Domestic
Air Conditioning Surveys
Independent Cooling Load Assessments for Homeowners
Air conditioning is fast becoming as important a consideration in the home as heating.
As summers grow warmer, more homeowners are looking at cooling as a permanent feature of the property, not an afterthought.
Sizing an air conditioning system correctly requires the same rigour as a heating design. An undersized system will not maintain comfort on the hottest days. An oversized system will cycle inefficiently, dehumidify poorly, and cost more than it should, both to install and to run.
We provide independent cooling load surveys for domestic properties, using the same site-based, standards-led approach already applied to our heat loss calculations for heating and heat pump systems.
Why an Independent Survey
Most homeowners are quoted a system size by the installer who is also selling and fitting the equipment. That quote is rarely checked by anyone independent of the sale.
An independent survey separates the assessment from the sale. The report is prepared to a recognised methodology, sets out the cooling load room by room, and gives the homeowner a specification they can take to market.
With an independent report in hand, the homeowner is free to obtain like-for-like quotes from more than one installer, and to choose the brand and equipment that suits them, rather than the brand a particular installer is incentivised to sell.
The recommendation in our report is based on what the property needs. It is not influenced by commission, stock levels, or a preferred supplier arrangement.
Availability of installers, and of equipment itself, is currently a significant bottleneck. Waiting for each installer in turn to visit the property, simply to establish what is required, adds delay before a quote can even be requested.
With the specification already established, that first visit is no longer necessary. Installers can quote directly from the report, and several can be approached at the same time rather than in sequence. This does not shorten the lead time on equipment itself, but it does remove the delay in reaching the point of ordering.
Combining with a Heat Loss Assessment
If a heat loss calculation has already been carried out for the property, much of the site information required for an air conditioning survey has already been collected.
Building fabric, insulation, glazing, orientation and ventilation data are common to both surveys. There is no need to pay for this information twice.
Where a heat loss calculation is already in hand, a reduced fee applies to reflect the work already done. Where both surveys are commissioned together, as a single site visit, this saving is greater still.
We will always point out where a saving of this kind is available, rather than treat the two surveys as unrelated pieces of work.
What the Survey Involves
- Full site visit and building fabric assessment (construction, insulation, glazing, orientation, shading)
- Room-by-room cooling load calculation
- Assessment of occupancy patterns and internal heat gains (people, equipment, lighting)
- Ventilation and infiltration review
- Review of any existing heating or cooling system
- External condensing unit siting, access and noise considerations
- Condensate drainage route
- Indicative pipe run and electrical supply feasibility
The Report
The survey results in a written cooling load report, broken down room by room, stating the required duty in kW.
The report is written to be given to installers for quotation. It does not specify or recommend a particular brand, model, or supplier. The choice of equipment remains with the homeowner.
Where the property forms part of a wider retrofit or heat pump project, the report can also address overheating risk in line with PAS 2035 requirements.
Methodology & Standards
Cooling load calculations are carried out in accordance with CIBSE Guide A, the recognised UK methodology for room-by-room heat gain assessment.
Where relevant, this is consistent with the heat loss calculations already carried out for heating and heat pump systems in accordance with BS EN 12831-1.
Where overheating risk forms part of the assessment, this is considered in line with CIBSE TM59 methodology, referenced within PAS 2035.
System siting and pipework considerations are informed by BS EN 378.
Who This Is For
- Homeowners considering the addition of air conditioning
- Either on its own or alongside a heat pump upgrade.
- Homeowners who have already been quoted a system
- And want that quote checked independently before proceeding.
- Homeowners who want to go to market for quotes on a like-for-like basis
- Rather than compare unrelated proposals from different companies.
