Aircon & Heating Unit Electrics

[CaptainJack88]

Just weighing up the pro's and con's at the moment, however in the process of renovating a spare room.

The room itself doesn't have any heating, so the original plan was to install a panel heater, however as the room is going to be used as an office, and my current office has been absolutely sweltering this summer I've been considering air con.

The choices I have are a portable air con unit and a panel heater, or installing a proper single room air con which I believe can also do hot air heating.

If I chose to go down the full air con/heater route will it need any special electrical installations, or can it be connected to the mains ring on a fused spur or similar?

 

[flameport]

The smaller units typically used for a single room can be connected via a fused spur. Yes, they do heating as well, at substantially lower cost than a direct electric heater.

If you get air con, get the proper installed split type - the portable things are only good for cooling, the exhaust vent is a hose shoved out of a nearby window, and they are just a waste of space for the 10+ months of the year when they are not used.

 

[CaptainJack88]

The smaller units typically used for a single room can be connected via a fused spur. Yes, they do heating as well, at substantially lower cost than a direct electric heater.

If you get air con, get the proper installed split type - the portable things are only good for cooling, the exhaust vent is a hose shoved out of a nearby window, and they are just a waste of space for the 10+ months of the year when they are not used.

Yep that's the type I'm looking at. Compressor outside, vent inside.

So these can run off a spur? Is going to be for a single room about 10m2.
If it's cheaper to run than a panel heater than win win.

Don't suppose you anything about them? Any recommendations?

 

[ericmark]

There are other options, not sure how good or bad, the fan assisted radiator (myson) can both heat and cool, it can use either twin or single radiators.

I have used the large hole in wall type air cons, some the motor runs in reverse to heat, others used simple electric heaters. The big problem even in Algeria in the Sahara was them freezing, if dust built up then not enough air would flow and it would freeze up. Simply turning to heat would defrost it and the water would wash away the dust.

The ability to slide out a faulty unit, and slide in a new one to us was an advantage, not such an advantage at home, however the same applies to those with pipe out of window,

 

[CaptainJack88]

The big problem even in Algeria in the Sahara was them freezing, if dust built up then not enough air would flow and it would freeze up. Simply turning to heat would defrost it and the water would wash away the dust.

I don't think that's going to a problem in the uk..

 

[ericmark]

Get a wet heat exchanger and dust builds up fast. First floor normally not a problem but ground floor some method of cleaning.

Also UK is not cold enough and not warm enough, if very cold there is no vapour in the air, and if warm enough vapour will not freeze, but in UK we are between the two, so using a heat pump to heat the house from ambient air one has to expect it to freeze.

 

[SimonH2]

I have used the large hole in wall type air cons ...
The ability to slide out a faulty unit, and slide in a new one to us was an advantage ...

Nicknamed in the aircon trade as "window rattlers" as a common installation method is to remove a window pane and shove a "window rattler" through the hole (with a panel to fill in any gap).

... so using a heat pump to heat the house from ambient air one has to expect it to freeze.

Which is why any decent system will include auto-defrost in it's controls.