Air conditioning at home | everything you need to know
With summers getting hotter, it’s little surprise more homeowners are thinking seriously about air conditioning. But once you start looking into it, the questions come thick and fast – from deciding which system is best for your needs, to deciphering whether it’s even possible to install it in your Listed home.
To help answer your queries, we’ve sat down with experts to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about air conditioning.
How do I know what type of air conditioning is best for my home?
Charlie Longe, Builtain: “It’s not necessarily a question of what is best for your home, but what type of air conditioning is possible within the constraints of your home. Almost any type of property can have air conditioning installed, but some homes will just require a lot more work than others.
If you live in an apartment in central London, for example, there are strict rules around sound levels and visual impact of external condenser units, which may mean you need to look at water-cooled air conditioning. In houses, detached properties are easier to work with, but it’s still possible to install air conditioning in terraced homes – there might just be an extra hurdle or two to jump over. The pipes, for example, may need to be extra-long in order run a further distance to either the front or back of the building.
Regardless of the type of home you live in, you will always need to consider whether you have the physical space – within walls or ceilings – for pipework and ducting. This is something a specialist can easily advise you on.”
Talking about pipework and ducting, is there a way to have air conditioning that doesn’t impact my interior design and aesthetic?
Barry Smith, Calibre Climate: “Yes, absolutely! If it’s being installed as part of a major renovation, we recommend getting an AC Design Specialist – which is different to a Mechanical & Electrical Consultant – involved as early as possible. They can coordinate with the wider design team on a strategy for access, pipework, and concealment based on the specific working design. If you’re looking to add air conditioning into your furnished and occupied home, and you’re worried about aesthetics, then it’s worth prioritising using a contractor who specialises in installing systems that are both effective and attractive.
Not coordinating teams, or choosing the wrong contractor, can cause you to be left with a noisy, ineffective system that isn’t very sustainable and has a higher chance of faults – plus, there could be large ‘cattle-grid’ grilles ruining an otherwise very curated aesthetic!
Just some of the ways we’ve recently concealed equipment includes hiding ducted units in joinery or integrating air terminals within coffered/rafted ceilings or cornice details. The options are essentially endless - if it’s approached the right way.
In response to home owners shying away from retrofitting air conditioning because of the perceived hassle, we’ve also recently started offering a turnkey air conditioning installation service - handling everything from planning permission and the building work, to redecoration. As a result, we’ve seen a spike in prospective buyers bringing us in to advise on the feasibility of installing air conditioning in their dream home.”
Any advice for Listed homes or properties in a Conservation Area?
Barry Smith, Calibre Climate: “You’ll need a well-considered plan in place for installing air conditioning within a Listed building or Conservation Area. Planning permission or Listed Building Consent is often required, and apartments may also need freeholder or building management approval. If your application is denied, water-cooled systems offer an alternative avenue. They do require more internal space, can lower the water pressure, and unfortunately cost more, so we’d only recommend these where every avenue has already been explored and you’ve failed to get permission for a traditional system with an external condenser unit.”
Will adding air conditioning increase the value of my property?
Guy Robinson, Head of Residential at Strutt & Parker: “Fitted air conditioning might not add value in the same way a loft conversion or extension might, but it can significantly enhance a home’s marketability. It’s the kind of ‘comfort feature’ that can help your home stand out – particularly as summers continue to heat up.”
Read our blog about the rising demand for air conditioning in homes. Or if you’re feeling inspired, here are homes for sale with air conditioning.
Header Credit: Ambigram Architects, Calibre Climate