Who's in the UK and has caved in and bought air conditioning?

My house has hot air heating - very much a 60s thing in the UK although I'm aware it's more common on other countries. I've been tempted to see if I could modify things to blow cooled air around the house when it's really hot, but have resisted so far.

Fred27  What you suggest is exactly how my air conditioner works.  We have "central forced air" - one furnace and a bunch of ductwork.  The air conditioner coils are mounted in the furnace outlet ductwork.  The system uses the furnace fan to circulate the air.  Our thermostat also allows us to just turn the fan on and circulate air.  If you have a cellar, you could draw your intake air from there.  You may not get good distribution of the air in the rooms the air is blowing into, but my basement is easily 10 degrees F cooler than upstairs.  It could be worth a try.     My temptation is the opposite - to get the warm ceiling air in the Winter and pipe it down into the basement.

Fred27  What you suggest is exactly how my air conditioner works.  We have "central forced air" - one furnace and a bunch of ductwork.  The air conditioner coils are mounted in the furnace outlet ductwork.  The system uses the furnace fan to circulate the air.  Our thermostat also allows us to just turn the fan on and circulate air.  If you have a cellar, you could draw your intake air from there.  You may not get good distribution of the air in the rooms the air is blowing into, but my basement is easily 10 degrees F cooler than upstairs.  It could be worth a try.     My temptation is the opposite - to get the warm ceiling air in the Winter and pipe it down into the basement.

kmikemoo said:

The thermochromic fluid has my interest.

taking you back to the psychedelic 60s

kmikemoo said:

For as little heat as will be moved, I was way more leaning towards dryer duct, an old computer case fan and a salvaged wall wart.

I once experimented with a couple of 4" inline duct fans and some 4" flexible vent duct to try and improve air flow through a small office by hooking then up to the existing wall vents but didn't have much success.

  The thermochromic fluid has my interest.       For as little heat as will be moved, I was way more leaning towards dryer duct, an old computer case fan and a salvaged wall wart.

That was what I was getting at with the "Under ceiling to under floor heating system".

Have a serpentine tube over the ceiling to pick up the heat and then another in the cellar (or radiator) to release it. Insulated pipe runs between the two, with a low power pump to circulate the fluid.

(Bonus points though if you use thermochromic fluid and transparent tubing, so you get a colour change effect as it warms up and cools down.)

However, I suspect that all you really end up doing is heating the source room more, in which case it probably is more efficient just to heat the cellar directly ?

Hmmm. How about heat exchangers in target areas,  run small flexible pipes with fluid rather than bulky air ducts ? 

Alas, beacon_dave , neither skill is up to the challenge. 

kmikemoo said:

Where I would like to install it, there the little problem of the center I-beam that is the main structural support of the first story.

how are your welding and gas axe skills coming along ?

kmikemoo said:

The second part of challenge one is that my wife doesn't want me opening up the walls to install ductwork.

how are your negotiation skills coming along ?

robogary One challenge is the ductwork to pull it off.  Where I would like to install it, there the little problem of the center I-beam that is the main structural support of the first story.  The second part of challenge one is that my wife doesn't want me opening up the walls to install ductwork. 

Someday, she may decide that we need to remodel - maybe an upstairs laundry room.  That will be my opportunity.

What's your longest drill bit ?

kmikemoo said:

My temptation is the opposite - to get the warm ceiling air in the Winter and pipe it down into the basement.

Under ceiling to under floor heating system ?

Mike's going to need a longer drill bit...

Thats what geo-thermal is all about.