To ask if you've had home aircon installed (not portable)

The units aren't expensive, they can be bought online cheaply, but certain trades installing them are taking the piss. People should go with refrigeration companies for install, as a big shop would. They have been doing this work for decades, and not companies with shiny shoe salesmen, who are ripping people off.

I live in Spain and have air conditioners in most rooms but I never use them. We fitted ceiling fans and I use them instead. Air con is expensive to run here and I don’t like using it - I much prefer the fans. It’s been 30-40 degrees here for the last 6 weeks or so and it’s fine.

admittedly Spanish houses are better designed for the heat!

In Portugal what we call air con units are always reversible (both heat and cool). So I guess that is what you call heat pumps. I am interested in purchasing one for my son's house in the UK. Here, I can get a decent unit (heating and cooling) for 250 euros and 220 euros to install. It sounds like they are waaaay more expensive in the UK for similar units! We have to have registered and approved installers - you cannot just buy a unit and install it yourself. You cannot even purchase one without advising the shop which installer you are using.

Absolutely no redecorating or even cleaning for us. Pipes go straight out through the wall, and are covered by plastic ducting to the outside unit. We sited ours so the ducting runs along the soffits and then down beside the drainpipes so you can hardly see it.

No, it comes under permitted development, with some restrictions on how close to the boundary ect it can be. I’m not 100% sure you can easily get non-heat-pump fully installed air conditioning any more, and really not sure why you would want to? It’s very inefficient, expensive to run, and you don’t get the benefit of also having efficient additional spot heating in the winter.

Can anyone recommend any companies. I wouldn’t know where to start!

our installation was very neat - a black pipe like a drainpipe up the side of the house and the bedrooms have wallpaper and it was all done tidily. About 3 hours per unit. I may cover the outside units with a big slatted box - it needs clearance for airflow - but for now it looks ok.

We haven’t had it serviced yet but I’ll pay whatever it takes!

Best thing we ever did! Have it in all the bedrooms and downstairs as well as a unit in the conservatory that came with the house. It was minimal disruption. We’d just decorated as couldn’t line the dates up but didn’t even need to re-touch the walls.

I have a question - how disruptive is it to install? I would LOVE air con, but don’t particularly want to have to redo plaster, repaint etc

We only have it in the upstairs dormer at present, but planning on having it in the kitchen and living room too. It’s been a lifesaver for my MIL who does not cope with the heat.

Yes we get it serviced annually, £250 this time

We had it fitted 3 years ago; it was easily the cheapest option to enable us to enjoy the house and DH to be cool enough to work.

We have it in 3 bedrooms plus downstairs (open plan). We live in a conservation area, and I spoke to a planning officer before it was installed. We were told that if we had a single heat pump (outside unit), we wouldn't need planning permission. It would have been slightly easier (and cheaper) to have separate external units, but not easier or cheaper than applying for planning permission (with architects drawings).

We paid 6K for our system, and are very happy with it.

Same. it has saved my sanity.

Have it in living room and in main bedroom. Very cheap to run as AC in summer, not so much as heat in winter. Love it and would not be able to sleep without it. They are Dakin wall units.

I’m in the South East and we get the brunt of the heatwaves so it’s absolutely worth it to install. We’re having units put in two bedrooms and the living room. After yet another sticky night, I can’t wait

Got it in my conservatory and summer house - no regrets

We used it (multisplit air-to-air source hyperinverter heat pump) as the main heating for our last newbuild home. Installed by a commercial refrigeration company. Simple and cheap compared to running radiators everywhere. Used it occasionally for air con, fine, just close all windows as you would do for any climate control building.

We have it in bedrooms - I have run it at 18C all night and slept so well and deeply.

Prior to the installation I would have been an exhausted sweaty headed mess for weeks by now. Damp pillows, swollen eyes, tossing and turning all night, dogs panting and pacing.

Does normal air conditioning (not heat pump) need planning permission in a standard road (no conservation or anything special) in the UK? Who installs it?

Unless you’re listed, even in a conservation area heat pumps are generally covered under permitted development as long as you don’t put the unit at the front. if you are going to bother I’d do at least the living room downstairs as well as the bedroom. Although to be honest the kitchen/diner is equally valuable.

A good quality system installed well, yes it would be a big plus for me when buying a house. A poor quality or shoddy installation the opposite as I would expect to have to pay to correct it.

We haven't but we have stone floors downstairs so it would be unlikely we'd need it.

Yes. Totally worth it. You'd never buy a car that has no air con, and now I can't live without my house air con

Have it in 2 rooms upstairs and wouldn't be without it. Downstairs has a good flow of air so with curtains and windows open or closed it's much easier to keep cool. However our south facing bedroom is another matter. I love that I can keep it at a constant temperature all night and get a proper sleep. Haven't regretted installing it and we've had it for almost a decade!