Air Conditioning

pred02

Hi,
We live in a top story old period flat that gets incredibly hot over the summer and are thinking of purchasing/installing an air conditioner unit. In continental Europe, split system is the way to go, it's efficient, easy to install (professionally), cheap and common. But in the UK this does not seem the case. 
1. How much would it cost to install 2 of these units?
2. Are there any building regulation about having the outside condenser unit hanging on the wall of the flat?
Thanks,

unforeseen

Doesn't the freeholder normally own the outside walls rather than the leaseholder? 

Ectophile

And if it's a period flat, is it in a listed building or a conservation area?

pred02

Hi. I owe the share of freehold and no it's not a conservation area or a listed building.

unforeseen

You'd still need the agreement of the other freeholders

Undervalued

pred02 said:

Hi,
We live in a top story old period flat that gets incredibly hot over the summer and are thinking of purchasing/installing an air conditioner unit. In continental Europe, split system is the way to go, it's efficient, easy to install (professionally), cheap and common. But in the UK this does not seem the case. 
1. How much would it cost to install 2 of these units?
2. Are there any building regulation about having the outside condenser unit hanging on the wall of the flat?
Thanks,

A compromise, not as good obviously, is a self contained (portable) unit that blasts the hot air it recovers outside down a 10 cm pipe. Ideally they need a 10cm hole through the wall but only have a small unobtrusive grill on the outside. You can improvise with a board in a window frame.

If you do go down that route the newer / better ones draw air from outside for that part of the circuit and are more efficient. The older / cheaper ones get that air from the room which means the room cannot be fully sealed so doesn't cool as well.

Rodders53

Your problem is getting the required permissions and meeting the regulations.

Planning: use the Portal info: https://www.planningportal.co.uk/info/200130/common_projects/27/heat_pumps has some guidance. The planners don't like them visible from the road.

Cost:  will depend on location (Central London will be more than Lincoln, say) and ease of install/access (scaffolding) and the style of unit.  One external pump unit can service multiple indoor units.  We have one serving our living room (ground floor) and master bedroom (upstairs) via wall-mounted indoor units.  It cost me around the £2.5k mark a couple of years ago.  Ceiling mounted indoor units will be more expensive.

My outside unit is ground mounted.  Installers advised that mounting on the wall induced vibrations (noise) into the building.

Note that portable units with indoor compressors are noisy cf. proper split pack units.  Any thing mounted in/through a wall (intended for conservatories) will have a condensate pipe that needs consideration, too, to get to a drain somewhere.

pred02

So if I do not live in conservation area and a listed building do I need permission from the council? I would mount one unit on the outside facing the street, probably at ground level if I can agree with the freeholder. The other unit will be on the outside facing the garden (not the street).We are a top floor flat.

pred02

Or if we can place the other unit on the top of the flat roof? We just did a GRP flat roof it does not have require roof access.

ic

If you search around, you'll find lots of aircon websites that tell you that you can install a single AC unit under permitted development.  Reality is they're quoting the permitted development rules that cover the installation of a heat pump, used for only for heating.  An AC unit that also doubles up for heating as well as cooling is excluded from permitted development, and needs planning.  Most people look to get away with it, but if a neighbour complains to the council (anonymously!) you may have to jump through hoops with the council, and could end up having to remove the system.

TELLIT01

pred02 said:

So if I do not live in conservation area and a listed building do I need permission from the council? I would mount one unit on the outside facing the street, probably at ground level if I can agree with the freeholder.

I don't know how well you get on with the other freeholder, but I wouldn't allow an aircon unit to be fitted outside my property, simply on the basis of the heat and noise generated.