Posted By: RexMy wife is really, really keen to get an a/c in our house. 3g, 180mm of Warmcel insulation; I don't think it is going to happen as I'm not drilling large holes through the glazing or walls. She even thanks we could replace one of the 'smaller' glazing panels to accommodate the a/c pipe. No way Jose!!!

Air con units generally don't need "big" holes. They are usually split units connected by refrigerant and condensate pipes, which are narrow diameter. The exceptions are portable air-cons, which have large diameter air hoses, and monobloc units, which sit on a wall inside the house and have two large diameter air holes through the wall to the outside.

Portable air-cons require passing the hoses through an open window, and they generally provide a sealing kit to fill the rest of the gap. Whether that works well depends on what type of opening windows you have.

Her further research finds this kind of unit: https://nessally.co.uk/ Apparently, according to her, they are very popular and very good. My feeling is, it is all marking hype and a money making scam.

It's certainly a money-making product. AFAICT, it's a fan in a container with a wet rag. Avoid!

blockquote>Posted By: djhPortable air-cons require passing the hoses through an open window, and they generally provide a sealing kit to fill the rest of the gap. Whether that works well depends on what type of opening windows you have.

This popped up on my PC yeterday. Great I thought just what I need was the conclusion in the 1st few minutes but not much good if I need to leave the house. Initially thought could run it off the solar PV during the day and in winter use to heat the conservatory using solar battery charged overnight. Don't fancy leaving windows or doors unsecured.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ApvRis9X8

Don't know about modern Japanese houses when the a/c is built-in but my now deceased parents-in-law had a/c fitted to their old house and no, it did not provide heating.

But of course, most Japanese houses are virtually all timber and do not have a lot of insulation. But Japan does have a lot of high mountainous area and the northern islands are essentially, cold. so I assume that insulation is considerably greater.

Where I lived, virtually all properties had 'bolt on' a/c and heating was portable gas fired units. Interestingly, all gas units (heating, bath heating and cooking) have some kind of built-in accelerometer valve, which in the event of an earthquake, closes the valve. In an earthquake, fire is a major consideration, particularly when the majority of homes are timber.

I towns, I have not idea but the very traditional county house had a large fire pit in the middle. From a Google search...

Traditional Japanese houses did not heat the entire house; instead, they relied on zonal heating, warming only the specific room or area where people were located. This was achieved using centralized hearths, portable charcoal burners, heavy quilts, and specific architectural designs to trap warmth.

My wife is still banging on about getting some kind of cooling or a/c. We do have a MVHR fitted; personally, I have yet to believe that when running in the winter, it is really providing much warmed air, but I guess the temp is raised a little.

Would there be a way to use the ducting to pump chilled air through the house. I guess that would mean disconnecting the MVHR unit for the summer but it would all be in the loft and out of sight.

The other think I dislike about a/c is that all the windows have to be closed, all the time. I do prefer fresh air, even if it is warm air.

Posted By: RexWe do have a MVHR fitted; personally, I have yet to believe that when running in the winter, it is really providing much warmed air, but I guess the temp is raised a little

I think not - the input air, though warmed, is by definition at (slightly but noticeably) lower temp that the general house aka outgoing air. Unless you put an inline elect heater into the duct, which is a common way to provide that 'extreme few days' backup that's part of PH.

All it takes to install an AA Heat Pump and Air-Con is an access hole approx 50 x 40 mm at the height of the wall mounted unit to pass tubing and supply cable to the outdoor unit. It will include the drain pipe for condensate. Not exactly rocket science.