What to include in your air conditioning enquiry

A few details up front mean we can give you useful advice straight away. Don’t worry if you can’t answer everything. We’ll ask.

  • Your postcode or the town or village you’re in
  • Whether it’s a home or business, and the type of property
  • Which rooms or areas you want to cool or heat, and roughly how big they are
  • Anything that makes the room hot: large windows, a glass roof, a loft, busy equipment
  • Whether you have an existing system, and its make and model if you know it
  • Any timing constraints, such as business hours or a planned refurbishment

Photos that genuinely help

If you’re happy to share them later, photos of the room, the outside wall where the outdoor unit might go and your consumer unit can save time. For a fault, a photo of any error code on the controller helps.

What happens after you contact us

  1. We get back to you

    We talk through what you need, answer your first questions and decide together whether a survey is needed.

  2. We look at the space

    If a visit makes sense, we arrange a convenient time to see the property and talk through positions and options.

  3. You receive a written quote

    A free, no-obligation quote setting out the recommended system and the work involved.

  4. We agree a date

    If you decide to go ahead, we book the work at a time that suits you and confirm what to expect.

Do I need a site survey before getting a quote?

Not always, though most new installations benefit from one. A simple single-room job can sometimes be quoted from photos and a phone call. Multi-room, commercial or awkward-access work nearly always needs a visit.

What we look at during a survey

  • Room sizes, glazing, orientation and how each space is used
  • Wall construction and where pipework can pass through
  • Possible outdoor unit positions, considering noise, airflow and neighbours
  • The electrical supply and space in the consumer unit
  • A route for condensate drainage
  • Access for ladders or towers, parking and any building restrictions

Repairs and servicing visits

For repairs and servicing there’s no separate survey. Tell us the type of system and what it’s doing, and we’ll book a visit.

Making sense of your quote

Your quote shouldn’t leave anything to guesswork. This is what each part covers, so you can compare like with like. For a business, our notes on commercial air conditioning explain the extra items you might see, such as out-of-hours working.

Equipment
The indoor and outdoor units proposed, their capacity in kW and the style of indoor unit.
Positions and pipe route
Where each unit goes and how the pipework and cables will be run and finished.
Electrical work
Any new circuit, isolator or consumer unit work needed for the system.
Drainage
Whether condensate drains by gravity or needs a condensate pump.
Making good
What finishing and tidying is included once the system is fitted.
Exclusions
Anything you’ll need to arrange, such as permissions or decorating beyond the work area.

How should I compare quotes from different installers?

Look at what’s included as well as the total. Check each quote proposes a similar capacity, says where the units go and how the pipework is finished, and covers the electrics and drainage. A cheaper quote that leaves out making good or electrical work may cost more in the end. Our about page explains how we put ours together, and if anything on it isn’t clear, ask.

There’s more on what goes into an installation price in our installation guide.

Getting ready for your installation

  • Clear furniture and ornaments from the wall where the indoor unit goes
  • Make space outside for the outdoor unit and any ladders or towers
  • Let neighbours know if access or parking might be affected
  • Arrange access to the consumer unit and any loft or ceiling void
  • Confirm any freeholder or council permissions are in place

On the day

We go through the plan with you before starting, protect floors and furnishings, and show you the finished system working before we leave.

Help with a system that’s already installed

We work on systems other installers fitted as well as our own. If your unit is leaking water, blowing warm air, showing an error code or just hasn’t been looked at for a while, get in touch.

Describing a fault

Tell us what it’s doing. Does it run but not cool, trip the electrics, drip water, make a new noise or show a code on the display? Note when it started and whether anything changed just before, like a power cut or building work. If water is leaking near electrics, switch the unit off at its isolator.