Air conditioning
Do you need air conditioning in Ireland?
Summers are getting warmer. Here's when cooling is worth it, and when a fan and good shading will do.
Short answer
Most Irish homes don't need air conditioning most of the year. It's worth considering for top floor apartments, rooms with big south or west facing windows, home offices and anyone sensitive to heat. If you're adding it, an air to air heat pump that also heats is usually the better buy.
When it makes sense
- Top floor and south facing apartments that hold heat for days
- Home offices and bedrooms that overheat on sunny afternoons
- Extensions with roof lights or large glazing
- People with health conditions that make heat dangerous
Try these first
- External shading or reflective blinds on south and west windows
- Night time ventilation: open windows on opposite sides when it's cooler
- Attic insulation, which keeps heat out in summer as well as in during winter
- A good quality fan
The bigger picture
Met Éireann expects more frequent hot spells. If you're replacing your heating anyway, an air to air heat pump gives you efficient heating in winter and cooling in summer from the same unit.
Is this right for you?
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A/C unit vs air to air heat pump
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