Air conditioning in loft room.

[LetItGoHome]

I have been wanting air conditioning in our loft room for a while now. Not a mobile unit. Something wall mounted and permanent. This heatwave has prompted me to look in to it a bit more seriously. 😎🔥
Could someone, perhaps someone who has had it fitted in a loft room explain the process and how it actually works. I'm assuming modern systems dont need anything fitted outside? I'd like a basic understanding before i face the experts. Google isnt helping x

My Mum has wall mounted units in 2 bedrooms and in the lounge (lives in South of France). All 3 units have an outside fan component that runs when the a/c is on. Inside the rooms there's a wall mounted unit. FWIW, all of them were fitted in the last 3-4 years so are all "modern units".

Google 'mini split AC ' you will find lots of videos etc describing the systems, showing what they look like and how they're installed.

Ah, right. There are definately systems out there that dont have an outside component, or a large box at least. The air conditioning companies advertise them for loft rooms as it would be inpractical/difficult to install a traditional unit in a small london terrace loft conversion. They just dont seem to go in to detail on how they work and the process without contacting them for a quote. I wish i had it done when i had the conversion now.

I have googled mini split AC and it seems to be units that have a large outdoor fan in a box. How would this work in a loft conversion? Were would it go? Is this what people use? Sorry if its obvious and im clueless.

You have a box on the outside which connects to the unit on the inside. If you have a dormer then the best place is on the side of the dormer. We are in the middle of a loft conversion right now (SW London) and quotes to install are around £2500 +VAT. That doesn't include the cost of scaffold as obviously we already have it up.

I have a split system but there are some where the whole unit is inside so just needs holes drilled in the wall. I think this is what you are talking about: All-in-one units - www.orionairsales.co.uk/all-in-one-air-conditioning-142-c.asp

You would need something outside because that is there the heat is moved to. Either a condenser box with a fan, or you could have the whole lot inside with a duct going outside but it would be massive and less efficient. If you're in a converted terrace you could either put it on the rear 1st floor wall between the bathroom and bedroom windows or similar, or at a push you could get a roof mounted one and put it on top.
You can put the outside condenser quite a way from the internal unit but it gets complicated and cheaper units would have a shorter maximum. Ground mounted would be possible if there's space close enough. You'd really need an installer to quote.

Brilliant. Thanks for the link. This is what I think I've seen and this includes a great explanation ☺️
I will of course get some quotes in but it helps to have an idea on what's available 👍

See my other thread on water-cooled air conditioning systems. I have one and it works well: www.mumsnet.com/talk/property/4193494-Info-on-water-cooled-air-conditioning-Not-evaportaive-cooling-but-ordinary-ac-with-water-cooled-condensers

Where are you? A mid-terrace with neighbours all over? A flat? A fully detached house with the closest neighbour miles away?

In England you need planning permission for external units, if the noise can be heard by neighbours, and you must ensure the noise of the unit is 20 dB less than the average background noise. You need a noise consultant to perform an assessment and, unless your neighbours are very far away or you overlook a very busy motorway, you will realistically need a bulky and expensive noise dampening box. Most people don't do that and simply install aircon illegally, but that's a risk.

Water-cooled systems don't have an external unit- you install a condenser internally, which gets cooled with water. A water cooled system for 2 rooms can set you back between £4-8k, depending on how much damage you need to do to the walls. But you won't need scaffolding, which makes it very expensive to install an aircon with external unit on a top floor.

Portable air conditioning units are cheaper but do not work as well, plus sealing the windows may be a pain, especially top or side-hinged windows (sash windows are easier).

I don't know much about the units you install in a wall/window. Here's a few:
www.electriq.co.uk/p/iqool-smart15hp/electriq-iqoolsmart15hp-air-conditioner-air-conditioner
www.olimpiasplendid.com/without-outdoor-unit
You need to dig vents through the wall; no idea if they'd be draughty in the winter. If you do learn more about them or install them, please do post your experience.

PS I would also add, it's important to limit solar gain as much as possible with passive systems which do not consume energy.

If you have a flat roof, solar-reflective paint helps.

If you have solar panels, leaving a gap between the roof and the panels helps with ventilation.

Awnings, especially over south-facing windows.

Or louvres: see and look up "smartlouvre" or "powell blinds"

Basically anything which is outside the room and can stop or reduce the sun from hitting your house, especially your windows. Internal blinds do not help as much because the sun has already entered your room, and they may just reflect it within the room. Oh, but you need planning permission to install external blinds in most cases.. Bureaucracy...

If you have skylights, eg in a kitchen extension or loft, put blackout blinds and replace them with openable ones. I have an openable skylight in the loft, it helps get the hot air out, and creates a modest but better than nothing ventilation with the other rooms

I have a split air con system which generally means all air con machines run off 1 dedicated outdoor unit. The downside to this is that you can only use heat/cool at the same time on all the units e.g. you cant use heat on one machine whilst using cold on another.

Thank you ParentOfOne for taking the time with such a full answer. You have given me lots to look at and think about.

Live in a London mid terraced house, small garden, with neighbours all around. So i think anything requiring planning is not an option.

The space needing cooling is a loft room. Its only been 3 years done so up to date with latest insulation requirements and we certainly not skimp on it. We have blackout blinds/curtains. All glass opens. A fair amount of the heat is kept out and I have been in far hotter loft rooms. The room is both a bedroom and office for working from home. To be honest rather than just reducing the heat I would like it cool. So i dont mind throwing some money at it if i need to.

Its really annoying as only recently i was speaking to 2 seperate people who had what they called air conditioning added to their loft conversion as it was being converted. They where local to me with similar houses. I'm now kicking myself for not askig exactly what they had.

Oh well, I had better get the professionals in.