Urgently seeking portable AC advice for a vulnerable family in a scorching London flat

[MissLux]

Hi all

I have exhausted all my search capabilities and options in a hope to find a portable AC as right now it’s not even 28-29C outside but it’s 34C at home. I live in an old flat above a cafe (West London), with my nan (80yrs old), my son who’s 5, and my cat. The last heatwave 2 weeks ago it reached 38/39C at home and my nan became extremely unwell (many comorbidities too). The heatwave coming it will reach 40C outside in London so that means 45C at home 😩 My little one is also due surgery mid heatwave 😞

Right now the prices on eBay are over £600 for a 7000BTU ACs. I tried getting one from Amazon but all that are allegedly in stock are undeliverable to my address for whatever reason.

Ive looked into hiring one but all out of stock as well.

Can anyone advise if they know where I can get one urgently please.

I'm doing this now, as well as using water that has been cooled in the fridge to soak towels and tea towels that are on an airer in front of the fan, and one room is pretty good with this. I cool down as many bottles of water in the fridge as will fit.

Even towels dry very quickly with fan plus heat and the water takes a degree or 2 off the air temperature. I am not sure if it would work somewhere very humid or damp but it still dried very fast in the last heatwave.

Another thing that works well, particularly at night, and last year got me through a few nights in a hotel room in France with no air con when it was in the high thirties is take a large thin cotton scarf, completely soak it in cold water and then lay it over your naked body with a fan next to you.

I can't help with an a/c I'm afraid, i dont have one, but it's worth contacting your local council to see what voluntary support groups are in your area. Even if they can't help directly, they're generally really well connected and could signpost you to someone who can. (Eg your local Lions group)

I know you said you don't have loads of room in your freezer, but if you can fit it then half fill a hot water bottle and put it in in the morning, it should be frozen by bedtime. Wrap it in a towel and it should help keep your nan much cooler. If you have 2 on the go, you can use one during the hottest part of the day as well.

Just make sure you buy a new one before you use it as hot water bottle again! Or you could freeze damp face flannels for use during the day.

Do you have a bath that your nan and son will be able to get in and out of? Cool baths can help. Also tell the discharge team that you're worried about your sons recovery in the heatwave.

Ice lollies help enormously- the Mr Freeze ones are cheap and you just freeze a few at a time so they don't take up too much room.

Jelly drops are expensive so I appreciate they might not be affordable for you, but they're a great way of getting fluids and electrolytes into elderly people.

Make some ordinary jelly too.

You could speak to a pharmacist or gp too about whether it's safe to give your nan electrolyte rehydration drinks like diarolyte.

Something they do in hot countries, although I haven't tried it myself, is to hang a damp sheet on the inside of an open window which might be idea at night.

I wish I could help more!

So aircon wise please don't be fooled by any one advertising any. Especially random companies. I follow a weather page on FB and she was after one. She called all the main suppliers last week direct and they said all stock is pretty much used up. In Europe and the UK it was unprecedented demand and the next ones being manufactured are a few months away. As they then ship them by boat. So unless you find one at a reputable company which has randomly been found hiding or someone is selling one second hand and you can see it in person and working please be careful.

I won't add to the great tips others have now given you, but just wanted to make you aware of the current AC status.

I've just paid £500 on eBay for a caravan one for DD as that was the only one I could find in stock. She's medically vulnerable and was unwell with the heat last time.
It's a portable split system so one part goes on her windowsill inside, then the other part sits on the flat roof outside her window, connected by a hose. It's supposed to cool a caravan, which is pretty similar in size to her bedroom. As it's split it's far more energy efficient than a normal portable one.
They're saying this ones not going to as bad as the last one because the humidity is lower, but I'm not taking the chance. I hope you find a solution. I seriously considered a week in Iceland, but the AC worked out cheaper 😂

I’ve been trying to get my elderly parents one and they are all on back order until Sept from what I’ve seen.

I know this might be a bit out there but have you thought about getting a Premier Inn room for a couple of days or even just one night?. I had a look for the 17th July which is supposed to be the really bad day and you can get an air con room for £122 at Archway. Do check the listings because some aren’t air con (Euston isn’t for example). Here’s the list for the 17th

Forgot to say, if you do get one they are really heavy. Make sure they will deliver to your door. There is no way an average woman would be able to get them up the stairs, my husband struggled and he’s a fairly strong 6ft.

If need be you’ll need to take them to a cool space - libraries, churches etc with air con. Find them here: https://apps.london.gov.uk/cool-spaces/

I am a 5’3 woman and can lift my portable ac unit…

Also cooling towels OP - https://amzn.eu/d/00QYUMVq

Good for you? Mine is 35kg

@Rosiecloud Our unit is old, but also incredibly heavy and looks like a dalek! I posted up thread about it but there is no way I could lift it myself. DH and I only just managed to get it down stairs recently. When we had to take it up the stairs to the flat, we needed a neighbour to help and the 3 of us struggled. Maybe some models are lighter now? 🤷‍♀️

i don’t get this undeliverable to your address nonsense. They are too big for Amazon lockers and too heavy for the local collection points. I contacted Amazon twice over this last week and they had no answer for me other than choose a different address ( like where- I need it at my address) or try a different model- ( nope say the same thing) When you go in the actual website for these retailers they say they are all out of stock so why on earth Amazon have this ludicrous message instead of saying they aren’t available is beyond me!

I had a look and some of the newer ones are like 22kg which is much more manageable! Ours looks like a Dalek too LOL! it’s so cumbersome to move it’s a 2 person job as well.