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

[GingerBeverage]

Do you use it, and think it's worth the money?

Yes - it’s fantastic. We have it downstairs (open plan), and in our office out-building, and I’ve spent most of this week working out how the best options to have it fitted upstairs too.

Our huffer-puffer (technical term lol) does hot too, and it was a dream in the winter. Much more efficient than cracking up the heating.

Yes, and absolutely yes. It’s very efficient, an air source heat pump that does heating and cooling. Saved us loads of money in the winter, and worth every penny in the summer. I think we’re still spending less overall than we were before.

Yes, we have it downstairs. Really regretting not paying that bit extra to have it installed in bedrooms too. But hey ho, lesson learnt, and I'm aware its a bit of a first world problem to be moaning about.

We have solar panels, so its free to run all day. Mostly use it in summer to but in the winter its a fabulous way of drying laundry as it also dehumidifies.

We have it in the attic bedroom and the downstairs open plan room. It was installed when we bought the house. At the time, I thought it was excessive but now I love it. The attic room would be unbearable otherwise and we sleep and work there.

Ours is electric and it does add to the bills.

yes in two room (living room and our bedroom). Yes to being worth the money as a) it cost 3k but estimates say it’s put 5-10k on the value on the house b) it also heats so was very useful when our central heating broke down over new year and c) running it all night in our bedroom costs 50p

We’re debating having it upstairs - split system. Just because it’s never ever (in our lifetimes) going to get cooler here.
But I expect there are so many hoops to jump through (conservation area)…
And I expect the installers are booked solid this year. But good to hear people would do it again.

Would you see it as a plus for buying a house?

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!

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

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

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?

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.

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.

Got it in my conservatory and summer house - no regrets

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

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.

Same. it has saved my sanity.

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.

Next question: do you get it serviced annually, -and how much does that cost?

Yes we get it serviced annually, £250 this time

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.

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

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.

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!

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