According to surveys, the average air conditioner installation cost is around £1,750 – £3,000. But how does one get to that price?
Air conditioning can be a worthwhile investment for your business. When you can control the temperature inside your building, your clientele will be more comfortable, for example, setting a low temperature on a hot day. However, knowing what air conditioner installation costs are is essential when deciding.
If you’re considering commercial air conditioning or domestic air conditioning, keep reading. This blog discusses the factors involved in determining the installation cost.
Air Conditioner Installation Cost Factors
When considering air conditioner installation, it’s worthwhile to understand what factors affect the overall cost. These factors are valid for commercial and domestic air conditioning installation, so let’s get into it.
Type of AC Unit
The type of air conditioner you choose for your commercial property will significantly affect the cost. Air conditioners come in various shapes and sizes with different heating and cooling capabilities and energy ratings. Some common air conditioning units are:
- High wall (normally cheapest)
- Ceiling cassette
- Low wall
- Ducted AC split system (normally the most expensive)
- Multi split
- Heat pumps
If you need help determining which you need, speak to one of our specialists for expert advice.
Brand
Different brands will come with diverse price tags, so you’ll have to consider this factor when looking at the price of an air conditioning unit. Each brand will have varying EER level ratings, so check the manufacturer’s specifications.
Features
Each brand’s air conditioning features will differ. The more features an AC split system has, the more expensive it will be. You have to decide which features are worth the cost. Some features you can look out for are:
- Thermostat: Some AC units come with a feature that reads both the programmed temperature and the actual temperature
- Remote: high walls come standard with infrared but can have hardwired remotes as optional extras, whereas the ducted units come standard with hardwired but can have infrared as an additional extra.
- Wi-Fi – a few brands will offer Wi-Fi as standard whereas some will be an optional extra.
- Adjustable Fan Speed: Adjustable fans can be helpful if you need to cool your office down quickly using a medium or high setting
- Programmable Timer: most units come with timers, but some will be day timers to switch on/ off once per day some will offer week timers able to switch on/off multiple times a day and vary at weekends.
- Air Direction Control: Not everyone likes constant air blowing on them, so the air direction control feature can manage this.
- Filters – brands sometimes offer additional filtration such as for pollen or offer plasma filters to remove any airborne bacteria.
- Movement sensors – some premium models offer movement sensors which slow down or slightly drop the temperature when nobody is in the room and ramps up when movement is detected saving more energy.
Building Size
Your commercial property size also significantly affects your air conditioner installation costs. A large building will require a more robust commercial air conditioning system than if you were using it in a smaller establishment. Likewise, if you have poor insulation or lots of glass which is south facing you will have a much larger solar gain through the day which will need to be compensated with the air conditioning.
Labour
Finally, labour costs will significantly affect the air conditioner installation cost, and each company may charge a different rate. The more experienced and skilled the installers are, the more they can charge for installation.
Things that can affect labour are
- Distance between indoor and outdoor units
- Heights or awkward locations of indoor/outdoor units
- Poor access
- Lots of walls to drill through to reach outside.
- Work involved (ducted units are normally the most labour intensive as you don’t just install a unit but all associated ductwork and vents too)
Air Conditioner Installation Cost
Considering all the above factors can help you understand your air conditioner installation quote. If you’re installing a new HVAC system, you can expect a cost of anywhere between £1,200 – £10,000+. This cost is estimated for a double bedroom but can vary depending on the HVAC company.
Get the Best AC Unit Installation Today
Investing in a decent air conditioning system can be highly worthwhile to your business, especially in an area with extreme temperatures. Keeping your customers cool on a hot day or warm on a cold day is essential to a good customer experience, meaning they spend longer in the store and more money. Keeping staff comfortable will make them work more efficiently.
If you want an accurate air conditioner installation quote, contact us today so we can help. We offer a wide variety of services, from installation to air-con repair, and are waiting to assist.