Hello everyone,
I’m somewhat heat-sensitive. Until now, I have always lived in apartments that would get extremely hot in summer, despite maximizing shading during the day and ventilating strongly with rapid air exchange at night. Those were the days of my childhood spent in a basement apartment, where even in the height of summer the bedroom stayed pleasantly cool.
To get to the point: I definitely don’t want to deal with that in my own home. So, air conditioning is an important topic for me. My question is: what is the best way to maintain comfortable temperatures even in the peak of summer?
I have read that heat pumps can also provide cooling through underfloor heating, although the effect seems to be relatively mild. It’s also said that mechanical ventilation with heat recovery can be combined with cooling, but here, too, there are obviously fairly strict limitations. Finally, there is the conventional split air conditioning system, which certainly cools well but also consumes a lot of electricity. However, combined with solar panels on the roof, electricity costs should remain manageable since there is usually a surplus of electricity in summer that’s hard to use otherwise.
What would you recommend considering both cost and comfort? Maybe some combination makes sense, for example cooling with a heat pump via underfloor heating and additional cooling through mechanical ventilation with heat recovery – perhaps a moderate amount of cooling from two systems is sufficient in combination. Who has experience and can share knowledge and opinions?
Best regards,
HB1
I’m somewhat heat-sensitive. Until now, I have always lived in apartments that would get extremely hot in summer, despite maximizing shading during the day and ventilating strongly with rapid air exchange at night. Those were the days of my childhood spent in a basement apartment, where even in the height of summer the bedroom stayed pleasantly cool.
To get to the point: I definitely don’t want to deal with that in my own home. So, air conditioning is an important topic for me. My question is: what is the best way to maintain comfortable temperatures even in the peak of summer?
I have read that heat pumps can also provide cooling through underfloor heating, although the effect seems to be relatively mild. It’s also said that mechanical ventilation with heat recovery can be combined with cooling, but here, too, there are obviously fairly strict limitations. Finally, there is the conventional split air conditioning system, which certainly cools well but also consumes a lot of electricity. However, combined with solar panels on the roof, electricity costs should remain manageable since there is usually a surplus of electricity in summer that’s hard to use otherwise.
What would you recommend considering both cost and comfort? Maybe some combination makes sense, for example cooling with a heat pump via underfloor heating and additional cooling through mechanical ventilation with heat recovery – perhaps a moderate amount of cooling from two systems is sufficient in combination. Who has experience and can share knowledge and opinions?
Best regards,
HB1
K
Knallkörper2 Jul 2017 19:37These hydronic ceiling systems work with common air conditioning units, but there is a heat exchanger involved, and the water in the ceiling is cooled to just below 20°C (68°F). The surface area, however, is larger. I am also familiar with this from industrial buildings. It has not proven to be effective and, to my knowledge, has not been installed for years. The problem is moisture. Everything condenses on the ceiling. This could be controlled to some extent if new moisture were not constantly entering the room because:
- ventilation is done simultaneously (someone in the office always feels cold)
- foot traffic causes air exchange (doors opening and closing)
- the ventilation system runs
Unlike a standard split system, no condensate is drained, so the moisture accumulation is essentially one-way.
- ventilation is done simultaneously (someone in the office always feels cold)
- foot traffic causes air exchange (doors opening and closing)
- the ventilation system runs
Unlike a standard split system, no condensate is drained, so the moisture accumulation is essentially one-way.
People usually cool down to only 22-23 degrees Celsius (72-73°F). In the basement, it is often 16-18 degrees Celsius (61-64°F) during summer, and not everyone has problems with moisture there.
However, there are guidelines and standards in place to prevent such issues. This must be carefully planned and calculated. Simply cooling is not enough.
However, there are guidelines and standards in place to prevent such issues. This must be carefully planned and calculated. Simply cooling is not enough.
Similar topics