UK homes were designed with heating in mind, not cooling. But the last five years of hot Kent summers have changed the calculation for a lot of Maidstone homeowners. Here's what a split-system domestic AC install actually involves, what it costs, and what it will cost to run.
How split-system AC works
A split system has two parts: an indoor unit that hangs on the wall inside a room, and an outdoor condenser that sits on a wall bracket or the ground outside. A refrigerant line runs between them through the wall. In summer the unit pulls heat out of the room and dumps it outside. In winter it can reverse and do the opposite — heat-pump style — giving useful winter warming as well as summer cooling.
What a typical install involves
- Site visit: measure the room, agree unit position and outdoor unit location, check power supply.
- Install day (single-room): 4–6 hours. Wall bracket, indoor unit, small hole through the wall, refrigerant + drain pipework, outdoor condenser mounted, electrical connection.
- Pressure test, vacuum, refrigerant charge, commissioning, control app set up.
- All refrigerant work handled by an F-Gas certified partner engineer where legally required.
What it costs
A single-room split for a typical Maidstone bedroom (2.5–3.5 kW unit) usually costs £1,600 – £2,400 fitted, depending on brand and difficulty of the run. Multi-splits (one outdoor unit feeding 2–4 rooms) cost more per unit but less per room. We use Mitsubishi, Daikin and Panasonic mostly — well-reviewed, quiet, and easy to service.
What it costs to run
A modern inverter split running for 6 hours on a hot day uses roughly 3–6 kWh of electricity for a typical UK bedroom. At 28p/kWh, that is under £2 a day. Used in heat-pump mode in autumn/spring it is often cheaper than firing up the whole gas boiler for a couple of rooms.
Where to put it
- Bedrooms — the biggest win for most families. Sleep comfort in summer, warmth in shoulder seasons.
- Home office — keeps a small room usable through a heatwave without cooling the whole house.
- Extensions and glass-heavy rooms — the standard central heating rarely copes; a small split is a much better fix than trying to under-floor a conservatory.
Planning permission
Most residential AC installs are permitted development in Maidstone, but there are conditions on unit size, noise and distance from boundary. We check before we quote so there are no surprises. Listed buildings and conservation areas need extra thought.
Servicing
Annual service keeps a split running efficiently: filter clean, condenser inspection, refrigerant level check, drain flush. Cost is small compared to the electricity you waste running a dirty system. See the AC service page for details.
