Jump to content

We should have installed air conditioning… now what?


Adsibob

Recommended Posts

46 minutes ago, rh2205 said:

@Thorfunwe are east anglia. Though it sounds like retrofit isn’t straightforward & shutters would look ridiculous against our vertical cedral cladding so maybe this is an idea rather than reality.

we used Tim Powell (http://www.powellblinds.com/external-blinds.html) for our external blinds (based in West Sussex) and are very happy with them but we planned them to be integral to the building so they're hidden within the timber frame. while we were discussing other windows that we could potentially need shading for he told us about Smartlouvre (https://www.smartlouvre.com) and brought round a sample to show us. it was amazing! you can still see through it but it blocks the sun out. it can be fitted to windows externally to the existing frame and might be something you could look at. it really is rather clever.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

 

if the MVHR is extracting in the office, do you know what the air flow is? Ie with a vane anemometer? If you can turn up the extract it might help, generally increasing the ventilation should do this.

 

also not sure but the windows in the loft will definitely need some UV film as well as some block out blinds/ shutters etc.

 

I am worried about mine as well  as we are planning an office in the loft and the only thing I am worried about is the heat rising from downstairs etc. I will plan for a much higher extraction rate here if I can. I think they put bathrooms at 30m3/hr, I think the office should have at least this. You ideally want circa 2-3 ACH for the office pherhaps.

Edited by Renegade105
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I learnt this lesson the hard way.....we had a Pump in a cupboard so I thought I would supply fresh outside cool air to try to cool it down, it was getting hot like 51Degrees so it was not fun. Anyway, the fresh cold air from outside made it worst! it acted like a fan-assisted oven and made the room like a sauna!

 

In the end, changed it to extract and now its 35 degrees all day long.

 

Removing the hot air is the priority here, and doing it well.

 

IF you have the window open, then that's your supply.

 

Maybe consider fitting a simple extract fan here, something with a bit of oomph like a 200mm diameter fan, straight to outside if you have to. Mount the vent away from where you sit so you don't get any noise etc.

 

Just a thought, I don't actually know if this would work mind you but I am worried about the same in my build as I visited a home who had a lot of glass in their roof and it was roasting, along with all the heat rising from downstairs.

 

Would be great to hear how you solve this friend.

Edited by Renegade105
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Following this thread with interest as we will have an attic office room, and there is a risk of it being uncomfortably hot. We've flip flopped over the possibility of installing AC in the master bedroom (and potentially in the attic office directly above) as it doesn't fit with our position on environmental impact, but at the same time have concerns about being uncomfortably hot in our passive house.

 

We have got quotes from Corner Star Aluminium for Warema external roller shutters for our East facing windows. I can't yet recommend the company as we haven't bought/taken delivery of the blinds as yet, but this is the option we decided to go for rather than external venetian blinds or louvres. For our South facing bifold doors we will have an awning above, which will also be the shade for the balcony outside. I'm not yet sure how practical an awning will be for days that are both sunny and breezy...


We engaged a building physics company to do a PHPP overheating calculation for us, to see where we most needed to add external shading. We were able to reduce overheating by 85% (theoretically at least) by adding external blinds on the large East windows, and the awning over the bifolds. We are also planning UV reduction film on the two largest West facing windows. 

 

We are now mulling whether to add a velux external awning or external roller shutter to the only Velux window in the attic (West facing). I think that decision will be made only once the house is built and we have had a chance to see how comfortable or not the house/attic feels.

 

@SteamyTea that weather website (WU) is my new go-to for nerdy timewasting, thanks!! 😂

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Omnibuswoman said:

I'm not yet sure how practical an awning will be for days that are both sunny and breezy...

Like that today, and we have an extreme weather warning issued.

I am off to the beach, it may get to 23°C today.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, TonyT said:

Forgot to mention these are internal blinds. 

 

Good to see an actual photo of those. I might be going down that route myself.

 

My room in roof "fancy workshop" has six velux windows - three face SE and three NW. At the moment, if I don't open them all every day it goes well over 30C and stuff begins to melt.

 

IMG_20220710_103309086_HDR.jpg.dfdeb196f7e7447884c36f23d1f0f397.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My windows are triple glazed GGU MK06.

 

these are black out blinds

colour 1025

side rail  white aluminium 

product is dsl mk06 1025swl.

 

3 we’re £407 in total  free delivery.

roofblinds.co.uk

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's amazing the difference the roof lights make to the temperature, my plant room is a room in roof, is not plaster boarded, so zero thermal mass, has boiler, MVHR unit, solar inverter and a 160L buffer, which is heated by solar during the summer, to preheat DHW, so cylinder, piping and inverter can kick a fair amount of heat into the room.

 

But just checked the temp, had full sun on the roof since 6 this morning (no clouds) it's 24 degC.  The room is sealed with an airtight insulated loft access hatch.  There is an MVHR extract in there and vent to the rest of the house.  The rest of the house is around 22 degC. 

 

So stopping the sun getting in should have a big effect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...
On 10/07/2022 at 09:13, Omnibuswoman said:

We are now mulling whether to add a velux external awning or external roller shutter to the only Velux window in the attic (West facing). I think that decision will be made only once the house is built and we have had a chance to see how comfortable or not the house/attic feels.

Did you install that velux shutter in the end, or are you waiting to see how Summer 2023 goes?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 30/06/2022 at 17:34, Thorfun said:

he told us about Smartlouvre (https://www.smartlouvre.com) and brought round a sample to show us. it was amazing! you can still see through it but it blocks the sun out. it can be fitted to windows externally to the existing frame and might be something you could look at. it really is rather clever.

@Thorfun did you get any smartlouvre fitted. It does look good and I'm very curious about it (and have ordered a sample). My main concern is whether it might make rooms a bit dark. My main issue in my study is the almost 1m2 of velux skylight which faces East and the 2.4m2 of west facing window. My plan is to install an external shutter for the velux and have that closed in summer until about 1pm, when the sun is on the other side of the roof. But smartlouvre appears to be a permanent solution so you cannot open and close it. I just query whether the room (which is about 17m2 in floor space) will get dark in the morning when I have the velux shutter closed and smart louvre is (permanently) covering the 2.4m2 of west facing glazing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Adsibob said:

@Thorfun did you get any smartlouvre fitted. It does look good and I'm very curious about it (and have ordered a sample). My main concern is whether it might make rooms a bit dark. My main issue in my study is the almost 1m2 of velux skylight which faces East and the 2.4m2 of west facing window. My plan is to install an external shutter for the velux and have that closed in summer until about 1pm, when the sun is on the other side of the roof. But smartlouvre appears to be a permanent solution so you cannot open and close it. I just query whether the room (which is about 17m2 in floor space) will get dark in the morning when I have the velux shutter closed and smart louvre is (permanently) covering the 2.4m2 of west facing glazing.

no sorry. never used it in the end so can't comment on how dark it makes things look. maybe speak to an installer and ask if they can give you an existing installation to see and a reference to discuss that with.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had a chat with an installer today. Definitely lots of pros. Two issues that came up, which I hadn’t thought of: installing one of my windows, and annoyingly probably the most important one for me, as is where my office is, will require a complex scaffolding to get up there. Very expensive. 
 

Other issue is I’m not convinced at how easy it is to clean the windows once this stuff is on. Installer said it’s easy, you just power wash them with the jet wash.  But I’m not sure how they would dry without lacking water marks on the glass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Dave Jones said:

have you got a heat pump and mvhr ?

 

If so fit a chiller unit and drive the heat pump in reverse.

I have MVHR but no heat pump. I understand that chilling by MVHR alone doesn’t work very well. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Adsibob said:

I understand that chilling by MVHR alone doesn’t work very well

All depends on what the mass flow rate to building volume is and by how much you drop the temperature.

Just physics.

 

I have often wondered why we don't fit larger diameter MVHR ducts.  Be nice if the MVHR units, which is basically always running, could also supply heating or cooling for 90% of the year.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...