Air Conditioning Cardiff: F-Gas Installers

Cardiff summers are mild by UK standards. July days at Bute Park average 21.8°C. That means most houses don't need cooling, but some homes do overheat: top-floor flats with big glazing, loft conversions and home offices full of equipment.

If that's your problem, a single split unit in the room that suffers is usually enough. Many units also heat efficiently in winter, since a split air conditioner is an air-to-air heat pump.

Cardiff at a glance

Homes that are flats: 26.5% of Cardiff households lived in a flat, maisonette or apartment in 2021: 20.2% in purpose-built blocks and 5.0% in converted or shared houses. Another 29.6% lived in terraced houses. Source
Rain and winter cold: The Met Office station at Cardiff Bute Park recorded about 1,200 mm of rain a year on average over 1991 to 2020. January nights averaged 2.5°C and July days 21.8°C. Source

Try the cheap fixes

External shading, reflective blinds and opening windows at night, if it's safe, can take several degrees off a hot room. Check these before paying for a unit.

Flats in the Bay and the centre

About a quarter of Cardiff households live in flats. Many flat leases ban outdoor units on balconies or walls without the freeholder's consent. Ask the managing agent first, and expect them to want details of the unit, its position and how condensate will drain.

Portable units with a hose through the window are cheap but noisy and much less efficient. They make sense only for a few hot days a year.

Choosing the installer

Anyone who handles the refrigerant must hold an F-Gas certificate, and the business needs company certification too. Ask to see both. A good installer will size the unit from the room's heat gain rather than guessing, and will explain the noise level at your neighbour's window.

Air-to-air heat pumps can qualify for a £2,500 Boiler Upgrade Scheme grant if they replace fossil fuel heating, but not if they are for cooling only.

Cardiff homes and what they need

Victorian bay-fronted terraces

Rooms under the roof, especially loft conversions, get hot. A small wall unit in the loft room with the outdoor unit on a rear roof or yard wall is the usual layout.

Interwar and post-war semis in the northern suburbs

Conservatories and south-facing extensions are the usual hot spots. Consider shading before a unit, as glass roofs gain heat faster than an AC unit can remove it.

Modern apartments around Cardiff Bay and the centre

Full-height glazing facing the water can make flats here overheat. Check the lease, and check whether the building has a mechanical ventilation system that could be adjusted first.

Areas covered

Engineers who cover Cardiff work across areas including Roath, Cathays, Canton, Pontcanna, Grangetown, Splott, Llandaff, Whitchurch, Rhiwbina and Penarth.

View Cardiff on Google Maps

Questions people in Cardiff ask

Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in Cardiff?

Often not for a single unit on a house, but rules differ in Wales and in conservation areas. Ask the installer to check with Cardiff Council before fitting.

Can I fit a split unit myself?

No. Connecting and charging the refrigerant circuit must be done by an F-Gas certified engineer.

What does a split unit cost to run in Cardiff?

With Cardiff's mild summers, most units run for a few weeks a year. Running costs depend on the unit's efficiency and your electricity tariff, so ask the installer for the rated cooling and heating efficiency.

Sources

Also nearby: Air conditioning installation in Swansea, Air conditioning installation in Bristol, Air conditioning installation in Gloucester

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