Summary: How much does air conditioning cost, average cost to install aircon and the running costs of aircon.
On a hot summers day it can be quite a relief to escape indoors and have a flow of continuous air cooling you and your surroundings down. Air conditioning works by transferring air over a certain temperature from the inside to outside and then replacing it with cooled air. Apart from the benefit of creating a far more comfortable environment to live or work in, it can also provide air purification to the room. The system can be installed with an anti-fungus filter, which renders the air in the environment fresh and clean by removing any mites, or smoke and odour particles.
Average Cost
| Job | Average Cost | Updated | Quote |
| Portable air conditioning unit | £300 – £600 | 2019 | n/a |
| Fixed air conditioning unit | £800 – £2000 | 2019 | n/a |
| Installation (Labour) | £130 – £200 (Per day) | 2019 | n/a |
Factors to consider
To calculate the size of the air conditioning units that are required there are a number of factors that need to be assessed: the height of the ceiling, the amount of light in the environment, the number of doors and windows, the type of property it is (modern or traditional, detached or terraced etc.) and the occupancy that the environment usually caters for. Nominally the calculation to establish the correct size of the air conditioning system and the first guideline is to establish the square footage of the area. The amount of cooling air that needs to be supplied is 1 ton of air cooling capacity to 400 square feet of area. This will provide the starting point for the correct amount of air conditioning that is required for the space.
The size of the air conditioning system units are of vital importance. If the units are too large, this will result in the air being cooled down too much; this can be solved with a certain amount of success with a thermostat, but this would not negate the wastage involved of having purchased and installed a unit that is too powerful where a smaller and cheaper unit would have done the job just as adequately. This eventuality will also cause problems to the air conditioning system and result in breakdowns due to the system overworking by stopping and starting in an attempt to produce the correct air temperature to the area. If, however, the unit is too small for the area (apart from not doing the job it for which it was purchased) it will result in humidity which eventually could lead to the manifestation of mould. The unit will tend to overwork itself in an effort to cool the area down which will have the unfortunate effect of drastically reducing the working life of the unit.
The air conditioning system should be annually serviced to keep it running efficiently and effectively. There are a number of advantages to servicing annually. Problems or potential problems will be noticed and rectified. The air conditioning unit will perform to a much higher and cost effective standard if it is serviced once a year. It also provides peace of mind knowing that the unit is operating to a safe standard. It is also worth considering taking out a service plan policy to cover the annual servicing and any repairs that may be required during the life of the air conditioning system. Service plans can provide benefits including discounted repairs, replacements or purchases of the system. If the system breaks down it could cost more to call out a tradesman on an emergency call out rate – this could be £55 per hour and upwards. When purchasing an air conditioning system, consider which manufacture offers the best warranty – some carry from to 3 to 5 years warranty for the parts of the unit.
Costs to consider
An air conditioning system is a carefully considered purchase for most people for their homes; it is a weighing up of cost against the promise of a far more comfortable and cool environment to enjoy in the summer months.
It is possible to buy or hire portable air conditioning units for a property. These are ideal as a temporary solution or perhaps for single rooms. Easily installed by the DIYer, these can cost around £300.00 to £400.00 to buy. To install an air conditioning system as a more permanent setup or for a series of rooms, it is wiser to use the services of a tradesman. The air conditioning system must comply with the British Standard Regulations, BS 7671. The daily rate of a professional tradesman to install an air conditioning system will usually be around £150. The cost of the actual air conditioning system itself will depend on the type of system and the size of the installation that is required. Very approximately, the cost can be from £1000.00 to £1700.00 and upwards.