Ducted air conditioning for London homes and businesses

How ducted air conditioning works

Like any split system, a ducted system has an indoor unit and an outdoor unit joined by refrigerant pipes. The difference is where the indoor unit goes. Instead of a wall, it sits out of sight above a ceiling, in a loft or inside a boxed-in bulkhead.

Insulated ducts carry the treated air from the unit to supply grilles in the ceiling or high on the wall. A return grille draws room air back to the unit, through a filter, to be cooled or heated again. All you see in the room is the grilles and a wall controller.

The systems we fit are heat pumps, so the same ducted system heats in winter as well as cooling in summer.

Ducted air conditioning prices

Ducted systems are always priced after a survey, because the ceiling, the duct runs and the number of rooms change the work. This is the starting price for a home, per zone, including VAT. Business installs are quoted plus VAT.

• Ducted, per zone

  Hidden in the ceiling, survey needed

  from£4,950inc. VAT

Ducted, wall units or multi-split?

Ducted isn't right for every home. This is how it compares with the other options.

Zones and room control

A zone is the area one ducted indoor unit looks after, run from one controller. A zone can be a single large room, such as an open-plan kitchen and living space, or a few rooms that are used together, such as the bedrooms on one floor.

Rooms in the same zone share a temperature setting. If you want each bedroom set differently, we plan separate zones or mix a ducted zone with wall or floor units on a multi-split. Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric, LG and Panasonic all make concealed ducted indoor units, and some multi-split outdoor units can run ducted and wall units together.

What your home needs for ducted

We check each of these at the survey before quoting.

• Enough depth in the ceiling void or loft for the unit, the ducts and their insulation. Slim ducted units are around 200 mm tall, and the ducts need space too
• An access hatch near the unit, so the filter can be cleaned and the system serviced
• A route for the condensate drain, either falling to a waste pipe or with a small pump
• A route for the refrigerant pipes from the indoor unit to the outdoor unit
• Positions for supply and return grilles that throw air across each room without blowing straight onto a bed or sofa
• Insulated ducts in an unheated loft, so they don't drip condensation or lose heat
• A suitable outdoor position, ideally at the back or side of the house
• A safe electrical supply from your consumer unit, checked at the survey

Best fitted during a renovation

The easiest time to fit ducted air conditioning is while ceilings are open, in a loft conversion, an extension or a full refurbishment. We run the ducts, pipes and drain first, then come back to fit the grilles and controller once the ceilings are boarded and decorated.

In a finished home, ducted can still work if there's a loft above the rooms or a corridor where a ceiling can be dropped to hide the unit. If neither is possible, a multi-split with wall or floor units is usually cheaper and less disruptive. We'll tell you honestly which makes sense.

Planning, listed buildings and noise

The indoor part of a ducted system is hidden, but there's still an outdoor unit. In England, a heating-capable unit on a house can be permitted development under Class G, if it meets the limits, including the MCS 020(a) noise calculation. Our planning guide sets out the rules.

In a conservation area the outdoor unit can't go on a wall or roof facing a highway. In a listed building, Class G doesn't apply, and internal works such as new ducts through ceilings may need listed building consent. Check with your council before you commit.

How a ducted install works

1. 1

   Survey

   We measure each room, check the void depth, access, drain route and outdoor position, and work out the heat load room by room.

2. 2

   Design and quote

   You get a written layout showing the unit, duct runs and grille positions, with a fixed price.

3. 3

   First fix

   With the ceilings open, we fit the indoor unit, ducts, refrigerant pipes, drain and cabling.

4. 4

   Second fix

   Once ceilings are boarded, we fit the grilles, controller and outdoor unit.

5. 5

   Commission

   We pressure test, vacuum and commission the system, balance the airflow to each grille and record the refrigerant as the F-Gas rules require.

Ducted systems for offices and shops

Ducted units suit shops, restaurants and offices with a suspended ceiling where you want a clean look, or where a ceiling cassette won't fit the grid. We survey every commercial job first and quote plus VAT. Ceiling cassettes and wall units are often the simpler choice, and our commercial pages compare them.

Ducted air conditioning questions