Is Air Conditioning Worth It for a Home in the North East?
Summers in the North East are milder than in the south, but warm spells now arrive more often and last longer. Bedrooms under the roof, loft conversions, conservatories and south-facing living rooms can become uncomfortable quickly, and it is in these rooms that most of our customers first notice the difference.
The other reason more households in and around Newcastle upon Tyne are choosing air conditioning is heating. Modern split systems are air-to-air heat pumps. They cool in summer, and in spring, autumn and much of the winter they heat the same room efficiently. For a home office, an extension or a cold bedroom, that can be a cheaper and more controllable way to stay warm than running the whole central heating system.
Good to know: every system we fit for a home can heat as well as cool, so you get year-round use from a single installation.
Choosing the Right System for Your Rooms
There is no single best type of air conditioning. The right choice depends on how many rooms you want to treat, the walls and ceilings you have to work with, and how visible you want the equipment to be.
Wall-mounted split systems
The most common choice for homes. A slim indoor unit sits high on the wall and connects to one outdoor unit through a small hole, usually 65 to 75 mm across. They are quiet, efficient and quick to fit, which makes them ideal for single bedrooms, living rooms and home offices.
Multi-split systems for several rooms
A multi-split system runs two or more indoor units from one outdoor unit. Each room has its own controller and temperature, but there is only one outdoor unit on the wall. It suits people who want to cool the whole upstairs, or who have limited space outside.
Floor-mounted consoles
Floor consoles sit low on the wall, a little like a slim radiator. They work well in conservatories, loft rooms with sloping ceilings and rooms where the upper walls are taken up by windows.
Ducted systems
With a ducted system, the indoor unit is hidden in the loft or a ceiling void, and conditioned air reaches each room through small grilles. It is the most discreet option, but it is easiest to fit during a renovation, a loft conversion or a new extension.
Designer and statement units
If the look of the room matters, mirror, black and matt-finish units are available from several manufacturers. They cost a little more but sit comfortably in modern interiors.
What Size Air Conditioner Does Each Room Need?
Air conditioning is sized by its cooling output in kilowatts (kW). An undersized unit runs flat out and still struggles, while an oversized one switches on and off too often and wastes energy. The figures below are a starting point for typical, reasonably insulated rooms.
| Room | Typical size | Usual capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Small bedroom or study | Up to 15 m² | 2.0 to 2.5 kW |
| Double bedroom | 15 to 25 m² | 2.5 to 3.5 kW |
| Living room | 20 to 35 m² | 3.5 kW |
| Open-plan kitchen and living space | 35 to 50 m² | 5.0 kW or more |
| Conservatory or glazed extension | Varies | Sized individually |
Why loft rooms and conservatories need extra care
Rooms with a lot of glass or a thin roof gain heat much faster than the floor area suggests. We take window size, orientation and insulation into account at the survey rather than relying on a chart.
Where the Indoor and Outdoor Units Can Go
Positioning the indoor unit
The indoor unit works best high on a wall, with clear space around it so air can circulate across the room. We avoid blowing air straight onto beds and sofas, and we keep the pipe run to the outside as short and tidy as possible.
Positioning the outdoor unit
Outdoor units can go on wall brackets, on the ground on anti-vibration feet, or on a flat roof. They need free airflow, access for servicing and a sensible distance from neighbouring windows. We will always suggest the position that balances performance, appearance and noise.
Tyneside flats and terraced houses
Many homes in Heaton, Jesmond, Sandyford and Gateshead are Tyneside flats or terraces with shared back yards and tight side passages. Wall brackets at the rear usually work well, and we take extra care with pipe routes so trunking stays neat on brick and render.
Homes on the coast
Salt air in places such as Tynemouth, Whitley Bay and South Shields can corrode outdoor coils over time. For coastal properties we recommend units with a protective coating on the outdoor coil, and a sheltered position where one is available.
Prices and Running Costs
Our home installations start from £1,800 for a single wall-mounted system, including the indoor unit, outdoor unit, pipework, standard fixings and commissioning. The final price depends on the length of the pipe run, the wall construction, access to the outdoor position, the electrical supply and the model you choose. Multi-room systems cost more, but adding rooms to one outdoor unit is often cheaper than fitting separate systems.
Running costs are usually lower than people expect. Modern units are rated by their seasonal efficiency (SEER for cooling and SCOP for heating). In mild weather, a heat pump can deliver three to four units of heat for every unit of electricity it uses, which is why many customers use theirs to take the chill off rooms in spring and autumn.
Home Air Conditioning Near You
We fit home air conditioning across Newcastle upon Tyne and the surrounding towns and villages. Recent and regular areas include Gosforth and Kenton (NE3), Jesmond (NE2), Heaton (NE6), Fenham (NE4), Low Fell (NE9), Whickham (NE16), Ponteland and Darras Hall (NE20), Whitley Bay (NE25 and NE26), Tynemouth (NE30), Washington (NE37 and NE38), Sunderland (SR postcodes), Chester-le-Street (DH2 and DH3) and Durham (DH1).
Smaller communities in between are covered too, from Seaton Sluice and Cullercoats on the coast to Ryton, Wylam and Prudhoe in the Tyne Valley. If you are unsure, the full postcode list is on our areas we cover page, and our homepage shows examples of recent work.
Planning Permission, Electrics and Regulations
- F-Gas: the refrigerant in an air conditioning system must, by law, be handled by an F-Gas certified engineer. Our engineers are certified and we are REFCOM registered.
- Electrical work: a new circuit for an air conditioner in a home is notifiable building work under Part P in England. It must be carried out by a registered electrician, who will certify the work.
- Planning: many installations do not need planning permission, but listed buildings, flats and homes in conservation areas such as parts of Jesmond, Gosforth and Tynemouth may need consent. We will flag this at the survey and, if needed, you can check with your local planning authority before work starts.
What Happens on Installation Day
Most single-room installations in a home are completed in one day. Multi-room systems usually take one to three days, depending on the number of rooms and pipe runs.
- We protect floors and furniture and confirm the agreed positions with you.
- The indoor unit bracket is fixed and a neat core hole is drilled through the wall.
- The outdoor unit is mounted, and pipework, cabling and condensate drainage are connected.
- The system is pressure-tested with nitrogen, evacuated and commissioned.
- We show you how to use the controller and app, and leave the room as we found it.
You can see finished examples in our gallery of recent installations, or read about the same process for offices and shops.
Keeping Your System Running Well
Rinse or vacuum the indoor filters every few weeks during heavy use, and keep leaves and debris away from the outdoor unit. Once a year, an engineer should clean the coils, check the refrigerant circuit and drainage, and test performance. Annual servicing keeps running costs down and is usually a condition of the manufacturer’s warranty. We offer servicing plans for every system we install.