It is extremely rare to find air conditioning systems within UK homes and it appears that gas central heating continues to dominate despite the success and low costs for air conditioning systems.
So what is it that makes British homeowners shy away from installing an air conditioning systems?
Could it be the installation cost?
The running costs?
The noise of the air con?
Or is it convention?
We all know how much the British love to be British and I would imagine that the thought of doing something radically different from their neighbors would keep them awake at night despite the many advantages of modern air conditioning systems.
Let look at the advantages of modern air conditioning systems
First off, if youre worried about the about the look of traditional window air conditioning systems then the good news is that you dont have to use them.
Ductless split air conditioners which come from Japan are now used widly throughout the world and are more than suitable for UK homes. They are mainly used in large homes, multi family houses including schools and offices.
The Ductless split air conditioners also commonly known as "mini-splits" like the central systems have two units - an air handling unit which includes a fan and an evaporator and a compressor.
The compressor and the condenser comprise one unit and are placed outside the house. The fan and the evaporator unit are placed in the room that has to be cooled. These both units are combined using a conduit that has the power cable, drain and the tubing.
These split air conditioner systems have several advantages and limitations. The advantages are that it can be easily installed i.e. we need not make any ducts on the walls, the operation of the air conditioner's compressor doesn't produce much noise and it gives a quiet environment.
These systems provide cooling / warming facilities to any part of the home or building - known as zones - and help in energy saving using the thermostat that helps in controlling the zones independently.
Anymore than you can install a gas boiler anywhere you like, these air conditioning systems can't be installed at any random place. We have to choose a proper location for placing the air handling unit. If it is not positioned at a proper place or if doesn't have a proper size, there are possibilities of the air bouncing between the walls resulting in a short cycle of the air and we won't have good cooling effect and lot of energy will also be wasted in this case.
The key to good air conditioning systems is to get a good product and make sure that it is installed correctly.
Conclusion
If you old heating system is giving trouble and getting past its sell by date then get the air conditioning guys in from Air Conditioning Supermarket and get some costs for air conditioning systems that will suit your home or property. Remember that famous IKEA advertisement slogan Dont be so British