Too Small for Air to Air?

[ID1]

I have been retired for a while but have always been frugal.

 

I have traditional gas central heating in my 1990s 3 bed detached house with cavity wall insulation. 

 

The heating only comes on for 4 hours in the evening (apart from periods of sustained sub zero temperatures but we have not had a winter like that for some years).

 

When at home I spend most of the day based in my small study (3m x 3m) and dress up warmly. It's not just about economy, it's also an incentive to keep active and not spend the day on the sofa.

 

As I am getting older I am becoming less tolerant of colder temperatures and so last winter, when the study temperature fell to about 12C, I resorted to a small fan heater (1kw - on about 50% of the time). 

 

There are also an increasing number of days in the summer when the heat is uncomfortable. As I get older I think I will increasingly want heating & cooling. I am usually quite comfortable between 17.5 & 24C and this would probably be my target for the study.

 

My study has a suitable outside wall for an air to air heat pump. However, given the small size of the room, is it unrealistic to think that a mini split air pump could be efficient?

[JohnMo]

Why bother with a split system, just get a through wall Aircon unit. They are generally smaller.

[akjos]

A 2.5kw or 3.5kw unit would be more than enough for your room and would work great.

[JohnMo]

1 hour ago, akjos said:

3.5kw

That would heat my house at -9 outside.

 

Even poorly insulated a 1 to 1.5kW through wall ticking away would be good. It would only take 300W electric. Or about 7-8p an hour to run

[SteamyTea]

Welcome.

 

I visit Buckinghamshire every couple of weeks.

 

One of these should do you.

 

https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/iqool-smart12hp/electriq-iqoolsmart12hp-air-conditioner

 

[nod]

2 hours ago, JohnMo said:

Why bother with a split system, just get a through wall Aircon unit. They are generally smaller.

Good advise I posed the same question to our heat pump installer 

It seams cooling fin heat pumps is a no no 

He took me round to his house and showed me a tiny air con unit 

“Easy to install and cheap as chips”

[ID1]

18 hours ago, SteamyTea said:

One of these should do you.

 

https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/iqool-smart12hp/electriq-iqoolsmart12hp-air-conditioner

 

 

Thanks - that is an interesting option. According to the specs it's a bit bigger than the inside unit of a small split system and a bit noisier. But it does avoid the ugly box outside & it's a simpler installation so definitely worth thinking about.

 

 

18 hours ago, JohnMo said:

Even poorly insulated a 1 to 1.5kW through wall ticking away would be good. It would only take 300W electric. Or about 7-8p an hour to run

That is the sort of running cost I was hoping might be achievable.

 

 

[SteamyTea]

3 minutes ago, ID1 said:

According to the specs it's a bit bigger than the inside unit of a small split system and a bit noisier

I have my microwave running and it is at 53 dB, it is 3 metres away.

If I turn the radio on, which is about 1 metre away, the noise goes to 58 dB.

Radio only 55 dB.

So while I hate noise, it can be easily masked.

With nothing on (so no rustling from clothes) my kitchen is at 11.5 dB, and it is quite windy outside today.

[JohnMo]

I was thinking more like this, way less noise, possibly a better quality of manufacture.

9443_EN_Unico_Next-F_REV2.pdf

One place selling them, not price checked etc.

https://aircareappliances.co.uk/collections/olimpia-splendid/products/olimpia-splendid-unico-2-1kw-evo-f-16hp-pva-9000btu-all-in-one-air-conditioning-unit-and-heat-pump

[Nickfromwales]

Yup. In a room that small you want it to be whisper quiet, so avoid the cheaper units imo. 

[akjos]

21 hours ago, JohnMo said:

That would heat my house at -9 outside.

 

Even poorly insulated a 1 to 1.5kW through wall ticking away would be good. It would only take 300W electric. Or about 7-8p an hour to run

Of course it would. But usually it’s hard to find smaller units. 2.5 or 3 are very common and might have a good deal, so instead of chasing every W sometimes it’s better to just install something which is practically available. 

Edited 23 hours ago by akjos