ᐅ Replace electric radiators with inverter air conditioning units

Hello Community
We have a house at 1400 meters (4600 feet) elevation with 6 rooms (excluding bathrooms). These are heated with wall-mounted electric radiators. The costs have risen so much that we are now looking for an alternative.
A heat pump is unfortunately not an option, as this would require installing internal water-carrying pipes throughout the entire house. These would either connect to wall-mounted water radiators or be used for underfloor heating (each room would need a complete renovation). The costs would simply be too high.
I have read several times that one option might be to install multi-split air conditioning units. The house (2 floors) would be ideal for this. Air conditioning systems with inverter technology reportedly use between 70-80% less electrical energy.
Has anyone done this or knows anything about it? I would appreciate any comments.
Thank you in advance
Daniel

DanielR schrieb:

These are heated with wall-mounted electric radiators. The costs have increased so much by now that we are looking for an alternative.

Welcome to the forum,
Could you tell us your annual electricity consumption in kWh, and whether any other energy efficiency measures are planned?
In principle, heating with split air conditioning units works, but they blow air more than radiators do, similar to fan heaters.

Note: In principle, these split air conditioning systems are also heat pumps that release heat into the air instead of water. Since heating with 25°C (77°F) warm air is just as effective as with 25°C (77°F) warm water, this does not negatively affect the efficiency.

What can be disadvantages are the noise, the airflow, the appearance, and the required installation work. However, if the conditions are as you described, in my opinion, there is nothing against using them.

Nida35a schrieb:

Welcome to the forum,
Could you tell us your annual electricity consumption in kWh and whether any additional energy efficiency measures are planned?
In principle, heating with split air conditioning units works, but they blow air more strongly than radiators, similar to fan heaters.

The electricity consumption is about 4000 kWh, of which approximately 3000 kWh falls in winter. No, currently no other energy improvements are planned.
At my main residence, I have split air conditioners in the bedrooms for cooling in summer (heating is provided by a heat pump) and everyone sleeps peacefully. Neither the noise nor the airflow is disturbing. The new units have a silent mode that makes this possible without issues.
In rooms that are not in use, the radiators are turned off, and I would do the same with the air conditioners. It’s not a problem if the air conditioner is louder for the first 30 to 60 minutes to raise the temperature from 5°C (41°F) to a comfortable level. After that, it switches to silent mode.

Electricity prices have gone through the roof over the past two years, and there’s no improvement in sight at the moment.
Moreover, the efficiency of electric radiators is 1:1, meaning that, as far as I understand, producing 1 kW of heat requires 1 kW of electrical energy. Good air conditioners can perform much better (depending on the model and outdoor temperature).

Nida35a schrieb:

Welcome to the forum,
Can you tell us your annual electricity consumption in kWh, and if any additional energy efficiency measures are planned?
In principle, heating with split air conditioning units works, but they blow air more than radiators do, somewhat similar to fan heaters.

The electricity consumption is about 4000 kWh, of which approximately 3000 kWh are used in winter. No, no other energy-related measures are planned at the moment.
At my main residence, I have split air conditioners in the bedrooms for summer cooling (heating is by heat pump), and everyone sleeps well. Neither the noise nor the airflow is disturbing. The new air conditioners have a silent mode that makes this easily possible.
In rooms that are not used, the radiators are turned off, and I would do the same with the air conditioners. It’s not bothersome if the air conditioner is loud for the first 30 to 60 minutes while warming the room from 5°C (41°F) to a comfortable temperature. After that, it switches to silent mode.

Electricity prices have soared over the last two years, and there is no sign of improvement currently.
Furthermore, the efficiency of electric radiators is 1:1, meaning, as far as I understand, that 1 kW of heat requires 1 kW of electrical energy. Good air conditioners can do this much better (depending on the model and

Radomiro schrieb:

Note: Basically, these split air conditioning units are also heat pumps, which release heat into the air instead of water. Since heating with 25°C (77°F) warm air is just as effective as with 25°C (77°F) warm water, this is not disadvantageous for the efficiency.
Disadvantages can be noise, airflow, appearance, and the necessary installation work. However, if the conditions are as described by you, from my point of view, there is no objection.

@Radomiro
Thanks, yes, the appearance is not really attractive, but we would accept that. An additional advantage is that you can also cool in the summer, although at 1400 meters (4600 feet) above sea level, that is not really an issue. At night, it always cools down nicely there.

Not all air conditioning systems are suitable for heating in very cold temperatures.
You need to carefully consider efficiency. However, it will definitely be more efficient than the current solution.
That said, 4000 kWh (4360 kWh) is not necessarily a very high amount, depending on the size of the house.
Air conditioning units and installation also cost money and require electricity to operate.
It will likely take more than 7 years to break even.
Multi-split systems are not always the better or more cost-effective option. Often, single-split units make more sense.
How much heating output do you currently have?
Have you ever considered installing a photovoltaic system?