Air Conditioning Installation in London

Who We Are?

J SONS & CO. designs and installs commercial and residential air conditioning systems in London and Harrow or all over the UK. Split units for single rooms. Multi-splits for two-to-five room villas and apartments. Cassette units for offices and retail. Ducted and concealed systems for new-build and refurbishment projects. VRF and VRV systems for multi-floor commercial buildings up to 300kW.

Our London engineers are F-Gas certified, REFCOM Elite registered and NICEIC approved for the electrical work that every AC install requires. Every installation comes with a fixed-price written quote after a free site survey, a manufacturer warranty of up to seven years on equipment, and one year on workmanship as standard.

Types of Air Conditioning Systems We Install

Choosing the right system is the single biggest factor in whether AC will run efficiently for fifteen years or struggle from year one. We install five main system types, and the right choice depends on the building, the cooling load, the budget and the operational requirement.

Split Air Conditioning Systems

A single outdoor condenser connected by refrigerant pipework to a single indoor unit. The most common installation for individual offices, single retail units, single villa rooms and small commercial spaces. Wall-mounted, floor-mounted or low-level depending on the room layout. Capacities from 9,000 BTU (2.5kW) up to 36,000 BTU (10.5kW) cover almost every single-room scenario.

Multi-Split Systems

One outdoor condenser feeding two to five indoor units. Reduces external footprint dramatically useful for villas, listed buildings in London where condenser placement is restricted, and Harrow apartments where balcony space is limited. Multi-splits let you cool only the rooms in use, cutting running costs significantly.

Cassette Air Conditioning

Recessed into a suspended ceiling, blowing air in four directions. The default choice for offices, restaurants, hotels, retail units and clinics where a wall-mounted unit would look out of place. We install one-way, two-way and four-way cassettes from Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba and LG.

Ducted Air Conditioning

Concealed in the ceiling void or above a suspended ceiling, distributing cool air through ductwork to multiple grilles. The most architecturally clean solution for new-build commercial spaces, premium villas, hotels and high-end residential no visible indoor units anywhere in the room.

VRF and VRV Systems

Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) and Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV) systems are the standard for multi-floor commercial buildings. A single outdoor unit (or small bank of outdoor units) feeds dozens of indoor units across multiple floors, with each indoor unit independently controlled. Energy recovery, simultaneous heating and cooling on different floors, and centralised BMS integration are all standard.

Portable and Floor-Standing Units

For temporary cooling, server-room emergency cooling, or buildings where fixed installation is not possible. Less common but stocked and supplied where required.

Our Air Conditioning Installation Process

Every installation we deliver  whether a single split in a London flat or a 200kW VRF across a London office tower  follows the same six-step process.

Step 1. Free site survey.
A qualified engineer attends the site, measures the space, identifies pipework and cable routes, photographs the proposed condenser location, and discusses operational requirements. For larger commercial projects we also conduct a heat load calculation.

Step 2. System design and heat load calculation. Cooling load is calculated using room dimensions, occupancy, glazing area and U-value, lighting load, equipment heat output and design ambient conditions. The system is specified to match not oversized to pad the quote, not undersized to win the job. Oversized AC short-cycles, wastes energy and fails early. Undersized AC runs flat-out and never reaches setpoint in peak conditions.

Step 3. Fixed-price written quote. Itemised quotation covering equipment, refrigerant pipework, electrical works, condensate drainage, builder’s work, refrigerant charge, commissioning, certification and warranty. No hidden costs and no last-minute extras.

Step 4. Programme of works and RAMS. A named project manager, an agreed installation date and a risk assessment and method statement before any work starts on site.

Step 5. Installation. Indoor units mounted, refrigerant pipework run in soft copper to BS EN 14276 (UK) or ASHRAE standards, electrical isolation installed by qualified electricians, condensate drainage piped to a suitable discharge point, condenser positioned and secured. Pipework is pressure-tested with dry nitrogen, evacuated to deep vacuum, then charged with the correct refrigerant.

Step 6. Commissioning, certification and handover. System tested under load, airflow balanced, thermostats and controllers programmed, refrigerant pressures verified, electrical certificates issued, F-Gas certificate issued (London),   manufacturer warranty registered, O&M manual handed over.

Air Conditioning Installation in London

UK Regulatory Framework

Every air conditioning installation in the United Kingdom is governed by a stack of regulations that a qualified contractor must comply with:

• F-Gas Regulations 2015 — Anyone installing AC equipment containing fluorinated refrigerants (R32, R410A, R454B, etc.) must hold an F-Gas company certificate. Individual engineers must hold personal F-Gas qualifications. J SONS & CO. holds both.
• Building Regulations Part L — Energy efficiency requirements that the installed system must meet. SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio) and SCOP (Seasonal Coefficient of Performance) values are recorded on commissioning.
• Building Regulations Part P — Electrical safety in dwellings. The electrical isolator, supply cable and consumer-unit interface for any AC installation must be installed by a NICEIC, NAPIT or ELECSA registered electrician. We are NICEIC approved.
• BS EN 378 — Refrigerating systems and heat pumps safety and environmental requirements.
• TM44 Inspections — Buildings over 250kW cooling capacity require five-yearly air conditioning energy assessments. Our installations are documented to make TM44 inspections straightforward.

Planning Permission and Listed Buildings

Most domestic AC installations in London do not require planning permission, but there are exceptions:

• Listed buildings (Grade I, Grade II*, Grade II) Listed Building Consent is usually required for any externally visible condenser. We have completed installations in Mayfair, Belgravia, Knightsbridge and other heritage areas where discreet condenser placement and sympathetic pipework routing were planning conditions.
• Conservation areas Article 4 directions in many central London boroughs restrict external alterations. We check planning constraints at site survey stage and advise before any commitment.
• Flats and leasehold property Freeholder consent is almost always required. We can provide the technical drawings and equipment specifications required for landlord approval.

Typical Air Conditioning Installation Costs in London

Supplied for guidance every project is quoted on a fixed-price basis after a free site survey. Prices include supply, install, commissioning, F-Gas certificate and one-year workmanship warranty. VAT is additional.

London Service Coverage for Air Conditioning Installation

Our London engineers cover all 32 boroughs and the City of London. Active project areas include the City, Canary Wharf, Mayfair, Soho, Shoreditch, Holborn, King’s Cross, Camden, Westminster, Kensington, Chelsea, Hammersmith, Fulham, Battersea, Vauxhall, Wandsworth, Clapham, Greenwich, Stratford, Wembley, Croydon, Bromley and Romford. Projects within the M25 corridor Watford, St Albans, Slough, Reading, Guildford, Seven oaks and Dartford are covered on request.

Standard installation lead time in London is 5–10 working days from quote acceptance for single splits and multi-splits, 2–4 weeks for ducted and VRF systems depending on equipment lead times.

AC Brands We Install

We are authorised installers for every major commercial and residential AC brand sold in the London and Harrow. Our standard preferred manufacturers based on reliability, parts availability and warranty support in both markets are:

• Daikin: VRV, split, cassette, ducted. Our most commonly installed brand for commercial work in both cities.
• Mitsubishi Electric: City Multi VRF, M-Series and P-Series splits, cassettes.
• Toshiba: SMMS-u VRF, RAV commercial splits and cassettes.
• LG: Multi V VRF, ARTCOOL splits, cassette range.
• Panasonic: Etherea splits, Aquarea heat pumps, commercial cassettes.
• Samsung: DVM S VRF, WindFree splits.
• Hitachi: Set Free VRF, RAS splits.
• Fujitsu: Airstage VRF, ASYG splits.
• Trane and Carrier: Larger london commercial and chiller projects.
• GREE, Midea, SKM: Where london clients have a budget preference or building-management standardisation requirement.

If you have a manufacturer standard set by your portfolio or facilities team, we work to it. If you do not, we will recommend the right brand for the project on technical and warranty grounds not commission.

Sectors We Install Air Conditioning For

Restaurants, cafés, dark kitchens, fine dining, hotel groups, boutique hotels, offices, co-working spaces, retail units, showrooms, supermarkets, convenience stores, healthcare clinics, dental practices, GP surgeries, veterinary practices, private hospitals, schools, nurseries, universities, gyms, leisure centres, hair salons, beauty clinics, warehouses, distribution centres, data rooms, server rooms, places of worship, listed buildings, embassies, residential apartments, villas and luxury private homes.

Why Commercial and Residential Clients Choose J SONS & CO.

Fixed-price quotes no surprises. Once the site survey is done and the design is signed off, the price is locked. The only cost variations are client-requested changes.

Real heat load calculations. Every commercial project and every premium residential install starts with a proper heat load calculation. Oversized AC short-cycles, wastes energy, fails early and produces uneven temperatures. Undersized AC never reaches setpoint in peak conditions. Right-sized AC delivers what the client paid for.

Manufacturer warranties up to seven years. Equipment supplied by us comes with full manufacturer warranty typically 5 years standard, up to 7 years with PPM maintenance. Workmanship is warranted for one year as standard, extendable.

Single point of contact. A named project manager from first call to handover. No call-centre hand-offs, no chasing for updates.

Commercial-only depth, residential-friendly delivery. Our core focus is commercial the depth shows in the diagnosis, the design and the documentation but we apply the same standards to residential installs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Air Conditioning installation take?

A single split installation takes 4–6 hours from arrival to handover in both London and all over the uk. A multi-split system takes 1–2 days. A ducted system in a 3-bed property typically takes 3–5 days. A commercial VRF system can take 2–6 weeks depending on the scale of the building and the indoor unit count.

Do I need planning permission to install AC in London?

For most non-listed domestic properties, no. For listed buildings or properties in conservation areas with Article 4 directions, yes Listed Building Consent or planning permission is usually required for any externally visible condenser. For leasehold flats, freeholder consent is almost always required. We can provide the drawings and equipment specifications needed for any application.

What refrigerant do you use?

R32 is our standard refrigerant for new split, multi-split and cassette installations in both London and Harrow it has roughly one-third the global warming potential of R410A and better efficiency. For VRF systems we use R32 or R454B depending on manufacturer. We do not install equipment using R22 (banned for new installs) or R404A (being phased out under F-Gas and ESMA).

How much does AC installation cost?

For London, a single split typically costs £1,800–£3,500 supplied and installed. Full cost ranges by installation type are in the London Costs sections above. Every quote is fixed-price after a free site survey.

Do you supply the equipment, or can I supply my own?

Both. We supply equipment from every major manufacturer at competitive trade pricing that is usually the most cost-effective route because we get manufacturer pricing and full warranty pass-through. If you have already purchased equipment, we will install and commission it under our installation warranty, though the manufacturer warranty terms will depend on the supply route.

What warranty do I get on a new installation?

Equipment is covered by the manufacturer warranty typically 5 years on Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, Toshiba and Panasonic units, extendable to 7 years with a J SONS & CO. PPM maintenance contract. Workmanship and installation is warranted for one year as standard. Refrigerant charge and pipework joints are part of the workmanship warranty.

Can you install AC in a flat I’m renting or leasing?

Yes subject to landlord or freeholder consent. We can provide the technical drawings, manufacturer specifications and method statements that landlords typically request before approving an installation. Many of our London leaseholder clients use multi-split systems specifically because they reduce the external footprint requested by freeholders.

Do you remove and dispose of my old AC unit?

Yes. Old AC unit removal, refrigerant recovery (F-Gas compliant in the UK, safe transport and proper waste disposal are included in the quote where requested. We do not discharge refrigerant to atmosphere under any circumstances.

Can you install AC in a listed building?

Yes. We have completed listed-building AC installations in Mayfair, Belgravia, Marylebone, Notting Hill, Hampstead and across central London with concealed pipework, low-impact condenser placement, sympathetic indoor unit choices, and the documentation needed for Listed Building Consent applications.

Request a Free Site Survey and Quote

For London projects Phone: +44 20 8050 7969

Email Address: info@jsonsco.com

Address: Wembley, London, United Kingdom, HA9 

Or use our contact form, and a member of the technical team will respond within one working hour during office hours.