Short answer: A typical single-room installation takes one day: the engineers protect the room, fix the indoor unit's wall plate, core-drill one hole, mount the outdoor unit, run and insulate the pipework, drain and cable, then pressure test with nitrogen, vacuum the system, release the refrigerant and commission it.
Before we arrive
Clear the wall where the indoor unit goes and the area outside for the outdoor unit. Make sure we can reach the consumer unit. Tell us about pets, parking and any access issues.
Morning
Dust sheets down, wall plate fixed and levelled, the hole core-drilled with a slight fall so condensate drains outward. The outdoor bracket or stand goes up.
Afternoon
Pipework flared or brazed, insulated and run in trunking, drain connected, interconnecting cable wired. The system is pressure tested with nitrogen to prove it is sealed, then evacuated with a vacuum pump to remove air and moisture.
Handover
Refrigerant released, system commissioned and readings recorded. We show you the remote, any app, how to clean the filters, and what the warranty requires.
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More guides
- How much does air conditioning cost to install in the UK?
- How much does air conditioning cost to run?
- What size air conditioner do I need?
- Fixed split or portable air conditioning?
- Do you need planning permission for air conditioning?
- The £2,500 grant for air-to-air heat pumps explained
- F-gas rules: what homeowners need to know
- R32, R410A and R22: refrigerants explained
- Is air conditioning the same as a heat pump?
- Air conditioning noise and your neighbours
- Looking after your air conditioning: an owner's checklist
- Can you fit air conditioning in a listed building?
- Air conditioning in a flat: leases, freeholders and planning
- Keeping a home cool in a heatwave
- Multi-split or separate single systems?
Reviewed October 2026. Rules and prices change; check the date and ask us if anything is unclear.