Air conditioning · one tidy install
Home air conditioning — cool summers, warm winters.
An air-to-air system cools and heats. Free home survey, fixed written price, fitted by certified engineers.
Home air conditioning is an air-to-air heat pump system: an indoor unit and an outdoor unit that cool a room in summer and heat it in winter.
Discreet up on the wall, quiet on normal settings — cooling in July, efficient heating in January.
How it works
Four steps to a comfier home.
Survey
Free home survey — we look at the rooms, the walls, the outdoor space, and listen to what you actually want.
Honest sizing
We size the system to the room, not the invoice. No oversold units fighting spaces they can't cool.
Fixed price
One written price, everything included. It doesn't move after the survey.
Fitted clean
Neat pipework, tidy mounting, tested, and handed over so you know every mode.
Install day, plainly
What actually happens on the day.
A straightforward single-room install is one day, start to finish. We arrive at the confirmed time, fit the indoor unit and site the outdoor unit, connect and insulate the pipework, pressure-test and vacuum it, then charge and run the system in both modes while you watch. Here is the day, in order.
- 1We arrive when we said. You'll have a confirmed slot, and a text when we're 30 minutes out. Dust sheets go down before anything else does.
- 2Indoor unit first. The wall bracket is levelled and fixed, the pipework hole is core-drilled cleanly (one neat hole, sleeved), and the unit goes up.
- 3Outdoor unit sited properly. On brackets or a ground base, positioned for airflow, serviceability and your neighbours' peace — not just wherever's quickest.
- 4Connected, tested, proven. Pipework connected and insulated, the system pressure-tested and vacuumed, then charged and run in both modes while you watch.
- 5Handover, not a disappearing act. We walk you through cooling, heating, timers and the remote, register the warranty, leave the paperwork — and take the mess with us.
What's included in the price
The fixed price covers the indoor and outdoor units supplied and fitted, insulated refrigerant pipework, condensate drainage, the electrical connection and testing, a pressure test and vacuum before any refrigerant flows, and commissioning with a full demo of every mode and the paperwork. It does not move after the survey.
- Indoor and outdoor units, supplied and fitted
- Refrigerant pipework, insulated and run neatly
- Condensate drainage that goes somewhere sensible
- Electrical connection and testing
- Pressure test and vacuum before any refrigerant flows
- Commissioning, a full demo of every mode, and the paperwork
Who's allowed to do this work
Refrigerant work is legally restricted to F-Gas certified engineers — it's a controlled gas, not a DIY job. Every Datum air conditioning installation is carried out by certified engineers, and you're welcome to see the certificate before anyone opens a pipe. Be wary of any quote from someone who can't show one.
The units we fit
Daikin first — and the rest of the best.
Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Samsung, LG and Fujitsu — design units, draught-free units and the value picks. Every one heats in winter and cools in summer; your exact spec and fixed price come from the free survey.
Fujitsu Airstage
KG Designer 2.5kW
Best for: Bedrooms & living rooms wanting Fujitsu's best
Daikin · Mitsubishi · Samsung · LG · Fujitsu
Multi-split (any brand above)
Best for: Whole-upstairs comfort
Which size suits your room?
A quick guide — the survey confirms itMost bedrooms and home offices suit a 2.5kW unit, living rooms and open-plan spaces a 3.5kW unit, and two or more rooms a multi-split system: one outdoor unit with two or more indoor units. That is a quick guide only; the free survey confirms the right size for your actual room.
2.5kW
Bedrooms & home offices
Rooms up to ~25 m²
3.5kW
Living rooms & open-plan
Rooms up to ~35 m²
Multi-split
Two or more rooms
One outdoor unit, 2+ indoors
A rule of thumb, not a promise — window size, aspect and insulation all move it. We size to your actual room at the free survey, and the manufacturer's noise and efficiency figures for the exact model go on your written quote.
One system, both seasons
The same unit heats and cools.
Modern air conditioning is a heat pump. The same unit that cools your bedroom in July heats it efficiently in January — often the cheapest room-by-room heating upgrade there is. If you've read about heat-pump grants: we explain what's real and what isn't, plainly, before you commit to anything.
What do you need?
60 seconds to a real installed range — no contact details needed.
Local knowledge
Fitting AC in London & Hertfordshire homes.
Conservation areas & period streets
St Albans, Harpenden and chunks of London are thick with conservation areas, where an outdoor unit on a street-facing wall can need consent. We check the planning position at the survey and site the condenser on a rear or side elevation where the rules (and the neighbours) are happiest — before anything is drilled.
Victorian terraces & solid walls
A lot of the local housing stock is Victorian terrace: solid brick walls, no cavity, and limited outdoor space. That changes how we core-drill, where the pipe run goes, and which bracket the outdoor unit needs — it doesn't make the job impossible, it makes the survey matter.
Lofts & converted rooms
Loft conversions across the patch cook in summer and freeze in winter — the radiators sized for the old roofline never kept up. A single air-to-air unit is usually the cheapest fix for both seasons, and the pipe run to an outdoor unit is often shorter than you'd think.
Your questions, answered
How much does home air conditioning cost?↓
A single-room air-to-air system typically runs £1,800–£2,600 installed; multi-room systems from around £3,400. Your fixed price is confirmed at the free survey and doesn't change afterwards. Our cost guide breaks down exactly what moves the price.
Can I get a government grant for air conditioning?↓
Not for cooling-only air conditioning — anyone telling you otherwise is mis-selling. Heat-pump grants exist for qualifying whole-home heating installations claimed through MCS-certified installers, and we explain honestly what's real on our grant page. We never promise a deduction we can't claim.
How long does installation take?↓
A straightforward single-room install is done in a day — indoor unit, outdoor unit, a neat pipe run, pressure test, commissioning and a full handover. Multi-room systems take longer depending on pipe runs; we tell you exactly how long when we fix the price.
Do I need planning permission?↓
Usually not for a house — most installs fall under permitted development. The exceptions round here are real though: conservation areas (plenty in St Albans and Harpenden), listed buildings, and flats, where the freeholder must consent. We check which applies at the free survey, before you commit.
Is it noisy?↓
Modern indoor units run at library-quiet levels on normal settings, and the outdoor unit is positioned and mounted to keep sound away from bedrooms and neighbours. You'll see the manufacturer's noise figures for the exact models on your quote.
Who can install air conditioning?↓
Refrigerant work is legally restricted to F-Gas certified engineers. Our installations are carried out by F-Gas certified engineers — ask to see the certificate, and be wary of anyone who can't show one.
Will one unit heat the room in winter too?↓
Yes — it's an air-to-air heat pump, so it moves heat rather than generating it. You typically get three or more kilowatts of heat per kilowatt of electricity, which makes it one of the cheapest ways to heat the one room you use most.
Before you decide
The air con questions, answered properly.
Last updated
Beat the next heatwave
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