Toilet fixing
★★★★★
He is a polite and knowledgeable tradesman. He communicates clearly and executes the job as planned and agreed.
Home / Air conditioning / What Affects the Cost of Air Conditioning
What Affects the Cost of Air Conditioning
What actually drives the cost of an air conditioning installation, what is included in our price, and why we survey before quoting rather than after.
Why we do not publish a price list
Because it would be misleading. On air conditioning, the property drives the cost far more than the equipment does. Two identical units in two identical rooms can differ substantially once you account for where the outdoor unit has to go and how the pipework reaches it.
We would rather survey for free and give you a real number than advertise a figure that changes the moment somebody looks at the building.
What actually moves the price
How many rooms
The biggest single factor. One room is one indoor unit and one outdoor unit. Three rooms might be three indoor units running from a single outdoor unit, which is more pipework but only one outdoor unit.
How far the outdoor unit sits from the indoor unit
Every extra metre of refrigerant pipework costs, both in material and in the work of running and concealing it. An outdoor unit directly behind the indoor one is the cheapest arrangement. One at the other end of the building is not.
Access
If the outdoor unit goes at first-floor level, or on an elevation that can only be reached over a conservatory roof, that may need scaffolding or a tower. This is one of the more common reasons a price moves.
The type of system
Wall-mounted units are the least expensive. Ceiling cassettes need a void and more work to fit. Ducted systems are the most involved by a distance and are usually only sensible during a renovation.
Making good
Solid walls, rendered walls and period buildings all take longer to core and make good neatly than a modern cavity wall.
What is always in our price
- The units, the pipework, the drainage and the electrical connection
- Core drilling and making good
- Brackets or a plinth for the outdoor unit
- Commissioning, testing and handover
- F-Gas paperwork and warranty registration
There is no separate charge for brackets, drilling or clearing up. If the survey turns up something that changes the figure, you hear about it then — not halfway through the job.
Running costs
Cooling a typical bedroom costs a few pence an hour. In heating mode it is normally cheaper per unit of warmth than an electric heater, because it moves heat rather than generating it. Sizing the system correctly matters here: an oversized unit cycles on and off and costs more to run than a correctly sized one.
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9.67/10
★★★★★
Checkatradefrom 266 reviews
Fixed the bathroom basin tap
★★★★★
We always call them as they are reliable and honest.
Replaced pump and 3 way valve
★★★★★
Great team. Quick job. Impossible to complain and happy to recommend.
Boiler service
★★★★★
Very reliable and punctual. He's very tidy and gets on with his work quietly.
Boiler and radiator fault repair
★★★★★
I had a boiler fault that was actually caused by an airlock in my central heating. Chaudray identified the potential issue quickly and clearly communicated the steps required to fix it. He carried out the work then and there, and the problem was solved. He was very courteous and tidy, too.
Cap gas pipe
★★★★★
Perfect, thanks.
Water main repair and gas pipe cap
★★★★★
Great communication before, and turned up early and friendly. Perfect job completed in time. Thanks.
Removing radiators
★★★★★
Quality of work, clarity and tidiness was excellent. Chaudray was clear about all the steps of work, fixed some historical issues as part of solving the job to the best standard, but checked, explained and gave options as he went.
Excellent service
★★★★★
Chaudhry messaged me promptly and was able to come the next day. He was really friendly and carried out the work quickly and to a high standard.
Boiler fixed
★★★★★
Very professional and competent.
Questions
Why will you not give me a price over the phone?
Because it would be a guess. The property drives the cost more than the equipment does, and a figure given blind changes the moment somebody looks at the building. The survey is free.
Is the survey really free?
Yes, and there is no obligation. If you decide against it, that is the end of it.
What makes one quote more expensive than another?
Usually pipework distance, access and the type of system. Sometimes it is what has been left out of the cheaper quote.
What does it cost to run?
Cooling a typical bedroom costs a few pence an hour. In heating mode it is normally cheaper per unit of warmth than an electric heater.
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