Cooling the home, methods?

[ericmark]

So it costs for just over 6 hours of the AC running around 70p in lost revenue from the solar, so what ever I do, limited to around £25, over that not cost effective.

I have fans, so that is not an expense, but no way to open/close a window with automation, and previous years found the fan was warming the house rather than cooling it, so an open window and a fan has not been much of a success.

Getting up at 6 am and flinging open the patio doors does work, but getting up at 6 am to save 70p is not what I consider cost effective.

So what do other do to keep their home cool, and cost, be it a heat pump or fan, and how to control, lets have some ideas in action.

 

[Wayners]

Shut windows and curtains keeps it cooler.
Make sure you have insulation everywhere possible.
Run air con in one room normally just in the evening.

 

[omega015]

Do you have a small window opening that you could say fit a bathroom extractor style fan in? some perspex that fits the window opening with the fan mounted onto the perspex then you could automate the fan as the window will always be open? Perhaps a bidirectional one then if its cooler outside bring the cooler air in and viceversa (I have this automation in my garage)

Other than that I see some things as a luxury / confort factor and they are not about saving money but rather just making life more comfortable. I installed my smart heating system to be more comfortable but in the end it does help to save some money (although a fairly long payback) I have the Ooler bed system for heating and cooling and again this is to be comfortable and doesnt save me money but costs to run but boy does it make hot and cold days waaaay easier to sleep. I also have a couple of portable air con units (until I have spare cash for split unit installing).

So maybe see things like air con as a luxury / comfort and budget for them? Perhaps offset their usage with, do I really need to boil the kettle or cook this or maybe you naturally are offsetting by not cooking as much hot meals during the hot weather? Calculate how long it takes to cool those rooms and ensure you have it on the minimum amount of time time needed. Also ensuring a good seal on the hot vent and keeping the door closed to that room will help cool it far quicker.

Cheaper options are those air coolers which use water / ice packs but I'm not sold on those being useful for anymore than a short period and the amount of water they put back into the room concerns me.

 

[ericmark]

As I say, easy way is turn on the AC, I have been looking at the idea of a frame to fit upstairs window mainly to stop cats going out through the window, but I do have some small fans one which could go in the frame. The window at top of stairs only gets evening sun, so reasonable to leave open.

Had it cost me 28p/kWh then maybe I would be more worried about using the AC, but if I need the AC then loads of solar power, so cost is what I would get for export, so just 15p/kWh, it hardly seems worth the effort to use anything other than the AC.

Down side with AC is emptying the water, but exhaust goes up the chimney so no windows open to run it.

I do see your point with cooking, the induction hob makes kitchen a lot cooler, and the one cup boiler also helps, we however do tend to use the three large power users, the washing machine, tumble dryer, and dishwasher during the day, I had not thought about the heat they put into the room, so must get off-peak sorted then I can run them over night.

Which is the whole reason for the thread, some times there are simple ways to reduce heat in the day, one just does not think about.

Cheaper options are those air coolers which use water / ice packs but I'm not sold on those being useful for anymore than a short period and the amount of water they put back into the room concerns me.

I would have thought the cost of freezing the ice pack would be same as running the AC, and likely that would be when the sun is not shining so could even cost more?

I know my washing machine in the flat under main house, uses cold water to condense the water, it has always seemed rather wasteful to me, I did use a vented dryer with a window open, but we got a heat pump dryer to replace it, better for security, and having window closed has got rid of black mould on the walls, but running costs not so sure, set to 1 kW it would take around 90 minutes, the new one uses 600 watt and takes 2.5 hours, so no real gain.

 

[Munroast]

So it costs for just over 6 hours of the AC running around 70p in lost revenue from the solar, so what ever I do, limited to around £25, over that not cost effective.

I have fans, so that is not an expense, but no way to open/close a window with automation, and previous years found the fan was warming the house rather than cooling it, so an open window and a fan has not been much of a success.

Getting up at 6 am and flinging open the patio doors does work, but getting up at 6 am to save 70p is not what I consider cost effective.

So what do other do to keep their home cool, and cost, be it a heat pump or fan, and how to control, lets have some ideas in action.

gosh, that's like 12p per hour

are you alright ?

 

[robinbanks]

So it costs for just over 6 hours of the AC running around 70p in lost revenue from the solar

But not getting paid something isn't really a cost unless there is something else you desperately need to spend the money on

What are you willing to pay for comfort? How often do you buy a Starbucks (or insert other non essential item here)?

Is there any point being the richest person in the graveyard?

If saving money is the thing you enjoy most, maybe install some more solar to run your AC and have your 70p. If there are other things you enjoy more/enough to see the value instead of the cost, prioritise that?

 

[Munroast]

move to Scotland then you will never feel that you want to be colder (the 70p saving will offset your moving costs)

 

[ericmark]

What I am really trying to do, is convince my wife running the AC is OK. And there is no other reasonable method of cooling the house which will cost less than the AC.

gosh, that's like 12p per hour

Yes, although as

But not getting paid something isn't really a cost

My problem is the cake and eat it. She who must be obeyed decided on solar panels. Because we have solar panels, using an AC, tumble dryer etc, costs very little, but can't use it, and be paid for it. So building up my argument by looking at your answers.

 

[Why Not Indeed]

I have an enormous beech just to the SSE of the house, that shades us from a good few hours of sun in the late morning. Difficult to quantify as I can't take it down one day and then put it up again for comparison. But no way I would cut it down in a warming climate.

Curtains shut wherever possible on hot days.
Upstairs windows open over night on hot days. Not really sure when to shut them but as the outdoor temperature begins to exceed indoor seems to work unless it's a particularly windy day, in which case the breeze is a relief.

Reflective film on my office window, this one has been a massive help as it's a small room with big window. Obviously I lose the solar gain in winter but the alternative would be some kind of active cooling system.

 

[robinbanks]

but can't use it, and be paid for it

What's the price difference between your import and export?

Using solar = not doing import, which may mean more money in your pocket at the end of the month than exporting..

 

[ericmark]

8.50p/kWh 00:30 - 05:30, 30.17p/kWh 05:30 - 00:30 with 67.83p/day standing charge, and 15p/kWh export. I have the solar software set to charge battery 01:30 - 03:30. May change that, as not really a problem any more charging battery when not required, and export payment is greater than off-peak rate, only just moved back to an off-peak tariff, today solar rather poor, nearly 4 pm and battery only 65% charged, so just 3.5 kWh to last me until 00:30, which prompted me to change the tariff.

I use around 11 kWh per day, and solar can be over 30 kWh per day, so average this time of year, export around 17 kWh per day. But looking at it as a whole year round, I use around 70 kWh/month more than the solar produces, so if I can limit my use of grid power to off-peak, then £6 per months plus standing charge then around £27 per month average paid for electric. However they estimate I will use £50 more than that. But can always claim it back.

But my age I was brought up with put wood in hole, and shouted at for leaving lights on. With LED living room lights cost less than 1.50p/hour even at peak rate, (48 watt) but I still turn them off as we go to bed, however I am lazy, and they switch on automatically at dusk.

I still flung open the patio doors this morning (7:30 am), and allowed the room to cool, closed again at 10 am. No real need, as been a cool day. Biggest problem is to remember to empty the condensate from the AC.

 

[robinbanks]

Why not plumb the condensate to drain automatically?

 

[ericmark]

Why not plumb the condensate to drain automatically?

This is a consideration, but AC is on the hearth so the pipe goes into the chimney, which means not near an outside wall. Using the chimney means no windows need to be open, so when out I can start the AC with my phone, so room cool on return.

 

[robinbanks]

perhaps a soakaway would be able to deal with the volume of moisture generated, but you can also get effective service from arranging an automatic siphon to occur, as a relatively small bore pipe with reasonable height differential will flow quickly and keep itself clear. If the AC unit water tank holds say 10cm of water, drill a hole in it at 8cm up, and install a snug fitting, small, flexible pipe such that it picks up from the bottom corner of the tank. Now when the AC fills the tank to fractionally above the 8cm mark, the siphon will start, empty the tank then stop.

 

[ericmark]

Condensate tank (old cider bottle) in a sweet box so if it does over flow, I can both see, and it stops floor getting wet, also bit of cats tail. Since starting thread, AC has not run, and in general we are looking at maybe 4 weeks a year, where required, so not going to great lengths to get rid of condensate.
The pipe into the chimney works well, no windows open, so house secure, and since fire has never been used since I have moved in, it also seals the chimney in winter, but easy enough to remove should central heating fail.

But I still look at other methods. The room is a bit too big for the portable AC unit, it can maintain the temperature, but if allowed to warm up, not really good enough to cool it again. Since it also reduces humidity it makes the room seem even cooler.