This job was a modern detached bungalow just outside Reading. The owners' complaint is one we hear a lot from new build homes: the place gets extremely hot in summer and stays hot. New builds are well insulated and airtight by design. That is excellent in winter, but once summer heat gets in through the glazing and roof, it has nowhere to go. A bungalow suffers more than most because every room sits directly under the roof.
The brief
Four rooms needed cooling: the main bedroom, two further bedrooms including a child's room, and the living space. The owners also have asthma in the household and were keen on anything that would improve the air quality and reduce humidity, not just the temperature. Being a bungalow, everything had to run neatly at single storey height on the outside of the house.
The design
Four wall mounted Clivet indoor units on a single Clivet multi split outdoor unit. The outdoor unit sits at ground level on anti vibration feet along the side of the house, away from the bedroom windows and the neighbours. One outdoor unit was the right choice here: four rooms sit comfortably within its capacity, the pipe runs are short on a single storey, and it keeps the outside of the house tidy.
Each room has its own controller, so a bedroom can run cool at night while the living room is off, and the child's room can be set independently.
Pipework on a rendered new build
Render does not forgive untidy work. The pipework runs in white trunking at high level under the soffit, dropping cleanly down the wall to the outdoor unit, with every bend formed and every run level. The result sits alongside the existing downpipe and looks like it was always part of the house.
Dehumidification and asthma
Every unit we install has a dry or dehumidify mode. It runs the system gently to pull moisture out of the air without a strong cooling effect. For this household that matters as much as the cooling. Lower humidity makes warm rooms feel more comfortable, discourages dust mites and mould, and makes the air easier to breathe for anyone with asthma or allergies. The owners plan to use it in spring and autumn as well as summer, and the filters in each unit catch dust on every pass.
We are installers, not medical professionals, and air conditioning is not a treatment for asthma. But for a well insulated home that holds heat and moisture, controlling both is a real improvement in day to day comfort.
Commissioning
Each circuit was pressure tested with oxygen free nitrogen, evacuated and commissioned in both cooling and heating. The owners received the commissioning record, warranty details and a run through of the controls, including how to use dry mode.
Live in a new build that overheats?
If your new build home is unbearable in summer, a multi split is usually the answer, and it heats efficiently in winter too. We survey the property, plan the outdoor unit position and pipe routes, and send a written quote with options. Request a survey.
Written by Zakaria Sinjab, F-Gas Category 1 certified engineer and director of Zephyr Climate Ltd.
