I use an air-conditioner to help out in the heatwave and wish I'd bought one years ago
12.08.2022 - 01:13
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
It has been an exceptional summer so far, and we're told climate change will deliver more exceptional summers in the future. So for the last few months we've all been trying to develop new ways to cool our houses down.
Keeping windows open, keeping windows shut, putting a wet towel on a fan, or even just resorting to a cold shower before bedtime will all help a bit - but I've discovered the best way to ensure a comfortable night's sleep in a heatwave is to invest in an air-conditioning unit.
Portable domestic air-conditioning units are nothing new, but only recently have sales started soaring in the UK, as we search for a way to temper the indoor heat as the mercury rises each summer.
A decent portable air-conditioning unit can be bought for around £300, and the difference they make is quite staggering. I know this because I've got one running in my south-facing bedroom right now. The temperature outside is 26C, but it's a nippy 20C in my bedroom. On a day like today, I'd normally struggle to keep it below 25C once the sun starts streaming in.
While I was researching the best portable air-conditioner one name kept coming up; Maeco. Widely available in UK stores, this is a UK-based company with a long track record in domestic appliances and a wide range of air-conditioning systems.
I've been using their MC Series 12,000 for a few weeks, including in the current heatwave, and I genuinely wish I'd taken the plunge years ago. Stepping into an air-conditioned room is an absolute delight on a hot day, and I wouldn't want to live without one now.
Air-conditioning systems measure their performance in something called BTU. It stands for British Themal Unit and it essentially denotes how much energy it takes to exchange the hot