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

Yes it has single hose, I vent it outside but I have annoying inward hinge windows and so have to use those cheap white zipper window kits which aren’t great.

The hose pipe gets so hot to touch and at the base. It’s turned on at lowest setting of 16°c now and still not enough to significantly cool the room down.

My next attempt is to get custom made plastic glass screen made to measure which a previous poster linked here, no idea if it will work though as most tips aren’t helping much in this hellish flat

its a 10k btu one

https://news.sky.com/story/dont-buy-air-conditioning-until-youve-read-this-13557590

sky news article mentions how dual hose is more effective^ (sadly less accessible in UK)

This is absolutely not what to do when it is this hot.
the advice is clear: windows/blinds/curtains closed during the day, esp if south facing. Open in the evening and all night if possible to let cooler air in. If you can open on both sides of a house it allows a through breeze.
We are going to need to retrofit a lot of our houses with shutters or shades to cope with this kind of heat.

I covered half my balcony door glass in foil externally as recommended but it’s such a pain to do alone and in this heat I’m too worn out to fully finish it

One glass door covered securely but haven’t noticed huge difference - will the whole thing need to be perfectly covered for me to feel a temp difference?

I live in a South facing new build. My lounge was 36.5 today. I have the Meaco Air Con in my spare room (same one BTU 10,000) and its fine for that space. OK its not icy, but I'm sat in a vest and sarong working and feel fine. I have the window kit - I'm not sure why you've poo-pood it as its fine? I bought a super long tube on Amazon. It also helps to sit more in front of the machine. I keep the blind down all the time. I also have a desk fan.

I'm thinking of getting the 12000 BTU one for my kitchen lounge area.

In the bedroom I have a black out blind custom made from Blinds 2 U, that helps a lot to keep heat out.

Just need to fix the lounge dining area problem.

Basically throw more resources at it. I have a microfiber neck towel from amazon, and the electronic U shape neck fan from John Lewis as well. And 2 turbo chrome floor fans from Robert Dyas and Amazon, one in bedroom and one in lounge/diner. Also have a half parasol from John Lewis on the balcony. It doesn't shade the balcony at all, it shades half the front room haha.

I could probably have afforded air con with all the money I've spent but I've been doing it gradually over 5 years. If I ever sell the flat I can sell whatever I no longer need.

We have a portable aircon and it works amazingly well, even with one of those "cheap white window fitting kits" as you call them. It only really works in one room with the door closed or ajar.

Are you sure you are using yours correctly? Why not get a better model? Which has good advice about what to buy

Ours is homcom 9000 btu , works great. Actually gets a bit chilly if you leave it on too long!!

I also have a HomCom one. Like the OP, my windows open towards you but I don’t have a sealing kit. I think there is something wrong with mine though as hot air is blowing around where the hose is connected to the unit (it’s properly fitted), and also the hose is warm. I think it’s faulty or I am doing something wrong. I bought it last year. It’s only really effective if you sit right in front of it.

That’s crazy to me, how lucky! Mine has slightly higher btu but it’s just not that efficient overall

After you turn it off does the room stay cool for long?

I’ve followed installation tips for mine (Meaco) so don’t think I’m doing anything that wrong but I don’t know tbh

Our air con engineer advised setting air con at about 21/22, you want it colder than it is not Baltic, you’re not going to get it down to 16 (even my installed air con doesn’t seem to manage that!) make sure it’s on AC and not fan mode. Switch it on, close the door, come back to it an hour later. Our portable units I find they get cool enough to be able to switch off and get to sleep, but if it’s like it is now you may need to top it up in the night if you wake up, it won’t stay cold.

Something has been bothering me and i couldnt put my finger on it until now. Camden told them to open windows and doors for ventilation. But flats are fitted with fire doors now which must be kept closed. So have they (CC) broken fire safety rules to make a point about air con.

Thanks it’s just for me I’m tired of getting my hopes up and wasting more time and money with little improvement. It’s especially frustrating that we all know an extremely effective solution exists (split AC) but I’m blocked from getting it.

I have a micro fibre ‘cool’ towel already, it only very briefly helps me, I’m just sick of my vile flat. I don’t know why it’s still getting soo hot inside when tried to block out as much light

Light is only one aspect - the scale of the sun's radiant heat is heating up the fabric of the building (block work, trims, windows themselves, balcony materials etc).

Then there's the temperature of all the flats below and around you - they are acting as insulation which is great in the cold but not in the heat.

Flats usually mean less greenery around the area as well, and trees etc really cool the place with shade and physically soaking up the warmth.

So think about shade - can you put tall and bushy potted plants outside on your balcony? Are you allowed to install a sun shade or sail? That might be more problematic/risky because of wind so those permissions are important for safety! Or external blinds / shutters? Even a couple of sheets hung over the doors is a start.

Tall plants indoors by the windows and doors where suitable, fitted blinds, blackout curtains (I use two layers on all doors and windows), ceiling fans....

The cheap IKEA blackout paper blinds have been amazing here for years before I upgraded to Perfect Fit. You can even get them posted out now.

Are you running any devices which kick out a lot of heat? I realised this week that my office lamp gets stupidly hot so I swapped it for now and will replace when I can.

And in London look for the Cool Space initiative and see if there's anywhere suitable for you.

Sorry m'dear.

The actual problem is most new to newish homes and apartments are insulated to the hilt to keep heat in.

With all the best tin foil in the world, it won't stop the building heating up.

I find that even having a cross breeze, it doesn't clear out any heat at all. It's the same complaint up and down the country.

Myself, I've resolved that I'll be getting a/c in my house, as these weather events are going to be more frequent.

One final/possible solution I have for you is to rent a portable a/c unit, if even for a day, to see what btu suits your space. Tey before you buy.

FTBregret, your big problem is the single hose AC. Single hose units cannot cool a room because the air they squirt out through that hose must be replaced! So they suck in hot air, and sealing the window just won't do anything I'm afraid. They can actually make a room hotter and should probably be outlawed.

The good news is you can (probably) easily modify the unit to dual hose. All you need is a second hose (can buy from a local hardware shop), some cardboard, and a lot of duct tape. All you do is use a piece of paper to find the right intake (it's the one that stops the hot exhaust when you block it - probably the one at the bottom) and tape a cardboard box over it. Cut a hole in the box and stuff the new pipe into it. Route both pipes out the window and try and keep their ends as far apart as possible. Seal the rest of the window as best you can. One hose sucks, the other blows, and all the cold air in the room stays in the room instead of being blown outside.

It's a mite faffy but so so worth doing even if you can't seal the window properly. It makes the AC actually work. I did this two days ago with a 149 quid AC from Lidl (the last one they had). It's only 5000 BTU but my bedroom is currently a temperate 24C (it's 35 outside).

I just followed this guide:
https://www.woolie.co.uk/article/convert-ac-from-single-hose-to-dual-hose/

I have a single hose De Longhi. It's really good, got us through summers in a very hot flat in London. Got the room seriously chilly. Only downside is it's noisy and now we have a cat he hates it and leaves home when it's on so I try not to use it unless it's unbearable - which it nearly is today!

I wouldn’t recommend DIY-ing an electrical appliance.

Currently sitting in a room with a single hose air conditioner and it’s working beautifully.

over 31°c at 2am 🫠

I feel for you, I was awake at 1am too, just too hot, and not helped by a neighbour having a party. Oh the joys! It's cold now outside so all windows open. Its meant to go up to only 29° here today, yay!
I spent my time wisely while too hot in the night and looked up ways of cooling homes without Aircon Shade the UK guide it might help, I think most of the information has been shared here already or is for people in houses with gardens.
Hope you managed to get some sleep.

We had a huge Dyson fan that stood on the floor and it was as good as a/c.

s

A woman phoned into this debate and revealed that Camden Council have replaced the windows in her tower block with larger ones like a glass wall. Shes on the 12th floor. the tenants protested but CC insisted they had to have it done The same council that is insisting households take out their air con is fitting stuff to make ppl fry in their homes

Thanks for sharing but god this is infuriating, shame on Camden council!

Why are people still so ignorant, this is ridiculous. Even if we bring up the health implication or even deaths related to excessive heat they still won’t care

Yasmin’s take was so frustrating to hear, just because your flat cools down doesn’t mean others do. Also acting as if we’ve not already exhausted passive cooling methods before hand… ffs it sums up the I’m alright Jack mentality of some though

I also have a lower than average carbon footprint, no children, I have never driven, only take public transport, rarely go abroad but as a disabled individual I’m supposed to suffer through intense heat at home with no escape and regular sleep deprivation. I wonder what the likes of Yasmin’s carbon footprint is lol. I barely turn the heating on either