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Why don't more Irish homes have air conditioning instead of radiators?

  • 20-11-2019 10:10PM
    #1
    mr_fegelien
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,483 ✭✭✭


    I was in a home of a friend built in the UK last year and it was pretty advanced. You could control what temperature the water boiled off and as well as that, it had air conditioned heating and cooling

    It felt really really comfortable like the ones you get from Dyson fans or when you're going into a shopping mall. I find radiators a bit uncomfortable with the heat.

    Is it a matter of expense?


Comments

  • #2
    jb35a
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12 ✭jb35a


    In regards to the cost, if you can bang a gas boiler and zoned C.H, pipework and rads in and leave it at that, then it would definetely be cheaper than installing a multi unit air to air heat pump, pipework, and indoor units - or even a central AHU and associated ductwork.

    If your going down the air to water heat pump route and underfloor loops, I wouldn't imagine there would be a huge difference in cost. If you ever go down this route, please for your own sanity in the long run get the system designed by a good compotent person / chartered engineer who has years of expeirence in the air conditioning trade. Plenty of consultants out there who don't know there arse from there elbow with A.C.

    Might end up making more sense as the air conditioning (&Refrigeration) trade grows in Ireland, and demand grows. I've fitted a couple of highwall units in a new build recently, and I've serviced a handful of units over the last couple of years in houses - so they do exist.
    Unfortunately, I haven't come across to many elegent solutions by design with the units hidden away (AHU, or ducted units above ceilings or in voids etc) outside of indoor swimming pools in homes - where money isn't so much of a constraint already, and theres a big need with the humidity.

    Also worth noting a air to air system, has the same eco creditentials for part L as air to water.


  • #3
    al2009
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 183 ✭✭al2009


    Expense, a belief it's expensive to run as well. Personally i like them and have it installed in the house but boilers and rads are much more straight forward and have a wider range of companies to service them.


  • #4
    jb35a
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12 ✭jb35a


    al2009 wrote: »
    Expense, a belief it's expensive to run as well. Personally i like them and have it installed in the house but boilers and rads are much more straight forward and have a wider range of companies to service them.

    Running cost would be a big one with retrofitting them into existing houses, but they are exactly on par with these 'efficent' air to water heat pumps being put into new homes.
    I was in a new build recently to fix an air to water heat pump (refrigeration side) and the unit seemed fairly undersized given the size of the house - then it dawned on me when I was going into the house, through the back door.
    The walls were as thick as castle walls, at least 30 inches from inside plaster to outside, jammed with insulation I'd assume.


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