An oversized unit costs more, and once the room is cool it can't turn down far enough, so it switches on and off and can leave the room cold but clammy. So we measure first, quote the unit that fits, and run the pipework so you'd hardly know it was there.
Bedrooms and loftsSystem typesWhat the quote includesInstall questions
Every system is an indoor unit that moves air, an outdoor unit that moves heat, and two insulated copper pipes between them. What changes is the shape indoors, and how many rooms one outdoor unit serves.
The most popular choice for a single room. A slim indoor unit sits high on the wall and connects to a compact outdoor unit. Quick to fit, quiet to run, and usually the best value per room.
Good for Bedrooms, home offices, conservatories, small offices
One outdoor unit running two or more indoor units, each with its own controls. Fewer boxes on the outside of the building, and every room set to its own temperature - though all the rooms heat, or all cool, at the same time.
Good for Several bedrooms, flats with little outside space, small office suites
Sits flush in a suspended ceiling and spreads air out four ways, so a larger room gets an even temperature without a unit on the wall.
Good for Open-plan offices, shops, salons, restaurants
A low unit at skirting level, like a radiator. The answer when there's no free high wall: under a window, in a loft with sloping ceilings, or in a conservatory.
Good for Lofts, conservatories, rooms with low or sloped ceilings
The unit hides in the ceiling void and only slim grilles show in the room. Best planned while a refurbishment or fit-out is under way.
Good for Refurbishments, new builds, rooms where looks matter most
The rooms people struggle to sleep in are usually the top of the house. Fitting them has a few questions of its own.
An undersized unit runs flat out on hot days and never quite catches up. An oversized one can't turn down far enough once the room is cool, so it cools the air in short, noisy bursts and switches off before it has dried the room, which leaves it cold but clammy and wears the compressor faster.
So we work it out: the size of the room, how much glass it has, which way it faces, how many people use it and what's running in it. Then we quote the unit that fits, and we'll explain why.
Everything below is on the written quote.
A single wall unit is often fitted in a day. A loft with a long pipe run, or two rooms on one outdoor unit, usually takes one to two days. We'll confirm at the survey so you can plan around it.
Usually one 65 mm hole through the wall for the pipes, cable and drain, cut with a core drill rather than hammered out. Dust sheets go down first, and the offcuts and packaging leave with us.
Usually on a wall bracket or a ground stand, where it has space to breathe and isn't under a bedroom window. We agree the spot with you at the survey.
It depends on the property and where the outdoor unit goes. Listed buildings, conservation areas, flats and front-facing walls can all be different. We'll talk it through at the survey and point you to your council where it's needed.
As a worked example: a 2.5 kW bedroom unit cooling steadily typically draws 0.2 to 0.7 kW, so at 25p per kWh it costs roughly 5p to 18p an hour. We'll give you the efficiency figures for the exact model we quote so you can work it out for your tariff.
Tell us what it's for, roughly where it is and the best way to reach you. That's enough to start.