If you’ve noticed more heating firms offering air conditioning lately, you’re not imagining it. Several boiler companies now fit AC alongside their usual work, and with UK summers getting hotter, more homeowners are trying to work out who to actually call. Here’s what’s worth knowing before you book anyone.
Hotter summers
Boiler companies moving into air conditioning isn’t unusual any more. For a business that already visits homes to fit heating, adding AC to the list makes sense on paper. At the same time, hot summers are pushing more people to want cooling sorted quickly, which means more homeowners are choosing an installer under some pressure to get it done.
Finding the right installer should be simple, but with increasing options, you’ll want to go ahead with confidence. How do you find out if AC services are handled by experienced, qualified installers?
F-Gas Certification
Whoever you book, the most important thing to check is the installer’s F-Gas certification. Any individual handling the refrigerant inside an air conditioning system legally needs a valid F-Gas certificate. It’s separate from Gas Safe registration, which covers boiler work, and specific to the fluorinated gases used in cooling.
Alongside that, ask whether the company is REFCOM registered. It’s a straightforward way to check that an installer’s F-Gas credentials are current and verifiable, rather than taking it on trust.
Differences between a boiler company and an AC specialist
Beyond qualifications, choosing the right installer should rest on experience.
| What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Volume of AC-specific work | A company that fits air conditioning every day builds a different level of familiarity than one that only fits it occasionally alongside other services. |
| Heat-load survey and sizing experience | Getting the size of the unit right for a room is a calculation that, if wrong, provides a unit that’s noisy, inefficient, or simply not up to the job. |
| Range of systems fitted | Multi-split setups, ducted systems, commercial installs: familiarity with the full range tends to come from specialists. |
Questions to ask before booking anyone
Whoever you’re considering, this short list will tell you a lot:
- What’s your REFCOM registration number?
- What are your qualifications for AC installation?
- Is your training City & Guilds accredited, and how long have you held it?
- How long have you held your F-Gas certification for?
- Roughly how many air conditioning installs do you complete in a typical year, versus boiler jobs?
- Will you carry out a proper site and heat-load survey before quoting?
- Do you use sub-contractors to carry out installations?
- What aftercare and servicing do you offer for the refrigerant system specifically?
- Can you offer a warranty on the installation?
A company confident in its AC work will answer these without hesitation.
The wrong installer
Nothing dramatic, usually, just avoidable, and the cost of it lands on the customer, not the installer. An undersized or poorly placed unit ends up working harder than it should, which shows up in your energy bills and how well it actually cools the room, usually down to skipping a proper site survey or heat-load calculation. A unit that isn’t sealed properly to the wall, or has a badly managed condensate line, can also let moisture build up and lead to mould inside the unit itself. And any refrigerant handling by someone without the right F-Gas certification is both a safety risk and a fast way to void your warranty.
Where a specialist AC company earns its place
PRA Air Conditioning fits and services air conditioning every day, not as an add-on to something else. That means the heat-load survey, the sizing, and recommendations between a multi-split and a ducted system are the core of what we do. With a specialist, you also benefit from access to leading brands and, typically, the warranty cover on the refrigerant system is usually more complete when AC is someone’s main trade rather than a sideline.
We’re not going to tell you every boiler company underperforms. What we’d say is this: ask the same questions of anyone quoting, including what brand and model you’re actually getting and what the warranty covers, on the unit and the refrigerant system both. Boiler companies may also overcharge based on their reputation, without leading brand systems to justify it. A lower-spec system is rarely better value, so it’s worth comparing quotes like for like before you decide.
Get a specialist quote
Get in touch and we’ll come and take a proper look, no obligation. We’ll talk you through sizing, options, and cost, and you can decide from there.