Home air conditioning that cools in summer and heats in winter
One quiet system for the rooms that need it most, installed by REFCOM registered engineers across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire.
WhatsAppWe reply the same working day, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
One fixed price, in writing
Free home survey, then a written quote covering equipment, pipework, electrics and making good.
Cools and heats
Cool rooms in summer, warm rooms in winter, from one system with room by room control.
REFCOM registered
Refrigerant handled legally by our own engineers, with your F-Gas paperwork issued on completion.
How does home air conditioning work?
An air conditioning system moves heat between the outside air and your rooms through quiet indoor units. In summer it takes heat out of the room to cool it, and in winter it runs the other way to warm the room instead, so the same equipment covers both.
Because it treats the air directly, there is no cylinder to fit and no radiator upgrade to pay for, so a room can be running within a day. Systems run at roughly SCOP 3.5 to 4.5 when heating, against just over 0.9 for a modern condensing gas boiler.
- Cooling in summer, heating in winter
- Single room and multi split systems
- Bedrooms, lofts, home offices and extensions
- No cylinder or radiator upgrade needed
- Room by room temperature control
- Filtered and dehumidified air
Your options
Choosing your system
We are a Daikin registered installer and also fit Mitsubishi Electric and Samsung equipment, specified on how the room needs to perform rather than what is easiest to get hold of. The choice is really about how many rooms you want covered.
One room
Single split system
- One indoor unit and one outdoor unit, ideal for a bedroom, loft or home office
- Cools in summer and heats in winter from the same unit
- Usually fitted in a day, with no cylinder or radiator work
Manufacturer warranties of 5 to 7 years on qualifying units
Whole home
Multi split system
- Up to five indoor units running from one outdoor unit
- Each room sets its own temperature independently
- Wall, floor standing and slim units to suit the room
Manufacturer warranties of 5 to 7 years on qualifying units
The process
How it works, in three steps
- 1
Tell us about the rooms
A quick call or the form below: which rooms you want covered and your postcode.
- 2
Free survey and a fixed quote
We measure the rooms, check the electrics and agree unit positions, then put one price in writing.
- 3
Fitted and signed off
Usually one to two days for a single room. Pressure tested, charged, demonstrated and certificated.
What is included as standard
Every air conditioning quote we give covers all of this, so the price you see is the price you pay.
- Free home survey and room by room sizing
- Indoor and outdoor units, brackets and refrigerant pipework
- Electrical connections and condensate drainage
- Pipe runs boxed in neatly and made good
- Manufacturer warranty of 5 to 7 years registered on qualifying units
- F-Gas paperwork and a demonstration before we leave
Planning permission and permitted development
Most domestic installations in England fall under Permitted Development. Planning permission is typically only needed where the property is listed, sits in a Conservation Area, or the outdoor unit would be mounted above ground floor level on a front elevation. Flats and maisonettes also need freeholder consent.
Keeping a gas boiler for the whole house and adding air conditioning for the rooms it struggles with is a common combination. See boiler installation for the heating side of that.
Why choose us
Why Townsend
Gas Safe registered, 957967
Domestic gas work is carried out under our Gas Safe registration, with the certificate issued on completion.
REFCOM registered
The F-Gas registration needed to handle refrigerant legally, so air conditioning work comes with proper paperwork.
Accredited installer
Daikin registered, Vaillant Approved and Glow-worm accredited, which is what lets us register the longer manufacturer warranties.
One price, in writing
A fixed written quote before we start. No day rates, no hourly creep and no surprise extras.
One point of contact
You deal directly with us from the first call to handover, with responsibilities agreed clearly before any work starts.
Straight answers
If replacing is not worth it yet, we will tell you. Call us on 01234 781 202 and speak to a person.
Common questions
Common questions
- Does air conditioning heat as well as cool?
- Yes. A modern air conditioning system works both ways, so the same units that cool your rooms in summer heat them in winter. Because it moves heat rather than burning fuel, running it for heating is efficient and there is no cylinder or radiator upgrade to pay for.
- What is the difference between air conditioning and a heat pump that feeds radiators?
- Air conditioning heats and cools the air in individual rooms and needs no cylinder or radiator changes, so it goes in far more quickly. A system that feeds your radiators, underfloor heating and hot water cylinder usually means larger radiators and much more disruption.
- How much does air conditioning cost to install?
- A single room system in Bedford typically costs between £1,550 and £2,600, including the indoor unit, outdoor unit, refrigerant pipework, electrical connections and labour. Multi split systems covering three to four rooms generally range from £3,500 to £6,500.
- How efficient is it for heating?
- These systems run at seasonal efficiencies of roughly SCOP 3.5 to 4.5, so each unit of electricity delivers three and a half to four and a half units of heat. A modern condensing gas boiler delivers just over 0.9.
- Do I need planning permission?
- Most domestic installations in England fall under Permitted Development and need no planning permission, provided the outdoor unit meets size limits, sits at least one metre from the boundary and stays within local noise limits. Listed buildings, Conservation Areas and flats are the exceptions.
- Are you registered to handle refrigerant?
- Yes. Townsend Plumbing Ltd is REFCOM registered, which is the F-Gas registration required for anyone handling refrigerant, and Gas Safe registered under 957967 for gas work. Both certificates come as standard with the job.
Next step
Request a home survey
Tell us which rooms you want cooled and heated and your postcode, and we will arrange a survey and a fixed quote.
Office hours: Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. Send a photo on WhatsApp if it is easier to show us.