AV Forums home cinema gets environmental control

[Stuart Wright]

For a year, we lived with no proper heating in the AV Forums home cinema. Winter 2004/2005 was dreadful. Even with a portable oil radiator, slippers, coats and blankets, we were still shivering. The story of the belated installation of the air conditioning system is now online. Read it here.

[MrLOL]

interesting read

only one comment though, is it me, or are there no bigger pictures ? i can only see the tiny thumbnails.

[meansizzler]

So This AV Forums Home Cinema, do we actually get to visit it?.., been a member of this forum for a while, but not seen any posts about memebers inviting others round to there home cinema for a get together/private screening...would gladly pay towards the cost of electricity/refreshements if any...

[Phil Hinton]

Originally Posted by MrLOL

interesting read

only one comment though, is it me, or are there no bigger pictures ? i can only see the tiny thumbnails.

Click on the magnifying glass for larger images.

Nice work Stuart, something I would like to implement into my cinema room re-build.

[GreasyWeasel]

I didn't realise that there were many other people with home cinema's in this part of the country, particularly one of the founders of AVForums. I live in Telford too and trying to find suppliers without travelling miles hasn't been easy.

I'd be interested in hearing how the cooling side of this works since I've recently finished my loft conversion with which I'm really pleased however its been rather hot over the last few weeks which has made my HD World Cup experience a bit uncomfortable. I was wondering about getting aircon installed.

[Gordon @ Convergent AV]

Greasy:He's not only the founder...he is the OWNER of the forum....Nice one Stuart.

G

[Stuart Wright]

Originally Posted by GreasyWeasel

I'd be interested in hearing how the cooling side of this works since I've recently finished my loft conversion with which I'm really pleased however its been rather hot over the last few weeks which has made my HD World Cup experience a bit uncomfortable. I was wondering about getting aircon installed.

I couldn't tell you technically how the cooling works. But the end result is a breeze of cool air blowing down from the ceiling. On a very hot summers day like we've had recently, it's an absolute joy to just sit in there!
Give TCS a call in Shrewsbury. I found them in the Yellow pages.
http://www.temperaturecontrolsolutions.co.uk/

[Badger0-0]

Nice one stu, looking good.

I install this stuff for a living, but commercially, not domestically (hospitals, factories, offices etc).

@ Greasyweasel,

It's basically a fridge and heater unit in one.
I would recommend you ask about running costs before buying one.
Consider Stuart installed a 5KW supply, that gives you a clue.

[Stuart Wright]

Originally Posted by Badger0-0

Consider Stuart installed a 5KW supply, that gives you a clue.

Although I doubt the unit will be chunterng along using 5KW all the time, yes, considering that we have time to watch maybe one movie a month, it does seem like a waste of the world's resources. I am seriously considering putting some solar panels on the home cinema roof. Can solar panels deliver 6KW?

Originally Posted by Stuart Wright

Although I doubt the unit will be chunterng along using 5KW all the time, yes, considering that we have time to watch maybe one movie a month, it does seem like a waste of the world's resources. I am seriously considering putting some solar panels on the home cinema roof. Can solar panels deliver 6KW?

While the unit gives 5 kw of cooling or heating it only uses approximately a third of this in electric, so that would be approximately 1.6 kW, ( when the outdoor unit is running) This is less than a two bar electric fire. This is a very efficient way of heating and cooling this area. The only time this unit would use the full 5kw is when the outdoor unit defrosts in heating mode and a electric heater comes on to make sure there are no cold draughts in the room, this could be only for a few minutes a day wehn running 24/7

[thompma]

I would agree, that if possible get some air con installed. I installed mine just over 5 years ago, after the room started getting to 36deg C
A fujitsu split system was installed with the external parts mounted at the rear of the house, out of sight, with the cinema being upstairs at the front of the house, i'm not going to hear that What a difference, set to 18deg C, on a timer, beautiful, makes the room fully usable. And it is virtually silent in running, also a good escape when outside is cooking.

[loonatic]

Looks great Stuart...but also expensive...what sort of price are we talking about ?

Cheers, Lee

[Alaric]

Hi There,

Not quite on the same level, but i installed a DIY aircon unit over the weekend. Its a small 9000BTU/2.5KW one that is wall hung. Made by Hinari and sold at Focus for £250. It has an external fan unit and a white 800x200x300 curved box that sits on the wall at the back of the cinema. We have a radiator so while it will do heat its mainly cooling and de-humdify in the summer. It is a proper DIY unit with a locking conector for the pipes, similar to the B&Q airforce ones and unlike most if not all of the Ebay ones that require vacuum checks to remove moisture from the pipework.

It would have been a very simple install - Hang wall bracket, place outside unit, drill big holes to get pipes from outside to inside, clip in electrical connectors, connect simple locking connector, plug in and test. However they missed a simple instruction out which required using an Allen key to open the gass/liquid valves which had me looking for kinks in pipework and worrying for a while ! Apart from that it was quite easy.

Mine certainly isn't silent, but then neither is the Barco BG808 even with its hush box. I'd guess a realistic noise floor figure would be 35-40db as my meters don't go that low. No it is not silent, but then the room is a nice 22degrees with 48% humdity rather than the 30+ it has been outside.

There is no point in having a silent cinema you can't use 'cos its too damn hot and sticky.

cya,
Lee

[stryker]

Originally Posted by Alaric

Hi There,

Not quite on the same level, but i installed a DIY aircon unit over the weekend. Its a small 9000BTU/2.5KW one that is wall hung. Made by Hinari and sold at Focus for £250.

How many turns did you give the valve? I've given mine one each and I still think they are not open enough.

[Alaric]

Hi There,

I take it you've also got one of the Hinari air cons then and the valves were closed ???

I fully opened the (clockwise IIRC) and they come to a point at which they stop....they don't fully turn out if thats a worry. Reading various Air Con instructions for other models that what should be done and after the install with the funky connector they are effectivly the same as any other split air con unit.

Cya,
Lee