Air-conditioning and Heating

[bigjomc]

portable units have the same output as split systems , they even come with remotes , are floor standing , the exhaust can go either up a chimney or out a patio door that is slightly open and has the rest of it blanked off with foam inserts, once the unit has cooled the room to the desired temp it is not running constantly , same for the water outlet if need be, small rubber hose out the door,just seem an expensive instal for something thats only used at most a quarter of the year.

[Rampage]

Of course another option is to install an a/c that both heats and cools (such as a split heat pump unit) so both winter and summer conditions are catered for. Although you still might only use it for half a year.

[suziebear]

thats what we want, where can we get hold of these "dual" units please?

[bigjomc]

these heat pumps cool and heat , cheapest ive seen them at the moment is makro at guia.

[Barry]

Most of the "fitted" units will heat in the winter as well as cool in the summer.

[tbbr]

Only problem with the conventional wall mounted units is that when in the heat mode they are not very efficient.

Warm air rises and travels along the ceilng until it reaches the opposite end of the room where it cools and then falls. * warmest place is by the patio door opposite to wall with unit.

It takes some time before effectivley all the air in the apartment has been through this process,

They are not that good if you want instant heat,

we use it as background and then top up with our wood fire.

They are also not the cheapest way to heat an apartment,

[Al Garb]

The Daikin units mentioned earlier are very effective. They have settings for heating cooling and dehumidifying as well as an auto setting. They also have digital timers so you can set them to work in your absence. They are split units and whilst the inside unit, like any electrical appliance, can't be described as a work of art I suspect most people soon come to forget that they are there. The louvres are controllable too, so that you can direct the air wherever you want, including a swing mode to spread it around the room

[tbbr]

We have fixed dailkin units and I agree that they have any number of modes.

I like the idea of one that " swings "around directing air where you want it , have never seen one of these.

However whatever the design you cannot change the rules of physics and with any " hot air system " it is the celings that get warmest first.

Hot air systems were dropped in the uk decades ago for domestic heating due to cost and efficiency.

[John & Fifi]

Thanks for all the replies to our posting of Jan 10. We had several quotes and eventually chose Autoheat. They were not strictly the cheapest but have done a super job. Worked to our timescale and we are very pleased with the results.

[Farol]

Thanks for all the replies to our posting of Jan 10. We had several quotes and eventually chose Autoheat. They were not strictly the cheapest but have done a super job. Worked to our timescale and we are very pleased with the results.

Any chance of you giving an indication of what they charged and what you got for your money please. I need to go through the same exercise.

[Lulu]

We purchased units at AKI in Portimao, and they have people who will install them if you dont want to attempt it yourself. It was a much cheaper option.

[2526eu]

We have been using AVACFRIO ( www.avacfrio.pt ) in Albufeira for several years. It is a great company that puts a lot of effort into the education of its employees. I am always impressed with the level of knowledge they have.

The technicians are always polite, professional, and on time. In those few instances when they have been later than expected, they always call to let me know.

I would gladly recommend their services.