭✭✭blackbox


    Is it possible to turn off the heat recovery part of the MVHR so that you would be ventilating with air at the outside temperature?

    It is very rare for the air temperature in Ireland to go above 25°C - seldom over 22.



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    #3
    Posh Boy
    Registered Users Posts: 174 ✭✭Posh Boy


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121941120#Comment_121941120

    Yes, it has summer bypass which we use but due to the insulation of the house there is still significant solar gain throughout the day which the system cannot handle, hence the need for air conditioning to reduce the temperature to a comfortable level, particularly in the bedrooms in the late evening for a comfortable nights sleep.



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    #4
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 16,881 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    The greener approach would be to install blinds or shutters on the outside of the sunniest windows. You'd see this on most appartments in Spain and Portugal. This would stop the rooms from heating up in the first place

    2 or 3 room Mini split system is going to set you back €3500 /€5000. I have AC in 3 rooms. Sitting room we'd rarely use, maybe a dozen evenings or so throughout the summer. Two bedrooms would be on eight hours throughout the night for 4 or 5 months of the year. They would be set to Auto. Let's say it's set to 21c. If the room is over 21c then AC will bring it down to 21c. Once it gets to this temperature then AC part turns off and it's just a fan lightly blowing air around the room. When the temperature goes above 21c throughout the night the AC kicks in again for a few minutes.

    It's expensive to get in but not expensive to run because you don't need to run it on AC for long in Ireland to have a comfortable temperature

    I tried two different portable ones over the years. The have to be vented outdoors because they expel very hot air. If it wasn't vented to outside then it couldn't lower the room temperature. The worst part about the portable ones is the noise. You couldn't sit watching TV while it was running and you'd have to be stone deaf to be able to sleep with the noise. I found portable ones horrible in the home setting



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