Single unit air conditioners
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Berkshire, UK
Posts: 717
Single unit air conditioners
This morning I received an email advert for a single unit air conditioner thingy. It claims to do AC, dehumidification and cooling.
Where does all of the energy go if "cooling" is used?
It seems to me that the dehumidifying function must be adding heat energy to the airflow out of the unit, cooling function must be adding even more?
Does the advert fib or mislead?
Rans6.............................
Where does all of the energy go if "cooling" is used?
It seems to me that the dehumidifying function must be adding heat energy to the airflow out of the unit, cooling function must be adding even more?
Does the advert fib or mislead?
Rans6.............................
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Uk
Posts: 64
they will have a vent pipe that needs to go somewhere that you don't mind a lot of hot and or humid air going to !
usually quite a large flexible pipe, like a 6 inch pipe with quite a gale blowing through it. - generally put out of a window which causes it's own other problems. They do work though
usually quite a large flexible pipe, like a 6 inch pipe with quite a gale blowing through it. - generally put out of a window which causes it's own other problems. They do work though
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: West Wiltshire, UK
Age: 68
Posts: 390
I have one, sitting unused in my workshop. We used it at our last house, as that used to overheat badly at times. Very noisy, as the compressor unit is the thing that makes most of the noise in an aircon system, and is indoors in these units. They aren't great, as you need to run the vent pipe outdoors, which expels pretty hot air. Because of this, replacement air is drawn in from outside through normal ventilation openings, so on a very hot day pretty warm air is being drawn into the house only to be cooled by the unit.
Last summer I installed a small split aircon system, with the compressor unit hung on the wall outside and the refrigerant and condensate drain pipes run indoors to a wall mounted internal unit. It's very quiet, so quiet that in "silent" mode it doesn't even disturb sleep when running in our bedroom (and we hate noise). It's massively more effective than the indoor unit, and seems to be a great deal more efficient, too, as we haven't noticed any increase in the electricity bill. If we leave the bedroom door open during hot days, the cooling effect is very noticeable downstairs, too. Surprised me as to just how effective it is at cooling the downstairs, and is something of a bonus. The split unit took about a day to install, came pre-gassed and cost around £800, including all the bits and pieces needed, like a wall bracket, extension pipes, etc.
Last summer I installed a small split aircon system, with the compressor unit hung on the wall outside and the refrigerant and condensate drain pipes run indoors to a wall mounted internal unit. It's very quiet, so quiet that in "silent" mode it doesn't even disturb sleep when running in our bedroom (and we hate noise). It's massively more effective than the indoor unit, and seems to be a great deal more efficient, too, as we haven't noticed any increase in the electricity bill. If we leave the bedroom door open during hot days, the cooling effect is very noticeable downstairs, too. Surprised me as to just how effective it is at cooling the downstairs, and is something of a bonus. The split unit took about a day to install, came pre-gassed and cost around £800, including all the bits and pieces needed, like a wall bracket, extension pipes, etc.
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Berkshire, UK
Posts: 717
The picture showed a unit stood next to someone sitting in an easy chair in the centre of a lounge. It is the size and shape of a single stack CD rack or a tall, narrow, floor standing loudspeaker. Absolutely no indication of an exhaust pipe of any sort.
I still don't know if the ad lies or misleads, but it must be one or the other.
I was attracted to it as my workshop/office can get a bit hot in the summer. We put our full sized deep freezer in there which is a bonus in the winter but in the summer it struggles to keep stuff cool when it contributes to the temperature around itself rising to 40 deg C. Even keeping the door open (which I am OK with) and a big office fan blowing through the doorway can't always keep the temperature down.
Might have to bite the bullet and do the job properly.
Rans6...................................
I still don't know if the ad lies or misleads, but it must be one or the other.
I was attracted to it as my workshop/office can get a bit hot in the summer. We put our full sized deep freezer in there which is a bonus in the winter but in the summer it struggles to keep stuff cool when it contributes to the temperature around itself rising to 40 deg C. Even keeping the door open (which I am OK with) and a big office fan blowing through the doorway can't always keep the temperature down.
Might have to bite the bullet and do the job properly.
Rans6...................................
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: London
Posts: 403
I wouldn't be surprised if it's actually an air cooler rather than an air conditioner. Something along the lines of this:
https://www.viking-direct.co.uk/en/p...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
They cool the air by having an internal water tank and the water is fed onto a sheet or matrix where air is blown over it and the water evaporates which causes the air to cool down slightly (because of latent heat of evaporation).
I have a couple of these and they do work but are nowhere near as efficient as a proper air conditioner.
https://www.viking-direct.co.uk/en/p...E&gclsrc=aw.ds
They cool the air by having an internal water tank and the water is fed onto a sheet or matrix where air is blown over it and the water evaporates which causes the air to cool down slightly (because of latent heat of evaporation).
I have a couple of these and they do work but are nowhere near as efficient as a proper air conditioner.
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: West Wiltshire, UK
Age: 68
Posts: 390
Originally Posted by rans6andrew
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Might have to bite the bullet and do the job properly.
Rans6...................................
Might have to bite the bullet and do the job properly.
Rans6...................................
It comes pre-gassed, and with pipes long enough to go through a wall, but you can buy extension pipe kits, that come pre-terminated and insulated. Ideally you also need access to a vacuum pump and a set of gauges to do the installation job properly, although I know people that have fitted one without vacuuming down the pipes and they haven't had any problems. I think you're only about 40 or 50 miles from me, and I have a vacuum pump and set of gauges you can borrow, if you go down this route. All the installers were looking at charging around £1,000 for a day's work, so the ~£100 for a new vacuum pump and gauges seemed worth it, even though I've only used the pump just the once.
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Kelowna Wine Country
Posts: 445
Splits are pretty well standard fare in the far East and seem to be very efficient. No 1 son has installed two this Summer. One for his master bedroom, new, and another second hand for his daughter's room. We'll put in one for our master bdrm next Spring as the central air con really doesn't do the job against big windows and the flank wall which get full sun all afternoon and evening.
short flights long nights
Join Date: Aug 1999
Posts: 3,144
We have 3 splits in our house here in Australia. One that does the living room and kitchen. And one each in our bedroom and guest room. They are very efficient. We use them for both cooling and heating. It is important to get the correct size for the room your are using them in.
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Asia
Posts: 1,050
I have a thing known as a 'swamp cooler'. Fill it with water & it makes cold air.
However they don’t really work in humid conditions as the air is already saturated and can’t absorb more water easily..
This is why 35’C in a desert doesn’t feel too bad as perspiration evaporates straight away and you stay dry, just remember to keep up the water intake. The same temperature in tropical conditions is a different matter as perspiring only leaves you looking and feeling like a wet rag.
