Air Conditioner for Small Home

Widget on 29/12/2022 - 21:16

Hey guys,

Currently have a box a/c in the lounge room, had it for 15-20yrs, though with our old house it really only cools a single room (eventually) at most. Mum wants to get a new reverse cycle system, something better at cooling (and heating) but don't know what's-what when it comes to A/C units. I hear Mitsubishi is good and have read Panasonic a couple of times, not sure what ##kw would be best, maybe 2-2.5kw?

The house itself is pretty small, 117m² (according to Google mats) but it's flat tin roof :( so it gets hot inside. Located Western Sydney, anyone recommend places that supply/install, or installer and we can buy a unit somewhere. Best places to buy from ?

Any suggestions, tips on finding best price, tips on what to avoid.

Current box unit plugs into a 15A wall socket (not hardwired in).

Thanks in advance.

Electrical & Electronics Air Conditioner

Comments

  • aggregate on 29/12/2022 - 21:31
    +2

    117 sqm is a massive amount of space to cool down. Just for reference a 2.5kw system is only designed for around 16-25sqm of space.

    There are a few options for you to consider:
    - try not to cool the entire house down. Instead cool down the rooms you actually want to keep cool.
    - consider a few systems, instead of a single unit.
    - if you only want a single unit, then get something with much larger capacity, e.g. 7-9kw. Also, try to have it in the middle of the house, or in the room you are going to use most often.

    Since you have a tin roof, have you considered getting solar panels?

    • Widget on 30/12/2022 - 14:21

      Really? The house looks/feels small lol. You're right about the kw size, I spoke with mum and she said she's considering the larger options (7-9kw) as you mentioned.

      Problem with cooling is it gets hot inside (some cases hotter inside than outside), so we wanted to cool the lounge and bedrooms, but bedrooms are opposite side of house :/. I considered using the old box AC and getting a trolley system to turn it into a portable A/C though would have to make something for the hot air to escape out the window.

      Haven't really talked about Solar panels, but I'll bring it up with mum and see what she says.

      • aggregate on 31/12/2022 - 15:32
        +1

        Reverse cycle air conditioners are much more energy efficient to cool air than the window rattlers/portal ac, and more efficient to heat the room than any other types of heaters. I understand you want to save money upfront, but it will cost you more in electricity.

        In a house that warms up really easily, you can try turning on the AC earlier in the day and leave it at a higher temperature.

  • AustriaBargain on 29/12/2022 - 21:31

    If she owns the house then get a split system. And external for the window the sun rises/sets at that's cooking the home. Close the doors and it should be pleasant on a hot day.

    • payless69 on 30/12/2022 - 07:30

      Start with an A/C widget to find op?

    • Widget on 30/12/2022 - 14:22

      Yes, split system. I though "reverse cycle" was the name of the system, seems not lol. Split system (with the condenser on the outside) is what we're looking at.

      • AustriaBargain on 30/12/2022 - 14:46

        I'd guess all split systems tend to be reverse cycle but I wouldn't know. Hopefully someone will save me a Google search and tell me.

        • JIMB0 on 30/12/2022 - 23:41

          Most are reverse cycle. There's still some cooling only models out there but they tend to be the unusual brands.

  • CurlCurl on 29/12/2022 - 21:44

    Mitsubishi definitely number one. Fujitsu a close send and the length of the straight the rest. No idea where you are in the west but the Mitsubishi dealer in Russell st Emu Plains has a good reputation. No I didn't purchase my replacement air con from them as I found a deal with a 7.2kw Carrier for $900 last year from a builder whose planned town house development was refused by a council.

    A flat tin roof will be absorbing a fair amount of heat. You do realise you don't buy an air con of the shelf like a bottle of milk. Someone needs to come out to check various things including if you meter box needs upgrading.

    • Numpty21 on 29/12/2022 - 22:22
      +3

      Mitsubishi Electric or Mitsubishi Heavy Industries?
      Both Mitsubishi but totally different companies.
      My experience with MHI has not been good and would definitely avoid but I’ve read good things about Mitsubishi Electric

    • Widget on 30/12/2022 - 14:24

      Thanks Curl, I'll check out the Mitsu dealer and see what they offer :). We'll certainly have someone check things out, maybe get some quotes for install.

  • bargaino on 29/12/2022 - 22:23
    +2

    a 15A wall socket

    That means you have a dedicated circuit, so can use it for the new aircon, lowering install cost.
    A split system will be a huge improvement.

    2.5kW refers to the output power (electricity consumption is much less) but that is minimal, for one room only.
    A larger unit will be worthwhile, and even if it does not cool the other end of the house much, it will make a big difference by lowering humidity.
    Put ceiling fans in bedrooms.

    The flat tin roof is not your problem, rather the poor insulation, and direct sun coming in any windows.
    Fix the insulation, and shade the windows.

    • Widget on 30/12/2022 - 14:30

      You're right about the 2.5kW, we'll be looking at something around 7-9kW, though with so many options, it's hard to narrow down to something reliable.

      We have ceiling fans in the lounge and master bedroom. Issue it, in order to install them, we have to take a section of the roof off (no crawl space) :/. That's going to be a pita lol unless we hire someone, but at the moment, don't have the fund for that project.

      True, I'm not sure what, if any, insulation we have. I did consider painting the roof with some thermal-type roof paint, but would have to treat the surface rust first. We have blinds for the windows, so not much light coming through.

      Will look at options for insulation/paint.

      • Leanne59 on 30/12/2022 - 14:55
        +1

        I have a flat roofed house and I had ceiling fans installed without any need to take a section of the roof off. If you have an existing light then it can be rewired for for a ceiling fan with a light.

  • YTW on 30/12/2022 - 02:12
    +1

    One tip I would suggest is to compare the head unit sizes when looking at different models. We were looking at some models online and it wasn't until I went into Joyce Mayne that I realised how much they varied by. It ended up making our decision easier as the Fujitsu model we got had a significantly smaller sized unit than the Mitsubishi one (of similar capacity for cooling) and we didn't want it to dominate the small living room wall it was on. Some of the heads are also downright ugly and dust traps, whereas others have more sleek designs. Once we knew the model we wanted we just shopped around all the usual appliance places.

    We got a local air conditioning installer off Facebook to do ours, it was good being able to view the quality of his work beforehand as we had a slightly complicated install that would require a lot of piping to be visible in our garage.

    • JIMB0 on 30/12/2022 - 09:26
      +2

      The bigger head unit will be more efficient, particularly when the room is at the set temperature and the unit has ramped down.

    • Widget on 30/12/2022 - 14:39

      Do you find the smaller unit needs to work harder to push the required cool air out compared to the larger unit? If so, does it make more noise ? Looking at the size of our living room, a smaller head unit seems like it would be more ideal.

      Did you have any issues getting someone off Facebook? Seems like it would be risky, no? Hiring a random guy, not knowing if they were legit or dodgy. Did he provide a receipt?

  • Danstar on 30/12/2022 - 08:00
    +1

    I got 4 LG Split systems in my home ranging from 2.5kw system to 5.5; all run like a dream and have pre built-in wifi controllers so don't need to spend extra to control the units via your phone.

    My power bills have not risen much either; so they're quite efficient too

    • Widget on 30/12/2022 - 14:40

      How's the LG units going? any issues ?

      • Danstar on 30/12/2022 - 15:14
        +1

        Nope. One of the first units I got; the door flap didn’t open or close properly (prob from kids touching it)

        LG organised someone to come out and fix it; free (still under warranty)

        Have had some for about 4-5 years and couple newer ones for 2 years. No issues

        Got my newest ones from eBay; a a/c store in sydney (im in melb) during times where’s eBay had coupons to use

  • Widget on 30/12/2022 - 14:41

    Does Ozbargain members have a favorite A/C model or place to get good deals ? I briefly read a few times "Good Guys Commercial". Is this a particular place or for trades only ?

    • Leanne59 on 30/12/2022 - 14:58
      +1

      Good Guys Commercial is available through ART superannuation if you are a member (the old Sunsuper is now part of this). AlsoI recently hired someone off Hipages. You could get a quote off a number of installers via Hipages and some also provide the a/c unit.

  • DoctorCalculon on 30/12/2022 - 19:35
    +2

    I would avoid LG when it comes to air con / split systems. Their warranty repairs is delegated to a third party company (SK Air), and is absolutely shocking to say the least.

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