Pinguino Portable Air Conditioner 2.9kW PACEL110ERFWIFI

Installing a split system is the way to go. But I would have had to upgrade my switchboard to accommodate it, which is a lot more than adding a new rcd to the existing board. So I bought a De'Longhi Pinguino Care4Me PAC EL110ERFWIFI from Amazon for $750. Been very happy with it, you don't need to drain this model, unlike a lot of others. Noisy, yes, but not really that bad.

that's a high estimate. We live live in a place with west and east facing windows, so it can basically become a greenhouse in the summer (sun all day). We also have a 'Stroad' on one side, so opening the windows during the day can lead to really bad air quality in the apartment. our portable unit was 450 and it cools 55 m2 to about 23-24 degrees in a few hours really well.

It's a De'Longhi Pinguino EL122. Even now they're like 650 on Amazon but I bought ours last year in January for 450. It also has a 63db 'whisper mode' which is very very quiet (at least for an A/C) I really don't think you need to spend anywhere near 1000 to get something good.

I bought this and was very impressed with it 😄 [https://amzn.eu/d/0dmUga74](https://amzn.eu/d/0dmUga74)

DeLonghi. They perform better and are quieter than the budget models. In the mega summer I got an ElectriQ standalone one. And it did get out 40 degree office down to 25c, but it’s louder than a jet taking off and still not “cold”. A friend has the equivalent DeLonghi and it’s quieter and much cooler. I should have gone with them. We moved house and got a proper split system in our loft conversion and it’s WAY better. The nighttime indoor quiet mode is amazing and we just pop a fan at the top of the stairs when it is really hot to blow cool air downstairs. It heats and air purifies too.

I think they got one of the Penguino models with silent tech. Just don’t get the ElectriQ, it makes my Ducati sound quiet.

If you’re dead set on a portable unit, get a portable split system, if you don’t / can’t use a split then DeLonghi Penguino with their quiet technology. I got a ElectriQ 18000 BTU unit in COVID. It got the temp down, was it worth it? No. VERY noisy. When we moved, we got a Daikin split system installed to our bedroom. Yesterday our bedroom was 39 degrees. Popped it on and 30 min later we are at 20 degrees. On to indoor quiet mode all night. Just get a perm install in.

Compared to the ElectriQ, it’s a whisper!!

I’m not too sure if this was sarcastic or not, but the performance difference between the split system and a portable just isn’t comparable. But a 2.5kw split is about £800 and some of the portables are very near that, if not more and you still need to stick the pipe out of the window and ideally seal it off. Running cost wise our ElectriQ systems was 2.5kw and I never measured it, but it probably costs similar to running the split system. However as the other poster raises, the install cost is considerable. You need to do the actual hardware mounting, then fill and do a load of tests and commission it. Is it worth it? YMMV. For me yes.

I mean, the price is the price, so, errr yes??? It’s sort of how the economy works… you want a service or a product, you pay for it. If you can’t afford it, don’t want to pay the price, you don’t get it. Do you think the training and equipment all comes for free? If you don’t want to pay someone for something, then you can just do it yourself. You may find someone who will do the F Gas filling part for you, or you can do a course, they are 4 days, get the kit and then charge other people what you want. Not quite sure what point you’re trying to make? That you want AC, can’t afford it or don’t want to pay for it, but you have a right to it or that it should be cheaper because…. ??

For sure it is pricey, especially in the UK, not too many people have it, although I think this will change going forward, especially if heat pumps become more common as the technology is relatively similar. Also the controls are still very geared towards commercial. The Daikin apps is good, but the temperature modulation is a lot to be desired. However, it is not climate control.

If I switch over, this is the way forward!! The ones I looked at only heat, but cooling would be very welcome. I don’t think our house is insulated well enough at the moment though. Concrete slab floor. Cool in summer, FREEZING in winter. Things you learn… after you buy!

If you do go for a heat pumps make sure you get it MCS certified and ideally see if you can get the heat loss calculations that should be done as part of the install too. This will show that they have sized the heat pump and any cylinders properly. It’s not quite the same as just ripping the boiler out and switching it over. Also see if you can get the commissioning report. When you commission a heat pump, ideally there should be a return visit to check it on one of the coldest days of the year. If you are looking at AC, not sure if it is still valid, but you can claim the VAT off it as it considered a heat pump.

£ for £ gas is still cheaper and more efficient and boilers are much cheaper that the ASHP’s. Even with the grant it is still quite expensive. As a first time buyer, a good heating system, that works is what you need. There is a temptation to want to get it all sorted before you hit go, but do think about what you need vs want. We needed AC as when we saw the house the bedroom was 45 degrees and I almost died walking in. What I didn’t realise was that whilst the boiler was serviced it had massive issues and I ended up chasing the baffles, control wires, part of the heat exchanger, and then putting in a magna clean an a new water pump. Basically the rads were so sludged up, the water pump was weak and damaged, which meant that the rooms never got up to temperature, so the boiler was running at full tilt all the time, with weak system flow. This was causing the water to overheat and resulted in burnt baffles. It was bad times all round, but luckily I got it all sorted just before we hit the -5 winter! But we did 2 days of 11 degrees in the house and I had to get a mini oil rad. If you get a survey, don’t just take the gas inspection, make sure they actually test all the rads.

I’m not being disingenuous. People set their prices and you can choose whether or not to pay for it, no? With regards costs and how things work, I have a relative grasp of how things work. When we got ours installed it was roughly close on one working day. Two guys came out. They brought the units with them. So the some of the costs are: Time to order the unit - minimal but still someone’s time. Travel time - to and from base / wherever Fuel mileage (at 45p per mile, I think) Time / labour for the install - 2 people. Training / qualifications Insurances - liability, car, business etc. Tools Billing and accounting - again minimal but it is still a sunk cost. Admin to complete warranty and manufacture paperwork Tax (VAT, corporation tax, dividend costs or a salary). At £1000 a day that comes out at £500 per person In pure costs that works out, on a single work day as a gross cost of £66.6 per hour, before costs. Relatively high, to be fair, but for example Pimlico Plumbers charge £37.50 per 15 minutes with a minimum of 1 hour charge out. So a rate of £150 per hour. Now you can argue one guy can do it, that is up to the company and if one guy was doing it it would be £132 per hour. I am assuming that you are quoting install only costs here, as a 30kw combi is around £1800 (retail). With regards to comparing it to a boiler swap, if it is like for like, condensing with a similar footprint, no change to cylinder or any of the system, and £1000, but say over 2 days, 1 man, you’re kind of in the same territory. If the engineer can get the it done in a day, the you are actually paying over and above the AC costs. Assuming the tradesperson accounts for their costs in that sort of break down. Often installs can be done fixed prices, so some areas will come down, there may be some commission / profit on materials and equipment. Just to add, based on a 220 billable days a year working, it equates to around £110k per year, so maybe £70k take home, with a good accountant. So a good income for sure. But at the end of the day, costs are relative, for one person £1000 is a massive and unreachable cost to pay out, for someone else, it is not. For me, the install was a lot of money, but our bedroom is a loft conversion and hit’s 45+ in summer, so when we looked at things we factored it in. I considered doing the whole install myself, and getting a friend to do the commissioning, but considering time off work, drilling through the fabric of the building near the roof and then waiting on favours and lacking an approved warranty on the work and with Daikin you can’t extend the warranty unless you are an approved installer, it didn’t fit my risk profile, needs or appetite for doing the work.” As I said, each and everyone to their own, we are not at “each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” or we would all have AC.

I have a Delonghi Penguino, they are on the more expensive side but well worth the investment, it is our third year with it and it keeps our living room super chilled, it is bliss 😎