Commercial Air Conditioning Installation in Kent
We design and install air conditioning for offices, shops, salons, clinics and cafés across Kent, sized around your people, your equipment and your opening hours. Below are straight answers to the questions business owners ask us most, from cost and running costs to planning and keeping your doors open while we work.
Why choose Tovan
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Fitted across Kent Installing across Kent, subject to availability
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12 month installation guarantee Plus the manufacturer's warranty, registered for you
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Price confirmed first Before you pay any deposit
Explore advice for your premises:
- Office air conditioning: desk comfort, meeting rooms and separate controls.
- Shop air conditioning: entrance doors, shopfront glazing and display space.
- Salon and barber air conditioning: equipment heat, chair positions and planning around appointments.
How much does it cost to install air conditioning in an office or shop?
A single wall mounted system for a business starts from £2,149, fitted. You can price up to three areas in our online business quote, and we confirm the final figure after checking photos or a video call, before you pay any deposit.
The things that move a business price most are:
- Pipe route length between the indoor and outdoor units.
- Outdoor unit position. A unit mounted high on the building needs access equipment, and any scaffold or special access is confirmed separately.
- Drainage. If water cannot run away naturally, a condensate pump is added, only if it is needed.
- Distance from your distribution board for the electrical supply.
- Unit type. Ceiling cassettes and floor standing units are quoted individually because ceiling voids and layouts vary so much.
Our installation costs guide lists each of these allowances and explains what a fair installed price should include.
What temperature should a workplace be in the UK?
HSE guidance says indoor workplaces should normally be at least 16°C, or 13°C where the work involves rigorous physical effort. There is no legal maximum, but employers must assess heat as a risk and keep conditions reasonable. Air conditioning is one of the most effective controls, alongside shading and ventilation. Read the HSE guidance.
Customer facing spaces matter too. A salon with dryers running, a meeting room full of people and a quiet reception can need very different amounts of cooling even when they are the same size.
See your installed price
Answer a few quick questions about your rooms and property for an estimated installed price, confirmed after an installation check.
- Installing across Kent, subject to availability
- Final price confirmed before any deposit
- Manufacturer warranty plus our 12 month installation guarantee
What size air conditioning does my business need?
Floor area is only the starting point. Workspaces gain heat from several sources at once:
- People. Every occupant adds heat, so a busy meeting room can need far more cooling than its floor area suggests.
- Equipment. Computers, printers, salon dryers, coffee machines, display lighting and fridges all add to the load.
- Glazing and orientation. Shop fronts and south or west facing offices take on a lot of afternoon sun.
- Opening hours. Spaces used for long days or weekends need capacity to cope with heat that builds up.
Server and comms cupboards that run around the clock usually need their own unit designed for continuous cooling, rather than sharing a comfort system with the office. Our sizing guide explains kW ratings and the floor area starting points in more detail.
What is the best air conditioning system for a small shop, office or salon?
It depends on the ceiling, the walls and how the space is used. This is how we usually match systems to premises:
| Premises | Usually best | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small shop, private office, reception, staff room | Wall mounted | Quickest to install and the best value, with no ceiling work |
| Open plan office or shop floor with a suspended ceiling | Ceiling cassette | Spreads air in several directions and keeps walls clear for stock or displays |
| Salon or café | Cassette or wall mounted | Copes with heat from dryers or kitchen equipment; position matters to avoid blowing on customers |
| Room with no suitable high wall or ceiling void | Floor standing | Fits under windows or low walls, but uses some floor space |
Should each area of my business have its own outdoor unit?
For business quotes you can choose either. Separate systems give each area its own outdoor unit, so one fault does not take every room offline, and each area runs completely independently. A shared outdoor unit serving several indoor units needs only one outdoor position, which helps where wall or yard space is tight, but the rooms share its capacity. Our multi room guide explains how shared systems behave.
Can air conditioning heat my business premises?
Yes. The split systems we install are air to air heat pumps, so the same unit that cools in summer heats in winter by running in reverse. Modern units keep heating efficiently in typical Kent winter temperatures and deliver several units of heat for each unit of electricity they use, which is why many offices and shops now use them as their main heating for individual areas. Check each model's seasonal heating efficiency (SCOP) when comparing.
How much electricity does commercial air conditioning use?
Work it out from the unit's electrical input, not its cooling output. A unit rated at 3.5kW of cooling might draw around 1kW of electricity at full power, and inverter units spend most of the day running well below that. As an example, a unit averaging 0.6kW over a ten hour trading day uses 6kWh; at a business tariff of 25p per kWh, that is about £1.50 a day. Your own figure depends on your tariff, hours and how hard the system works.
Our article on running costs and heating explains SEER and SCOP ratings and how to estimate your bills properly.
Can I install air conditioning without closing my business?
Usually, yes. Most single area installations take one day, and we plan the work so drilling and any time in customer areas happen at agreed times, such as before opening or during a quiet spell. Installation dates are Monday to Friday. We tidy as we go, then set the system up and show whoever will use it how the controls work.
Do I need landlord consent?
If you lease your premises, you will usually need the landlord's written consent before an outdoor unit goes on the building. We flag this at the quote stage and help you gather the details your landlord will ask for. Outdoor units on shop fronts and in conservation areas can also need planning permission; our guide Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in Kent? explains when.
Does my business need a TM44 air conditioning inspection?
In England, air conditioning systems with a combined effective rated output above 12kW must have an energy inspection by an accredited assessor at least every five years. Several smaller units in one building under the same control can count together. This is separate from routine servicing. Read the government guidance.
Will my quotation show the total payable?
Your final quotation will set out the total payable and any applicable VAT. Please ask us to clarify any tax or invoice details before accepting the quotation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a price online for my business?
Yes, for wall mounted systems. Choose "business" in our online quote to see estimated prices for up to three areas. For ceiling cassettes and floor standing units, contact us for a tailored quote.
Do you service commercial systems?
Yes. Annual servicing keeps the system efficient and keeps the manufacturer's warranty valid. See servicing and warranty.
Which parts of Kent do you cover?
We install across most of Kent, including Medway, Canterbury, Maidstone, Ashford, Dartford and Thanet. The online quote checks your postcode before showing a price.
Get your business price online or talk to us about your premises.
Keep reading
More plain English guides to choosing and living with air conditioning in Kent.