Air Conditioning Advice

[John Taylor]

I know that some of you guys have had AC fitted to their games rooms. I have a well insulated converted double garage that I want AC for, more so for the heating in the winter. I have about 30m2 but intend to get an overspecced split AC unit to churn out some good heat. I am assuming I should be able to get it warmer quicker... and cheaper than my convectors and 3Kw fan heaters (which I have on smart sockets).

With the cost of energy these days I don't want to leave something on all the time especially as I may only go in there for a couple of hours at the weekend.

At my last property I took a feed off the central heating as I had an overspecced boiler... this kept it at a reasonable temp. I cannot do this easily now.

I have just had the electrics upgraded with an outdoor rotary switch ready to wire it into.

Question..... I am sure I can fit it myself with no issue especially with the pre-gassed easy fit split systems. Most of the retailers say it must be installed or certified by an F-Gas engineer. Any thoughts on this, should I do this myself, pay for installation or look for an engineer to certify.

Thinking of something like this...

KFR-53 | 18000 btu HITACHI Inverter Air Con Unit | KFR53-IW/X1c

18,000 btu (5Kw) Inverter Air Conditioning Unit Powered By HITACHI from £429, suitable for Easy-Fit Installation, perfect for rooms up to 20 Square meters or 200 Square feet, manufacturers model number is KFR-23IW/X1c

www.cooleasy.co.uk

Cooleasy F-gas engineers are 'from' £249 plus VAT.

Any thoughts

 

[Paul]

A mate of mine is an Aircon engineer... They are designed and are more efficient when they are "excercised"... so not necessarilly a good idea to over-spec too much (just a little)...

Manufacturers will only cover the warranty if it is installed by an F-Gas engineer. You can install yourself... hoewever no warranty (allegedly)

 

[DRD]

I do not know whether you can realistically diy install these or not.

If it is a back to back installation, I would say that the mounting of the internal unit, external unit, core drilling, electrical connections and pipe laying are jobs any competent DIYer could so with suitable tools.... in particular decent core drilling gear.

The second stage felt a bit more involved.... When my units were installed, the guys put nitrogen under pressure into the system for 1 hour to see whether there were any leaks. They then ran a vacuum pump on the pipework for a while (30 mins ?) before gassing it up.

 

[Paul]

Our Highly Advanced HITACHI Inverter easy fit pre gassed air conditioning super inverter heat pump units are some of the most cost effective units currently available on the market.

Pre-gassed... so yes you can fit yourself. You get one shot at it - muck it up and you have to get an engineer in to re-gas.

The fuss around R32 is that its flamable, and after a few cases where it hadnt been installed properly, causing a fire, it was the usual "treat everyone like an idiot" mentality... hence the requirement to use a f-type installer. The manufacturers had to adhere to the requirements.. so used it as a reason to tie in with the warranty..

 

[John Taylor]

Thanks for the advice all, appreciate it. Going to get a couple of quotes for supply and install to see what the cost difference is and go from there. Cheers

 

[Jsyjamie]

I wouldn't go too mad to be honest. I have this in my 7m x 4.5m shed which I was using as an office most of last year and it was perfect. It gets up to 38 degrees in there during a really hot day! Just needed to drill a hole through the wall and you're good to go.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07WZFCGM4/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_TYRQ8FF79A2D2VK8XYP4

 

[Deleted member 2463]

you need a 3.5kw system if its really well insulated. go for mitsu and I'd avoid Hitachi, we had few of those and the outside compressor seized on them all after about two years.

 

[Balazs]

If you want to install yourself you have to vacuum the pipes before you open the valves of the filled gas.
If you want to use for heating you can choose the ac which optimalised for heating. Cop number shows the efficency of the unit.

 

[John Taylor]

Thanks for all the advice on the air con. Went for a Mitsubishi SRC45ZSP-W (4.5kW 15,000btu) in the end. Decided to pay for installation, it's costing me about £500 extra but will ensure I keep the warranty. Installition this Friday, will let you know how it goes.

 

[Deleted member 2463]

Correct decision!

 

[John Taylor]

Aircon installed today. Great installation team from https://pro-techairconditioning.co.uk/

Kicks out a lot of heat, doesn't take long to get toasty !

 

[ianw]

Just purchased another insurance business, office on top floor of old high st building

Can anyone recommend a brand for a portable office aircon unit?

Small office approx 50 cubic meters

 

[Rob zombie]

Why do you need it heated if you only go in there an hour or two at the weekend? Just stick a dehumidifier in there and a heater that will rapidly warm it up for when you actually go in there.

 

[ianw]

Looking for a cooling unit for the summer

 

[DRD]

I have read a few reviews on these over the years.

Delonghi usually comes out on top.

The most important thing to consider is the noise that these monobloc units produce.

This recent Telegraph article concludes that the Delonghi is best.

The 10 best portable air conditioners to cool your house

As hot weather sets in, might it be time to invest in a portable air conditioner? Here are the best, recommended by experts

www.telegraph.co.uk

De'Longhi Pinguino PAC EL98 ECO Silent Portable Air Conditioner - 0151462009

Experience whisper-quiet cooling with the De'Longhi Pinguino PAC EL98 ECO portable air conditioning unit. Stay cool, silent, and eco-friendly this summer

www.airconcentre.co.uk

5 best portable air conditioners 2025 UK for the hottest days of the year

IT’S warm in the UK at the moment and we’re not even at the end of March. While we wouldn’t wish it otherwise, summer isn’t far off and thoughts are turning to the best port…

www.thesun.co.uk

 

[M4carp]

Looking for a cooling unit for the summer

I have had this one for years and it’s been heavily used and still works, was stored in a damp outbuilding but got it out when the house was baking and it cooled down a 40’ x 18’ room that has a large opening to the rest of the house.
You just need to vent the hot air out with ducting supplied like all portables.

Fral SC14 4.1kW Portable Air Conditioning Unit | Sunbelt Sales

Buy Fral SC14 4.1kW Portable Air Conditioning Unit from Sunbelt Sales, we promise to match any price you find elsewhere

www.sunbeltsales.co.uk