Fitted Air conditioning

[Max M4X WW]

Has anyone DIY fitted a ducted system? It would be a damn sight neater and easy to install the lot in the loft. It could even be the same temperature in both rooms, I'm sure it wouldn't make too much difference.

[FilH]

Well it's day 2 of the UKs 3 days a year when you wished you had decent Aircon.


Still one of the best single small life purchases made.

[ChocolateFrog]

FilH said:

Well it's day 2 of the UKs 3 days a year when you wished you had decent Aircon.


Still one of the best single small life purchases made.

Best sub £1000 purchas ever.

Ours isn't on that much bit has been on for the last 3 night, bliss.

[OldGermanHeaps]

Its bliss, what a difference it makes to sleeping.

[Simpo Two]

Max M4X WW said:

Has anyone DIY fitted a ducted system? It would be a damn sight neater and easy to install the lot in the loft. It could even be the same temperature in both rooms, I'm sure it wouldn't make too much difference.

I've been trying to find someone who can do that for two years. No luck yet; they either flatly refuse or go into hiding.

[Simpo Two]

caziques said:

4,800 for two small heat pumps installed! Talk about taking the piss.

The two units shouldn't cost more than 1000 pounds (1200 with VAT).

A thousand for an install is grossly excessive, unless there is something very difficult about it.

I've just been quoted £8,065.39 + VAT for two split systems, including electrics. I can't believe they thought I'd fall for it. You tell them they shouldn't be charging VAT and they act like they have no idea.

[Harry Flashman]

FilH said:

Well it's day 2 of the UKs 3 days a year when you wished you had decent Aircon.


Still one of the best single small life purchases made.

We use it more than 3 days, as the kids' room at the top of the house gets bloody hot even if just 22C outside. Aircin takes the edge off.

Right now, we would have to move them out of their room to sleep. With the system running, it's a comfy 20C. Our room is at 18.

Bliss.

[Harry Flashman]

Simpo Two said:

caziques said:

4,800 for two small heat pumps installed! Talk about taking the piss.

The two units shouldn't cost more than 1000 pounds (1200 with VAT).

A thousand for an install is grossly excessive, unless there is something very difficult about it.

I've just been quoted £8,065.39 + VAT for two split systems, including electrics. I can't believe they thought I'd fall for it. You tell them they shouldn't be charging VAT and they act like they have no idea.

Hah! Cowboys.


I just had a split I supplied installed, gassed and and tested (one outdoor unit, two indoor) for under £1000, including trunking and replacing the crappy factory pipe insulation with Armacell. This in London.

So £2500 all in. And it wasn't an easy installation.

[junglie]

ChocolateFrog said:

FilH said:

Well it's day 2 of the UKs 3 days a year when you wished you had decent Aircon.


Still one of the best single small life purchases made.

Best sub £1000 purchas ever.

Ours isn't on that much bit has been on for the last 3 night, bliss.

Might not ask which model?

I have heard mixed reviews about the ‘cheap’ portable units.

[heisthegaffer]

FilH said:

Well it's day 2 of the UKs 3 days a year when you wished you had decent Aircon.


Still one of the best single small life purchases made.

It's bliss and I honestly don't know how people cope without it.

[FilH]

junglie said:

ChocolateFrog said:

FilH said:

Well it's day 2 of the UKs 3 days a year when you wished you had decent Aircon.


Still one of the best single small life purchases made.

Best sub £1000 purchas ever.

Ours isn't on that much bit has been on for the last 3 night, bliss.

Might not ask which model?

I have heard mixed reviews about the ‘cheap’ portable units.

Appliances dierct, electriQ.


The 12000 btu units ive got are £550.


https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/iqool12plus/e...

[Harry Flashman]

I have had Electriq kit for 7 years. Works brilliantly, all wired into Alexa for voice control, also use a phone app.

Only criticism is the rubbish pipe cladding falls apart in sunlight over the years, so I have fitted Armacell Solar and am about to trunk it, which I should have done in the first place.

Also have their wall -mounted internal only one piece units in front rooms where an outside unit would be unsightly. Also excellent, no issues.

You can get LG for similar prices.

https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/s12et/lg-s12e...

Edited by Harry Flashman on Thursday 27th June 08:08

[surveyor]

Harry Flashman said:

I have had Electriq kit for 7 years. Works brilliantly, all wired into Alexa for voice control, also use a phone app.

Only criticism is the rubbish pipe cladding falls apart in sunlight over the years, so I have fitted Armacell Solar and am about to trunk it, which I should have done in the first place.

Also have their wall -mounted internal only one piece units in front rooms where an outside unit would be unsightly. Also excellent, no issues.

You can get LG for similar prices.

https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/s12et/lg-s12e...

Edited by Harry Flashman on Thursday 27th June 08:08

We ran pipes inside an extra soil stack. Disguised it well.

[996 Turbo Time]

gangzoom said:

caziques said:

A thousand for an install is grossly excessive, unless there is something very difficult about it.

Isn't saything this the same as saying tiling, woodwork etc are all easy to do, so why bother paying tilers/builders?

The reality is whilst some people are happy to do it themselves, I'm quite happy to pay someone else to do it in exchange for money. It saves me time and hassle.

What I find more amazing is I paid to essentially type stuff out on my laptop/iPad, which is so difficulty my 8 year old can already type almost as well .

There's paying for an installation and then there's PAYING for an installation.

Some of these quotes are approaching £1,000 per day for what is essentially manual labour.

[Harry Flashman]

It's because the companies have more work than they need. More people do their F-Gas qualification, it will get cheaper. In the US, it is cheaper as so many people can do it.

This is also why I was getting cheaper quotes in London than in Surrey. More contractors vying for work. Was £500/day for my last install, as took two days due to a complex pipe run up through soffit and into a loft.

[LastPoster]

There’s something in the fact that there aren’t really ‘domestic only air conditioning installers’ in the same way as there are domestic only plumbers and electricians

Why would a company or its installers work for a lower hourly rate completing simple domestic installs when they can charge a higher rate completing complex commercial installs (and they will have plenty of that kind of work as there is an ongoing skills shortage)

We get exactly the same in the commercial world where the hourly/daily rate for putting a split in as it is for installing a VRV to a full office refit

Edited by LastPoster on Thursday 27th June 09:01

[Max M4X WW]

Harry Flashman said:

I just had a split I supplied installed, gassed and and tested (one outdoor unit, two indoor) for under £1000, including trunking and replacing the crappy factory pipe insulation with Armacell. This in London

Was this 7 years ago as per your other post?

I really want to get moving with mine, 30 deg in upstairs bedrooms over the last couple of days!

I'm picky about installs, so I assume the Appliances Direct installers are best avoided. Or am I wrong?

I half want to do the installation myself and then get it connected. Is this feasible?

[mikey_b]

Max M4X WW said:

Harry Flashman said:

I just had a split I supplied installed, gassed and and tested (one outdoor unit, two indoor) for under £1000, including trunking and replacing the crappy factory pipe insulation with Armacell. This in London

Was this 7 years ago as per your other post?

I really want to get moving with mine, 30 deg in upstairs bedrooms over the last couple of days!

I'm picky about installs, so I assume the Appliances Direct installers are best avoided. Or am I wrong?

I half want to do the installation myself and then get it connected. Is this feasible?

The problem you'll probably find is that installers generally want to supply as well as fit. I can understand this, as otherwise there will inevitably be an argument if there's a warranty issue down the line - especially if a DIYer did a lot of the install. Also, they'll be keen to make a bit of profit on the equipment supply as well as their labour. Given that there is already a shortage of suitably skilled people, this means they already have enough well paid work to bother with jobs like that - especially at this time of year.

Someone on here suggested doing an f-gas cert and buying the vacuum pumps etc so you can legally do the work yourself might be cheaper than hiring a firm to do it. They're probably right, especially if you're fitting more than one, or go on to do an install for a friend or two.

[Harry Flashman]

Max M4X WW said:

Harry Flashman said:

I just had a split I supplied installed, gassed and and tested (one outdoor unit, two indoor) for under £1000, including trunking and replacing the crappy factory pipe insulation with Armacell. This in London

Was this 7 years ago as per your other post?

I really want to get moving with mine, 30 deg in upstairs bedrooms over the last couple of days!

I'm picky about installs, so I assume the Appliances Direct installers are best avoided. Or am I wrong?

I half want to do the installation myself and then get it connected. Is this feasible?

This was for my flat, which we did aircon on this year as I had scaffolding up anyway for a reroof. House A/C was fitted 5 years back (not 7 as I thought!).

Can be cheaper to install and leave pipes disconnected - i have done this. Its an easy job with a core drill and a mate. Contractors still seem to charge a hefty fee for just gassing and connecting, so I'd get quotes for both. I also would be wary of bending ac pipes yourself - easy to both get that wrong and/or overtighten the connections and wreck the flare at the end of the pipes. If a company does this, no issues as they can replace and it's something that a practised installer won't mess up.

[Max M4X WW]

Thanks, all very helpful.

When I say DIY, I mainly mean getting the units mounted, trunking in place and a clear route for the pipes. If the pipes go in easy, I could make a start but I certainly wouldn't make any connections and if they are tricky to bend I may leave them.

As you say, I would need to sign someone up for the commissioning beforehand as I wouldn't want it half done and either have no one to complete it or someone wanting to charge a fortune.

I may start with more quotes from local places first, but now I know the cost of the units is around £1000, I think I will always feel it's expensive. One problem I have is that Electriq is saying they don't sell longer pipe kits. I think I need 2x 10m as the run is slightly longer than 5m in both instances.