Domestic air conditioning - any advice on this?

[scoobysnax]

I keep thinking about getting some air conditioning for my home!
Is it possible to get anything reasonable under £1,000 does anyone know, and are the portable units at around £400 any good?

what are you trying to achieve with the air-con? lower condensation/humidity, temperature control, improved air quality? There's loads of types of system, depending what you're home is like, and what the problem is you're trying to solve....

Hmmm - I hadn't realised the complexities! I want to be able to make a room cooler, that's all really.
I guess that lowering the humidity might make it more comfortable too?
I am a bit intimidated by the technical side of it I have to admit!

OK, next question (sorry if this feels like an interrogation)

• why is the room too hot - too much sun? no opportunities to ventilate (noisy road near by / polution?), and how often is this a problem?

You see the technical solution may not be the best one - air con takes up space and money and is not needed most of the time in Britain - improvements to solar shading and ventilation may be enough, and they'll be less subject to breaking down

Also, do you live in a flat or a house cos the opportunities to alter each are different?

Janeway - thanks, this expert advice is great!
Ventilation and pollution are no problem. I live in an upper storey flat. I just want it to be cooler than the outside temperature. I am in the UK, but there are normally several weeks a year which are too hot for me and dd (we're rubbish in high temperatures!)
We have a fan, but this is not enough to make it comfortable some days.
The building is victorian - no cavity walls, and we have thick loft insulation.

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Scoobysnax - sorry for delay - ds has been a bit poorley.

My concern over air con is you have to shut down all your natural ventilation or you end up paying to cool the planet. This can leave other problems regarding air quality. My inclination would be to reduce daylight entering the warm room by external and internal shading, try to expose as much dense materials as possible (stone, floor tiles etc) to soak up the heat during the day and release it at night, then try to create a cool draft by either extracting air out the south side (bringing it in from the cooler north), or pushing air in from the north side (you can buy the opposite of an extract fan )

However, if you really can't take the heat then try these links wall mounted aircon , or portable aircon . Vent Axia should be able to direct you to real expert advice to suit your home.

I hope ds is better, Janeway!
Thank you so much for all this advice! How did you get to know so much on this - are you from somewhere hot?