Heating, Cooling & Air Treatment

Heating, Cooling & Air Treatment

Everything that changes the temperature or the quality of the air in a room, in five groups. Irish homes need heating for most of the year, cooling for a few weeks, and moisture control almost constantly, which is why dehumidifiers sell here alongside portable air conditioners and oil filled radiators. Portable air conditioners are rated in BTU, and that number should match the room: roughly 5000 BTU for a bedroom or small office, 7000 to 9000 BTU for a living room, and 11500 to 13000 BTU for an open plan space. Most also dehumidify, so they earn their keep outside summer. Heaters split by how they deliver warmth, with fan and ceramic heaters for instant heat, oil filled and oil free radiators for steady background warmth, convector and panel heaters for wall mounting, and halogen and gas heaters for spaces with no fixed supply.

Cooling

Portable air conditioning units cool, dehumidify and circulate air from a single unit that wheels between rooms and vents through a window kit, so no installation or outdoor condenser is needed. Match BTU to room size rather than buying the biggest, since an oversized unit cycles on and off and dehumidifies poorly. Black & Decker covers 5000, 7000, 9000 and 12000 BTU smart control models, Dimplex the 2.6kW DPAC901 and 3.5kW DPAC1201 with dehumidifier, and DeLonghi the Pinguino range at 8300, 11500 and 13000 BTU including a GentleJet inverter. Tower, desk and pedestal fans sit alongside for cheaper air movement.

Heating

The largest sub-range, and the choice comes down to how quickly you need heat and for how long. Fan and ceramic heaters warm a room in minutes but stop the moment they switch off. Oil filled column radiators hold heat and keep releasing it, which suits a room you occupy all evening, in 500W, 2000W and 2.5kW. Oil free and eco radiators heat faster than oil filled with the same steady output. Convector and slimline panel heaters mount on a wall and suit hallways and conservatories. Portable gas heaters at 3kW to 4.2kW and halogen heaters cover garages, sheds and rooms with no electric supply to spare. Dimplex, De Vielle, DeLonghi, Warmlite and Adax cover the range.

Electric Blankets

Heating the bed rather than the room is far cheaper to run, which is why electric blankets sell steadily through an Irish winter. Underblankets fit over the mattress and beneath the sheet, warming the bed before you get in. Overblankets and heated throws sit on top and can be used on a sofa as well. Sizes run single, double, king and super king, and dual control on double and larger lets each side set its own heat. Mattress protector versions combine the two jobs. Dreamland, De Vielle, Monogram and Sirocco cover fleece underblankets, dual control overblankets and heated throws, with rechargeable hot water bottles, heat pads and foot warmers alongside.

Dehumidifiers

Damp is the year-round problem in Irish housing, bringing condensation on windows, black mould in corners and washing that will not dry. Extraction rate is the number to work from: 10 to 12 litres a day suits an apartment or a couple of rooms, 16 to 20 litres handles a full house with persistent condensation, and 30 litres covers large or badly affected spaces. Compact 600ml to 900ml units suit a wardrobe or caravan, and passive moisture absorbers need no power at all. Dimplex EverDri, DeLonghi Tasciugo AriaDry, Russell Hobbs, De Vielle and Bonura cover the range.

Air Purifiers

Air purifiers pull room air through a filter, usually HEPA, to trap dust, pollen, pet dander and cooking odours, which matters for hay fever, asthma and homes with animals. Match the unit to the room, from plug-in models for a kitchen or bathroom up to floor units rated for large living spaces. Several models here combine purification with air movement or heating, so one appliance works year round. Shark covers HEPA and NeverChange models, Dyson the Pure Cool and Hot + Cool purifying fans, and PureAir plug-in and room units.