Air Conditioning Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Airconco provides free site surveys, subject to the conditions for your property.

For flats and apartments, we require written confirmation from your managing agent that the proposed installation is permitted before we carry out a free survey. In our experience, around 95% of leases include a restrictive covenant covering this type of work. If you would like a survey before permission has been granted, the current fee is £240 + VAT. This fee is refundable against the installation cost if you proceed with Airconco.

A survey helps us understand your property, assess suitable equipment, and identify any installation requirements that could affect the quotation.

Next step: Find out about our air-conditioning installation service/.

The cost depends on the equipment, number of rooms, cooling and heating requirements, installation complexity, and any additional work needed at your property.

For example, installing a single-room system is generally a different project from installing several units across a large home or commercial building. Electrical upgrades, access requirements, and the position of the outdoor unit can also affect the price.

Airconco can provide a budget estimate through our AC price calculator. A site survey may be needed to confirm the specifications and final quotation.

Yes and no. For commercial entities we are able to recommend leasing options for 3-5 year deals.

Unfortunately, we cannot lease to domestic customers.

Domestic units that are not in constant use and are used for cooling only generally require one service per year. Units that are in offices should be maintained at least twice per year to keep them running at their optimum level. For server rooms, we recommend at least three service visits per annum. For areas with high levels of pollution or contaminants in the air such as kitchens, hairdressers or workshops, additional service visits are carried out.

Regular servicing and maintenance keep your unit running at maximum efficiency, significantly extends the lifetime of a unit and reduces operating costs. In addition, routine maintenance will ensure that the unit qualifies for the full warranty of up to ten years rather than just the standard manufacturer’s one year warranty.

There are several reasons why your system is leaking water.

The condensate that is produced in the coils on the indoor part of your system should fall into a drip tray which is either drained away by gravity or pumped outside.

If excess water is finding its way down your wall then it’s more than safe to assume that much or all of the condensate is not being drained away.

Sometimes the drain hole might clog up with dirt, so the water obviously finds the easiest route to drain away which can’t be anything other than down your wall! However, if the condensate is being drained away with help from a pump, then there is every probability that the pump may have failed and this will obviously need replacing quickly. So often we find that the coils in the system have been so caked up with dirt that it has ended up blocking the unit drainage system.

A leak can be caused by something as simple as a dislodged drainage pipe, making the water drain upwards, which, of course, eventually flows back into the unit and down your wall. In this case, it’s a simple matter of correcting the angle of the drainage pipe.

Finally, and in more serious cases, should the system have leaked a large quantity of refrigerant, this will cause the coils on the indoor unit to “ice up” which will also result in leakage when the ice melts. If you do see ice on the coils, it is vital to switch the unit off immediately and call your air conditioning engineer.

Finally, and I’m sorry to hammer the point home as I have in our other videos, but so many of these problems would not happen if your unit was regularly maintained.

No. We believe that all units should be correctly specified and professionally installed by qualified engineers from a recognised air conditioning company. If we provide 'supply only units, we have no control over their final installation.

Yes, Airconco provides free site surveys, subject to the conditions for your property.

For flats and apartments, we require written confirmation from your managing agent that the proposed installation is permitted before we carry out a free survey. In our experience, around 95% of leases include a restrictive covenant covering this type of work. If you would like a survey before permission has been granted, the current fee is £240 + VAT. This fee is refundable against the installation cost if you proceed with Airconco.

A survey helps us understand your property, assess suitable equipment, and identify any installation requirements that could affect the quotation.

Next step: Find out about our air-conditioning installation service/.

We aim to offer competitive prices and believe that comparable quotations should be assessed on a like-for-like basis.

Before comparing prices, check that each quotation covers the same equipment, cooling capacity, installation work, electrical requirements, warranty, and aftercare. A lower initial price may not include everything needed to complete the installation.

If you have a competing quotation, send us the details, and we'll review what is included.

Next step: Read our guide to comparing air-conditioning quotes.

The cost depends on the equipment, number of rooms, cooling and heating requirements, installation complexity, and any additional work needed at your property.

For example, installing a single-room system is generally a different project from installing several units across a large home or commercial building. Electrical upgrades, access requirements, and the position of the outdoor unit can also affect the price.

Airconco can provide a budget estimate through our AC price calculator. A site survey may be needed to confirm the specifications and final quotation.

Our expert surveyors and engineers have many years experience in the industry. When there are various options or solutions, we provide you with all the information you will need to make an informed decision.

There is no single brand that is best for every property. The right choice depends on your budget, room size, system requirements, preferred features, appearance and warranty.

Airconco supplies and installs systems from Daikin, Gree, Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Samsung and Fujitsu. Our team can help you compare suitable options rather than choosing equipment based on the brand name alone.

Airconco also holds specific manufacturer credentials, including Daikin D1+ Premium approved contractor status for split and Sky Air product ranges, Fujitsu approved installer status, and registered distributor and installer status for Gree fitted systems.

Next step: Compare the options in our air-conditioning manufacturer guide.

First, go to the ‘CoolCulator’ on our website, where you can answer a few simple questions to get a budget estimate. Another option is to call us, and one of our experienced sales team members can help.

Yes. Our surveys and written quotations for new fitted air conditioning installations are free of charge. That means you get proper expert advice before you commit, and it gives us the chance to recommend the right system rather than a one-size-fits-all answer. We have been doing this since 1986, so we know a good installation starts with a careful survey and honest advice.

Yes. In many cases, we can give you a very useful ballpark figure before the survey, especially if you can tell us the room size, how the space is used, and what type of property it is. We then confirm everything after the site visit and turn that into a proper written quotation. It is a good way to get a feel for budget early on, while still making sure the final price is based on the right specification.

In most cases, yes. We can often give you a sensible guide price before we visit, but the survey is where we properly measure the room, assess the heat load, check pipe and drain routes, review electrics, and work out the best positions for the indoor and outdoor units. It is the difference between a rough idea and a system that is properly designed. We would always rather specify the right solution than guess, especially when we are backing the installation with a 10-year warranty.

We talk through how you use the room, what matters most to you, and which styles of units are likely to suit the space best. We also assess glazing, ceiling height, access, drainage, electrics, noise, outdoor-unit location, and appearance, so the final design works in the real world and not just on paper. By the end of the visit, you should have a much clearer idea of the best options, the likely costs, and what the installation would involve.

Our quotation is designed to be clear and upfront. In most cases it includes the equipment, standard installation materials, labour, commissioning, and normal handover, with any special items or work outside scope shown separately. That way you can see exactly what is and is not included and compare quotations on a like-for-like basis. We believe transparent quoting is one of the reasons customers trust us with both small domestic jobs and major commercial projects. 

Very often it comes down to the quotation not being like for like. Cheaper quotes can hide undersized equipment, excluded electrical works, lower-grade products, rushed installation methods, or weaker aftercare. The headline figure may look attractive, but it can end up being poor value if the system underperforms or problems appear later. We would always encourage you to compare the detail, the warranty, the equipment brand, and the service behind the price, and not just the cheapest number on the page.

If you have received a comparable quotation elsewhere, send it over, and we will review it properly. If it is genuinely like-for-like, we will always do our best to match it. The important part is making sure it really is comparable in terms of equipment, scope, warranty, and workmanship. We are very competitive, but we will not cut corners just to win a job, because that only stores up problems for the customer later.

Simply put, not all portable air conditioning units will have a hose attached; we will look at that in more depth in a moment, but first, let us start with the types of aircon units we can use in our properties for portable use. To learn more click here.

All air conditioners need to exhaust hot air from the room it is trying to cool. The most common exhaust method used on portable units is via a 6 inch (15.2 cm) flexible hose (on more industrial units this can be significantly wider).

In most cases, this hot air is also exhausted along with the excess humidity in the room, so the hose must be vented into the outside atmosphere (e.g. a window or external door).

There are a few exceptions to this rule, some dry exhaust air conditioners can be vented into a suspended (false) ceiling or into a spare room that you don’t mind getting hot. These units have built-in water tanks which allow the units to expel hot, dry air out the hose. You may need to empty the water tank a few times per day.

Here our Recommendations for Dry Exhaust Air Conditioners:

To Hire in Offices
· Gree 3.2kW (11,000 BTU)

To Buy for Server Rooms
· Ex-Hire Airrex HSC-2500 or Ex-Hire Airrex HSC-3500

To Hire for Server Rooms and Shops
· Airrex HSC-2500 6.1kW or Airrex HSC-3500 7.3 kW

In order for air conditioners need to cool a room, they need to get rid of the excess heat they create.

Air conditioners contain a refrigerant gas that needs to be pumped through a special expansion valve to get exceptionally cold. A powerful compressor is used to achieve this flow of refrigerant gas. The continual use of the compressor creates excess heat, and it’s that heat that needs to be exhausted to the outside atmosphere (through a window or an external door).

The internal compressor gets very hot in the process and this excess heat must be exhausted away. The usual method of exhausting away the hot air is with a hose that needs to go out a window or a door to the outside.

Portable air conditioning is designed for temporary or flexible cooling. It is plug-in, movable, and very useful when you need a quick solution without a full installation. Fitted air conditioning is the longer-term answer: it is usually quieter, neater, more powerful, and better for regular everyday use. In simple terms, portable is ideal for short-term needs or urgent cooling, while fitted is usually the better investment if you want a permanent comfort solution.

Yes. We hire portable air conditioners within London and can advise on the right size and type of unit for the room you need to cool. Portable hire is particularly useful for temporary problems, hot bedrooms, overheated offices, events, or situations where a fitted system has failed. Because portable cooling is part of our business rather than a sideline, we can normally guide you quickly and practically rather than leaving you to guess which unit might work.

Yes, in many cases we can offer same-day delivery in London if the order is placed before 1pm, subject to stock, routing, and how busy the day is. If you have an urgent requirement, the best thing to do is call us as early as possible so we can confirm availability straight away. Fast temporary cooling is one of the reasons many customers come to us when they need a problem solved now rather than next week.

Yes. We sell portable units across mainland Britain, so if you are outside London and want to buy rather than hire, we can usually help. London hire is where our rental service is focused, but sales are available much more widely. If you are not sure whether hiring or buying makes more sense, tell us how long you expect to need cooling for and we can point you in the right direction.

Portable units are good for bedrooms, home offices, meeting rooms, shops, temporary workspaces, server rooms with the right model, and spaces that need quick, short-term cooling. They are especially useful when a fitted installation is not possible straight away or when you do not want permanent works. The main thing is to match the unit properly to the room and the heat load. A well-chosen portable can work very well; the wrong one will disappoint.

A portable air conditioner pulls warm room air across a cooling system, removes heat from it, and then blows cooler air back into the space. The heat it has removed has to go somewhere, which is why the unit uses an exhaust hose to discharge that warm air out of the room. Many models also remove moisture from the air at the same time, so they can make the room feel more comfortable in two ways, not just by lowering the temperature.

Not effectively, no. If the hose is not vented outside or into a proper exhaust route, the heat the unit removes from the air is simply released back into the room. The machine may still blow cool air from the front, but overall the room will not cool properly. This is one of the biggest misunderstandings with portable air conditioners. They absolutely do work, but only when they are set up in the right way.

If there is no suitable opening, we need to think carefully before recommending portable air conditioning. In some cases a window kit, fabric seal, door route, or another venting arrangement solves the problem. In others, a portable may simply not be the right answer and it is better to say so honestly. We would rather guide you to the right solution than sell or hire something that will never perform properly in your space.

Yes, generally they are easy to set up. Most units simply need to be positioned sensibly, plugged into a suitable power supply, and connected to the exhaust hose and window or vent kit. If the unit has been transported, it is often wise to let it settle briefly before use. We can talk you through the basics, and because we deal with portable cooling every day, we can usually help customers avoid the common setup mistakes.

Portable units are noisier than fitted systems because the working parts are in the room with you rather than outside or hidden away. That said, some are perfectly acceptable for daytime use in bedrooms, home offices, and commercial spaces when expectations are realistic. If low noise is the absolute priority, fitted air conditioning usually wins. Portable is a compromise between speed, flexibility, and convenience on one hand, and noise and neatness on the other.

Yes, many people do, especially during hot spells. The main thing to understand is that a portable unit will normally be more noticeable than a fitted bedroom system, so light sleepers may find it less ideal. If you need an urgent bedroom cooling solution, portable can be a real lifesaver. If you want the quietest long-term answer for sleeping comfort, fitted air conditioning is usually the better route.

Yes. Portable air conditioners remove moisture from the air as part of the cooling process, which is one reason they can make a room feel more comfortable quite quickly. That dehumidifying effect is especially noticeable in warm, sticky weather. It is also why some units may collect condensate or use self-evaporating systems depending on the model and the conditions. So you are usually getting cooling and dehumidification together.

Sometimes. Many modern portables self-evaporate a lot of the moisture they remove, but some units still need water emptied in certain conditions, especially in very humid weather or when used heavily. The answer depends on the model and the environment. If a tank does need attention, it is usually simple and easy. We will always explain the practical side of the unit you are hiring or buying so there are no surprises once it is in use.

Not well. A portable AC unit is usually best treated as a one-room-at-a-time solution. If you leave doors open and expect it to cool several rooms at once, performance will drop quickly. Portables work best when they are matched to the space, the doors are kept shut as much as practical, and the cooling is concentrated where it is needed. If you need to cool multiple rooms regularly, fitted air conditioning is often the better answer.

The right size depends on more than just floor area. We also look at glazing, ceiling height, occupancy, equipment, solar gain, and how quickly you need the room to pull down. Choosing by room size alone is one reason people sometimes end up disappointed. Tell us about the space and we can guide you towards a unit that is more likely to perform well, rather than simply picking the biggest or cheapest machine available.

It depends what result you actually need. A portable air conditioner is the answer when you want refrigerated cooling room. An evaporative cooler can be helpful in dry, well-ventilated spaces, but it does not lower room temperature in the same way and is much more limited in humid weather. A fan does not cool the air at all - it simply moves it. So if you want genuine cooling, portable air conditioning is usually the clear winner.

Some portable AC in London are suitable for server rooms, but not every domestic-style unit is a good fit. Server environments often need stronger, more specialist temporary cooling and careful hose management, especially if the heat load is high. The important thing is not to guess. Tell us about the room, the equipment, and the urgency, and we can recommend whether a portable unit is suitable and what type stands the best chance of protecting the space properly.

We have been proudly installing air conditioning since 1986. Having been in the business for almost 30 years we have a wealth of experience behind us. 

We provide a full range of air conditioning services including initial site surveys, installations, maintenance visits and repairs. We also hire and sell a broad range of Portable Air Conditioners in London.

On our air conditioning installations, we offer an unrivalled 10-year warranty to all of our customers (5 years in a server room). The first three years of the warranty cover parts and labour. The remaining seven years cover you for the full cost of the spare parts. The warranty is subject to the unit being regularly serviced by our engineers. We recommend one service per year for our domestic customers and two services a year for businesses. Unlike many ‘man in a van’ operatives who aren’t around to offer backup and support, we have been in the market for many years and have the track record to prove it.

We have installed air conditioners for most of the biggest and best-known companies in the UK. Check out our client list to see just some of the companies we’ve worked with. When you choose the Air Conditioning Company, you are assured the highest quality at the keenest of prices.

Absolutely!

We carry out countless installations throughout London and the Home Counties and our customers are always happy to give a glowing reference. If you would like to be put in contact with one of our previous clients, please feel free to ask.

It is also a great idea to check out our ever-growing list of happy customers on TrustPilot.

All our engineers are fully qualified and have FGAS certificates (which means that they can legally handle refrigerant gas). They also attend specialist courses provided by the major air conditioning manufacturers so they are always up to date on the latest practices. To view our certificates – click here.

We are The Air Conditioning Company, also known as Airconco. We have been trading since 1986 and specialise in fitted air conditioning installation, maintenance, and repair, as well as portable air conditioning hire and sales. Over the years, we have built our reputation on quality equipment, competitive pricing, and genuinely helpful service. People come to us for expert advice, but they stay with us because we are still there when they need support later.

We provide the full core service around fitted air conditioning: installation, maintenance, and repair. Alongside that, we also hire portable air conditioners in London and sell portable units across mainland Britain. That means we can help whether you need a permanent fitted system, emergency temporary cooling, ongoing servicing, or a repair to equipment another company installed. Having all of that under one roof makes life much easier for customers.

For fitted air conditioning, our engineers operate throughout London and the surrounding area, including the Home Counties. For portable air conditioning, our hire service is focused on London, while portable sales are available across mainland Britain. If you are not sure whether you fall within our coverage, just ask. We would rather answer that clearly at the start than waste your time.

Yes, absolutely. We work for homeowners, landlords, offices, retailers, schools, healthcare environments, restaurants, and many other commercial and specialist clients. Some jobs are single bedrooms or garden offices, while others are much larger multi-room or commercial projects. We treat both ends of the scale seriously. A one-room installation still deserves the same care and professionalism as a bigger contract.

A few things really set us apart. We have been trading since 1986; we offer a free survey for new fitted installations; we only install equipment from manufacturers we trust, and we back our installations with a 10-year warranty. We also handle maintenance, repairs, portable hire, and portable sales, so customers are not forced to juggle multiple suppliers. In short, we are not just selling a unit - we are providing a service that is designed to last.

Yes. We regularly service and repair systems that were installed by other companies. Many customers first contact us because they are unhappy with the level of support they are getting elsewhere, and we are very happy to step in. Our focus is on whether the system can be maintained or repaired properly now, not on who originally fitted it. If we can help, we will. If replacement is the better route, we will say so honestly.

On our fitted installations we offer a 10-year warranty, subject to the system being serviced in line with the warranty terms. That is a major part of our offering and something very few installers are willing to stand behind. A long warranty only works when the equipment is good and the installation is done properly, which is why we stick to trusted manufacturers and experienced engineers. We believe customers should have confidence long after the installation day itself.

Yes. We have our own fully functional showroom, which is unusual in this industry and very useful for customers who want to see the different types of fitted air conditioning before making a decision. Seeing equipment in person often makes it much easier to understand the differences between wall-mounted, cassette, ducted, floor-mounted, and other options. It is another way we try to make choosing a system feel more informed and less like guesswork.

Yes, they are very welcome. Our showroom can be a real help for architects, interior designers, project managers, and other decision-makers who want to understand the equipment options and how different systems might sit within a space. It often leads to better early decisions on design, coordination, and aesthetics. We are always happy to talk through the practical side as well, because good planning at the front end usually makes the whole project smoother.

Yes, we often can. If you tell us about the room size, the type of property, and what you are trying to achieve, we can usually give you a sensible guide price before the survey. The survey then confirms the detail and turns that into a proper written quotation. It is a useful first step for budgeting, but we never pretend a phone estimate is the same as a final design. Accuracy comes from seeing the site properly.

For commercial clients, yes - we can often point you towards leasing options, typically over three to five years. That can be a useful way for businesses to spread the cost of a project while still getting the right equipment installed from the outset. Leasing is generally not available for domestic customers, but if you are a business and want to explore funding options, let us know and we can talk you through the practical route.

No. We do not offer supply-only on fitted air conditioning because proper results depend on correct design, installation, commissioning, and aftercare. Selling equipment on its own may sound simpler, but it removes too much control over the quality of the outcome. We would rather take responsibility for the whole job and know it has been done properly. That is also how we are able to stand behind our work with a meaningful warranty.

Yes. While permissions and approvals remain the client's responsibility, we can usually provide technical information, equipment details, and drawings to support applications to landlords, managing agents, or other approving parties. That is often very helpful in flats, leasehold buildings, and other properties where external units or drainage arrangements need to be explained clearly. We deal with these conversations regularly, so we can usually make them much easier.

Yes, very much so. We are just as happy helping with a single bedroom, loft room, or small office as we are with a larger commercial project. Smaller jobs still deserve proper design and professional installation, and many of our long-term clients started with one modest room before coming back to us for more. We do not treat smaller enquiries as a nuisance - they are a core part of what we do.