Unbearably hot flat (leaseholder) why can’t AC be allowed if health risk

[FTBregret]

Londoner, stupidly bought a new-ish build flat that is like a greenhouse (I viewed it in winter). My flat can reach up to 39°c inside and I despise this flat regret buying but can’t go back and it’s not a suitable time for me to sell. During summer I try to avoid staying at home for too long. I’m disabled live alone, regularly feel unwell, have previously fainted, got dizzy spells, and barely sleep but my housing Clarion couldn’t care less

I keep all windows shut during the day but open them at night (single aspect windows so not much breeze). Sometimes I’ll also put fan with ice facing out the open window at night too but barely does much.

I purchased portable AC but it’s inefficient, it doesn’t cool the overall room well enough and you only feel cool if you stand right in front of it. Also I can’t keep windows open all day for safety reasons. Americans claim single hose portable acs which are commonplace in UK are inefficient compared to dual hose (can’t find dual in Uk), there’s some science behind it. Makes sense as my portable ac is no where near as good as split ac or even my friends flat (no ac) who has cross ventilation

Desperately want split ac and/or external shutters but as a leaseholder it won’t be allowed. Why is it not considered as a health safety risk to have to live in these temps as a disabled adult

I’m sure many will comment to tell me I’m being ridiculous and lacking resilience but I have relatives who live in Arizona who wouldn’t sleep in temps above 23°c… why do we have to suffer like this in a first world country

These are ridiculous ideas they will keep the op cold for about 30 seconds and are impractical.

I disagree. I have a neck fan and it works. Even more extreme than the cold sheet is using a wet one. On holiday in hot China I used a wet towel to cover my naked body so I could sleep at night. The condensation is what cools you down, and having a fan blowing on you will make it feel even colder.

My tip would be to freeze bottles of water and put them under your neck or on your pillow, touching your head at night. Cooling pillows, yes to those too.
In 40C in Italy, I used a frozen bottle of water, tucked into my bra, and on pulse points when I was out and about in the heat.

Ultimately though, the answer will be air-con as these are only making do tips.

What is your AC set up? Is there any gaps for hot air to escape back into the room? How many BTUs is it?

We have a 5000 BTU AC in our bedroom. It works well because it's a small-ish room. If you're trying to cool the whole flat with it, you may be better off just putting it in your bedroom.

I’m in a flat in Italy at the moment on holiday and the air cooler where you add water worked really well up to 30 degrees but now it’s above that it makes no difference and is no different to the fan that’s also here.

Closing the windows and shutters barely makes a difference but are better closed than open. When there’s a breeze windows open worked but there hasn’t been a breeze for days

When I return to the UK I’m going to look into air con in my house because the older I get the heat immobilises me.

We live in an open plan bungalow,so presumably akin to a flat. Front living our bedroom and our bedroom face se. Were in the SE. We have a Beldray air cooler on now. It's got 3 fan settings,you can also use it for air conditioning,there's a reservoir in the back,you fill with water and those blocks you use for picnic boxes, makes it even colder. We also have a proper pifco air conditioning unit. Our conservatory,nw facing is at 35c today, sometimes we put the vent hose out of the dog flap. It goes in the bedroom for an hour before bed,hose out of the window.

Can you please find out the make and model for us be great to know of a portable air con unit that works well

Buy a NEW hot water bottle from Argos for £5.50. Fill it 2/3 full then freeze it.

you’ll sleep at night by having it by your feet, although I must admit I spoon mine . Even better have two and sit with one during the day. DO NOT USE THEM FOR HOT WATER IN THE WINTER.

sistema soup mugs - freeze full of water and put on front of a fan.

It should work. It wont cool the whole flat though so you may need a few.

I have Meaco MeacoCool Pro Series 10,000 btu Portable Air Conditioner, it was around £350. It will cool you if you stand/sit directly in front of it but overall I’ve not found it to be that great

It came with this hard window panel (not sure of the material) made for sash windows which sadly I don’t have

The alternative window seal kit is pretty flimsy and basic plastic that you zip around so that doesn’t help

Thank you!! 🤞 may I ask which model did you get

I think you just need a better window sealing kit then. Any smalls gaps and the hot air will just be leaking back into the flat.

Thank you! Is there any brand you’d recommend for reflective film cheers

I feel for you OP. I live on the other side of pond where AC is everywhere. I hate the heat, but can happily live in plus 40 degrees.

I’m visiting family for the summer here in the UK and it’s utterly miserable. I have several health issues and barely function in this heat.

I can only suggest buying a better portable AC for immediate relief. But you’ll be hard pushed finding any in stock. I managed to buy one a Delongi one but it’s not great.

If the heat is really impacting your health bite the bullet and a find an air conned hotel for a few days.

Keep an eye on your blood pressure.

Buy tinfoil and glue dots. Line all windows with tinfoil. It makes a huge difference. Unless outside in the shade is actually hotter air temp than inside, don't then keep windows fully closed, have them open by a small gap not big enough to break light through a gap in the tinfoil but enough tp allow an exchange of air.

The DuoShade model - it's a honeycomb shape, works really well to keep the sun heat out in summer, and keep the room heat in in winter. I also close curtains in front of them and the difference is immense.

The temp in my home has only increased by 1c since 8am today. It's 21.5c, indoors and 29c outdoors right now.

Surely they won't block shutters????? (I don't think they should block AC either but I know people can be pricks about that)

I've got a Meaco, bought in 2022 and it cools my large (18ft x 14 ft) southwest facing lounge down to a more comfortable level. It's a hot flat due to its orientation which means I get direct sun from early afternoon to sunset, and a large expanse of windows. The portable units are not the same as 'real' aircon but it certainly gets it a lot cooler and noticeably so when I come back in from the other rooms. Like you I have casement windows that open outwards, so have to bodge covering the window opening up using offcuts of thermal blackout material and Gorilla tape.

Could your aircon unit not be functioning properly? If it's still under warranty it would be worth contacting Meaco to see what they say.

I also have one of those tower fans and with a few ice packs in front of it that creates a cool breeze (the cats seem to approve anyway).

NB: It's not just leaseholders who have restrictions. About half our block including me are 'share of freehold 'and still have to abide by the same rules as everyone else. This includes getting permission for any permanent changes to the structure of the building such as external aircon units. We also aren't allowed individual satellite dishes.

Hope you can find a way to get a bit cooler until this current heatwave is over.

Awww mate that sounds rough. No-one needs this. The weather is going to be super bloody hot over the next 10 days too. It's hard to suggest anything really, except adhere to the advice given on here on how to keep cool, and wait it out til you're able to sell.

My DD and her partner lived in a second floor, small, 1-bed flat in a big town for a year before they bought their house, and it only had 2 windows - lounge and bedroom... (It was a flat in a converted 1858 house that had 6 flats in it, and the kitchen and bathroom were windowless.) Honestly, the heat was a special kind of horrendous as there was no through air...!

It was last year too, when we had one of the hottest, longest summers on record, and the temperature was above 30 degrees C a LOT.

You have my sympathy @FTBregret ❤

Have you thought of adding ceiling fans? I know they have a bit of an 80s wicker reputation, but I have recently installed a pretty decent looking one in my house and it really does do a good job of cooling the area around it. Probably not going to tackle an entire room, but if you had one over the bed, you'd really feel the difference.

Are your window curtains thick and heavy? If not, can you get some black-out curtain linings to fix onto them? Ideally, you need curtains heavy enough to make the room dark in daytime, and keep them closed all day. Sorry you're going through this x

Look at getting film applied to the insides of your windows that will deflect the heat back outwards. Also make sure you have thermal lined curtains or fitted shutters on the inside.

And it's possible to buy freestanding AC units which are about the size of a smallish tumble dryer that you can move around the house to wherever you need them. I think they work like a condensing tumble dryer so you have to empty a water canister regularly. Or put water into them? One or the other!

Second the suggestion about ceiling fans - we've installed Fantasia ceiling fans in bedrooms and they have made such a difference for comfort and sleeping. You need to get good quality fans, the Fantasia fans we bought were £300 each. Being white they blend into the white ceiling fairly well. They don't need specialist installation as they fit into a normal ceiling rose but an electrician will fit too.

I completely understand you, I hate heat, was miserable living in flats during heatwaves and got two built in air con units fitted as soon as we bought our forever home. Had to fight my husband on it as he was saying the standard line of „but there are only 5 hot days in the UK each year”.

When I was in a flat I was putting tin foil in windows to block out sun - it’s cooler when it’s dark. I would also open all windows in the evening and in the morning to air the house before it gets hot again. Drink icy soft drinks and sit in front of a fan. That’s the best you can do…

We have a similar air conditioner unit and DH had to make a perspex cover for the opened window with a pipe hole in it to seal the window so it works better, if not the warm air just comes in

If you aren’t venting the aircon unit then it will just heat the flat further!! It needs venting outside.