hello,

due to my bedroom, which i share with my girls, being next to the boiler, it is really unbearable in the hot weather. haven't slept properly  for days. have any of you knowledgeable lot got any experience with the mobile ac units from the diy shops? are you supposed to leave them on all night, or just an hour or so? is the electric cost really horrific?? any advice gratefully received.

I'm interested in the replies to this - after the last couple of days i'm seriously considering buying one. Any recommendations would be gratefully received :)

Hi, yes you can leave them on all night, but you have to fill it up with water. We used to have the Itilian one, forget the name now & it lasted a good few years :)

Christine, Spain.

I thought Air Con units pulled the water from the air(at least the ones that were installed at work did & the one in my car does)& needed either a drain away or the container for the water emptied, this is the reason water is often seen under cars with air con(lol my dad thought my radiator had leaked)

The machines that need water adding are humidifiers I think

Why not try a big fan first as with windows open and the fan on may well be enough :)

We sleep in a loft conversion and as it is the top of the house is alway very warm in winter and summer :) We have a big fan which is placed on top of a tall chest of drawers and this seems to work very well ! :)

Alternative perhaps look at getting a comby boiler as that will get rid of your hot water tank :) I know an expensive option but will be more energy efficient so in the long term a saving :)

Lucy
xx

Hi bobo. I recently purchased an air cooler this machine doesn't need to be ducted to the outside so it can be moved anywhere which is great.  This machine needs water in it so that the fan can pass over a water soaked filter giving off cool air, also you have the option to put ice packs in (which are supplied).  It has a timmer on it as well, my dogs love it.  Cost was £45 a bit different to an air conditioner of approx £200.

B&Q are doing 8000 BTU ones for £118 this week this is suitable for a bedroom.

Is anything electrical safe to be left on whilst I am out - my house gets so stifling I would love to cool it down for my poor dogs :(

Vicky what about this type as it is off the ground.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5981375837&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5983089375&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

I wasd going to buy this style to be honest but then bought the 2 portable ones

If you are not happy about an appliance get one of the plug-in ciruit breakers and then if anything goes wrong it will just blow the trip :)

Daisy

Right back again as just been to B&Q and bought 2 Airforce 12000 BTU air con units.. fantastic :-) each one does 35  m 2

They were reduced from £250 to £198 each  for 3 days only.   my husband is sitting with his jacket freezing on and I am running around in my birthday suit :-D :-D  ( just kidding about that bit)

I checked the reviews on the units , sounded very good and very competitive. The Air con companies are a bit up in arms as generally the DIY companies only sell up to 9000 BTU s  which is smallish room size but now they have launched  their big brothers they are upsetting the big co.s.. or so I have read today.

Now this is one of the ones I have been looking at :D Do they only have a 1.5m hose? Also does anyone know if you can attach them to a condensor box (similar to that used on a tumbledryer).

The only ones I have found have 1.5m hoses which is no good as the windows in the room I want to place it are above this height (and I don't fancy buying it a stand). Am thinking of looking at the Air coolers too since these do not have pipes.

Ice-cosmos and Vicky,

Perhaps these would suit you better, I was going to buy one of these styles but we ended up buying toe 2 portables.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5981375837&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5983089375&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

Ice-cosmos  you can add a length  to your hose vent if you like OR just put it out the wall.

B&Q have actually invested heavily into this business quite wisely ifyou go along they give you a DVD with all the units , how to fit them and comparisons. I was quite impressed and after being a CS Manager with their largest competitor when I was a student  they never use to impress me much.

I had a look at the link and they do look quite good, however I really wanted a portable unit. Would you recommend a 12000 then?

OH yes :-D  get the 12000 BTUS you buy as big as you can buy.. but obviously work out how cost effective it is.. They are energy efficient B as opposed A for the smaller ones. Better to have too big where you can turn it down that a little one that struggles ;-) 

The 8000 BTU ones were about £150 and the 16000 BTUs were about £500 so I think the 12000 BTUS worked out the best. The cheaper ones I thought looked and felt a bit cheap.  

I think the offer is finished either tomorrow night .. go on the B&Q site I think it is DIY.com 

I live in a bungalow very very open plan and only have one on just now in my kitchen. Where I am sitting just now is 2 rooms down the corridor and I can feel the lovely cool air coming down the hall :-D

We have been off our head the last few days with the heat. I can not stand flies so try not to have the windows open too long.. Another story to that.  We are having a screen door made right now and 2 window screens also for the flies.. from www.flyscreenco.co.uk

Best not to talk to me I will have you broke in a day. ;-)

You can tell I am pleased with my new toys..  My husband is glad of the rest from standing with a big leaf fanning me :-D :-D :-D

Yes it is www.diy.com - I was having a look earlier - I'm hoping to go down tomorrow morning :)

Ooooh - now Fly nets :D I was talking to a few people at work today about these - many many thanks for the link!! Like yourself we can't have the doors/windows open unless we want the flies to come in (or the bats if it is the evening lol ). No one I spoke to knew of a company that made them :p

Oppppppssss :-D :-D http://www.flyscreenco.com/  I was too excited about my AC units

PS I didn't think thw website was that good but you can call them as they do hundreds more than their site suggests. The fly screen doors are fab easy to fit and fit in from off your existing door.

Many Thanks :D

Do you happen to have another link? That address doesn't appear to work :(

I recently purchased my Air Conditioning Unit from Alaskan Aor Conditioners see site below.  They deliver FOC. Their product is of very good quality

I understand that Michael Coed & Geof Corish use anunit aquired from this site and recommend their products.

Visit:
www.alaskanaircon.com

Regards

I looked at this site a few days ago but B&Q were cheaper for both 9000 BTU ( which is £118 at B&Q)  and 12000 BTU ( is £197.00 at B&Q) . It is a huge aircon company making them for B&Q  I personally thought the B&Q one actually looked nicer also. (if that is important to anyone ;-) )

Someone on ebay was selling some of this alaskanaircon brand of units a bit cheaper that on this alaskanaircon site in fact now I think about it I think it is the company selling them.:-)

Typical :D I go to B&Q this morning to have a look and our two local ones are sold out (btw the sale ends tomorrow :) )I ended up buying two air coolers instead (which do not require hoses) but will keep my eye on the air con units and possibly buy one of those too.

That was a shame.

I am out the house most of today , my mum who works for me arrived at 10 am and called me to say " thank heavens" as I left it running this morning when I left so she is nice and cool.  She says she will get her work done in half the time then get out in the sun with the dogs :-D

I have one of the aircoolers also, you put water in the tank. I have it in my grooming room where some of my dogs sleep it keeps the room cool and keeps it humidified also.

thanks to all who replied. very useful. have bought one from homebase for £145. finding it hard to put vent out of window, so if you can get a box like a tumbledryer, please let me know!! also, scared to use it too much as cannot find out how much it might cost to run, per hour. it's a 9k btu, and is rated a rating for effiency. thanks to you all....hate this heat!!!!!!

The reason I purchased mine from Alaskan Air Con, is that it comes with a window kit. 

Also they are a 3 in 1 - most of the units are not just Air Conditioners, they are also Heaters and Dehumidifiers so can be used all year round.

I also see they have an advert in this weeks 'DOG WORLD' page 2.

You don't work for them do you :-D :-D :-D

The 12000 BTU I got from B&Q is actually a 4 in 1 :-))) . An Air con, Dehumidifier, a heater and just a powerful 2 setting fan. It also came with the window kit and was still cheaper than Alaskan Air Con ;-). I checked.

I actually went and bought another 4 from B&Q for the offices at my work and they gave me a further 20% discount so the units for the 12000 BTU cost me £158 each today as apposed the already discounted price of £198.

No I don't work for them.

Seems like you have had a good deal...!

Just messing. BTW "Welcome to champdogs" notice you have only posted once or twice.

Please excuse my bad typing. I can spell just an awful typer ;-)