Air Conditioners in Ireland: Prices and Benefits

By Cormac Breen

Content Manager

A typical air conditioning unit installed on an interior wall can cost between €2,100 to €2,500. Smaller, portable air conditioning units cost between €275 to €495 depending on make and model. Large, inbuilt air conditioning systems can cost upwards of €2000 but normally cost much more. Air conditioners are high use energy appliances, consuming up to 3 kWh per hour of use.

How Much Is an Air Conditioning Unit in Ireland?

Like many products, the cost of air conditioners in Ireland will depend on the type of air conditioning unit you choose, but prices can range from as low as €275 to well over €2,000.

In Ireland, there are three main types of air conditioners.

• Portable Air Conditioners
• Air Conditioning Units
• Air Conditioning System

The three types of air conditioners vary in both price and function.

What Are Portable Air Conditioners?

Portable air conditioners in Ireland are the most economical choice you will find. They are easy to use since, as the name suggests, they come on wheels which allows you to move the unit in a room which needs cooling.

Most portable air conditioners will range between €275 to €495. Their big drawback is that you still need some ducting, meaning, there still needs to be a pipe going to the outside of the home for the warm air to escape.

What Is an Air Conditioning Unit?

An air conditioning unit is a larger unit often physically attached to a wall or window and range from €2,100 to €2,500 in price.

There are different types of air conditioning units, which we list and describe below:

1. High-wall air conditioners
   These are relatively easy to install, high on an exterior wall or above windows. It requires some ducting installation in the cavity of the wall and connects to an exterior mechanism which will draw the warm air out.
2. Low-wall air conditioners
   Similar principle as the high wall air conditioner, except they are positioned closer to the ground. Looking like another home heating radiator, essentially.
3. Window air conditioner
   These are a little less expensive than the wall units as no ducting is required. The unit is installed in the window itself (half inside and the other half outside), and warm air is immediately drawn away from the home.

What Is an Air Conditioning System?

Most air conditioning systems will have a dual function and work as a heating source during the cold winter months as well as an air conditioner.

As one can imagine, these can be quite simple or very elaborate in larger homes. Their price tags can start as low as €2,000, but most will cost more depending on the size of your home.

The three main types of air conditioning systems found are as follows:

1. Ducted air conditioners
   These are great as they can even be fitted out of sight in places such as the attic. There are all sorts of designs available, most of which fit flush with the wall or ceiling.
2. Cassette air conditioners
   A cassette air conditioner is installed in the ceiling in the middle of the room. It pushes the air in all four directions, making for a more even room temperature.
3. Multi-split air conditioners
   This is an elaborate version of an air conditioning unit. In a multi-split system, the ducting is split inside the house to connect the one single outdoor mechanism to multiple indoor air conditioning units. It ends up saving a lot of outdoor space.

Is Using Air Conditioning Expensive?

Given that, an air conditioner can consume between 0.75 to 3 kilowatts per hour of use, they can be expensive appliances to run and increase the cost of monthly bills.

If we take a standard air conditioner that consumes 1.5 kWh per hour installed in a home, that's paying 0.28c per kWh,

Using it for 6 hours during the day would cost an estimated €2.50 per day, or almost €18 per week.

• ⚡ Air Conditioner Costs: What Affects Them?
• Size and model - The bigger the unit, the more expensive it will be.
• Frequency of use - Using air conditioners for long periods of time will increase costs.
• Electricity rates - An expensive unit rate combined with an energy intensive appliance like AC racks up costs.
• Ambient temperature - If outside temperatures are high, the AC has to work harder to cool the room.
• Energy efficiency - AC units rated A or B for efficiency will cost less to run.

Is it Worth Using Air Conditioners in Ireland?

The cost benefit ratio to the value of installing air conditioners in Irish homes is still up for debate.

While average temperatures have increased globally, Ireland is yet to see the kind of temperature increase that warrant the extended use of air conditioning in homes.

Given their expensive, both in terms of installation and running, we recommend some alternative ways to keep cool in Ireland:

• Invest in a small, portable fan that can be used where necessary in your home.
• Keep windows open to try and create a through-draft to cool your house.
• Close your curtains to block the heat entering.
• Install shades over your windows to reduce the impact of direct sunlight.
• Try to prepare cold dishes and avoid using the oven or hob.

How Does Air Conditioning Work?

An air conditioner functions by extracting the warm air out of the room it is in and replacing it with cooler air. This subsequently lowers the room temperature, which in most cases you can set to a level of your choice.

Here is how an air conditioning system works to lower the temperatures:

• The air conditioning unit will suck the hot air into its system.
• With the use of electricity, the system circulates a coolant through pipes inside.
• The coolant captures the warm air and sends it outside the room.
• The initial hot air that was taken has now been slightly cooled and is thrown back into the room.
• This process is repeated, gradually lowering the room temperature until the desired setting is reached.

What is a Passive Cooling System?

A passive cooling system is meant to keep a building or home at comfortable temperatures without, or with very little, use of energy.

This is an important concept and one which is gaining in popularity given the push to protect the environment and lower our carbon footprint.

Some of the common passive cooling techniques used are:

1. Heat Dissipation
   This is to send the heat elsewhere through natural convection, such as with the use of a thermal mass or a heat sink.
2. Ventilation
   Ensuring your home has a good cross and stack ventilation is another effective way to naturally cool its interior.
3. Night Flushing
   Considered to be a semi-passive technique as it involves creating ventilation at night when temperatures are naturally cooler.
4. Evaporation Cooling
   This works in conjunction with water. For example, the water keeps the roof cool, as heat needs to evaporate the water before it can continue its path inside the home.
5. Earth Coupling
   This principal uses the consistent and mild temperature of the soil to keep indoor temperatures comfortable. Very similar to the principles used in a geothermal heat pump.