Air Conditioning in Bognor Regis
We install, service and repair air conditioning in Bognor Regis, Felpham, Aldwick and the coastal villages, choosing outdoor unit positions that suit each building and stand up to sea air.
Bognor Regis Homes, From Regency Stucco to Seaside Bungalows
Bognor Regis dates its founding to 18 January 1787, when Sir Richard Hotham laid the first foundation stone of a public bathing place here. Hotham built a number of good houses for his new watering place and set up local brickworks to make them. The branch railway to Barnham opened in 1864, the pier followed in 1865, and the town took the title Regis in 1929 after King George V convalesced at Craigweil House.
What grew from that start is a town of very different buildings side by side: stuccoed resort houses on The Steyne, brick and rendered terraces in Felpham, interwar estates of houses and bungalows along the shore, and flint cottages in the old village of Felpham. Felpham, Aldwick and North and South Bersted are now its suburbs, and the land around them is mostly flat coastal plain. Each kind of building changes where an outdoor unit can sit and how the pipework reaches the room.
Two things set the town apart when it comes to air conditioning. The first is sunshine: the Met Office 1991 to 2020 averages give the Bognor Regis climate station 1,918.5 hours of sunshine a year, against 1,402.6 hours for the UK as a whole. The second is the sea, because salt laden air is hard on outdoor plant. JAC Air Conditioning Ltd plans every installation here with both in mind.
The Houses of Bognor Regis and What They Mean for a Unit
Most homes in and around the town fall into one of five broad groups, and each suits a different approach to the outdoor unit and the pipe route.
Resort Houses on the Steyne
The early resort left stuccoed houses such as 8 and 10 The Steyne, a Grade II listed pair of early 19th century three storey houses with a balcony across the first floor and slate roofs, and Hotham Park House, Sir Richard Hotham's own stuccoed residence of 1793, listed Grade II*. Buildings like these sit inside conservation areas and may need listed building consent as well as planning permission for an outdoor unit or a new pipe route. Their stucco fronts and balconies face the street, so units belong at the rear, with fixings into joints that can be made good.
Felpham Terraces East of Sea Road
In 1884 land between the coastguard station and the sea was offered for sale as the Felpham Mill building estate, and over the next 25 years the streets east of Sea Road in Felpham were built up piecemeal, mostly with small brick or rendered terraced and semi detached houses. A wall mounted outdoor unit in the back garden or yard usually serves an upstairs bedroom on a short pipe run, and on rendered walls we seal and make good the core hole so damp cannot get behind the render.
Interwar Seaside Estates
The Felpham Beach and Summerley estates in Felpham, and the houses along Sea Lane and the Elmer Sands and Elmer Beach estates in Middleton on Sea and Elmer, were built after the First World War. In Middleton and Elmer the estates mixed permanent houses with weekend houses and bungalows, and most were private, some keeping unadopted roads managed by residents' associations into the 1990s. A bungalow suits indoor units on internal walls and an outdoor unit at the side or rear, and the loft can sometimes hide the pipe run. This close to the sea, a sheltered spot for the outdoor unit and regular servicing both matter.
Post War Bungalows and Retirement Homes
After 1945 many seaside houses became permanent homes, and by 1957 a growing share of the houses at Elmer Sands were lived in all year round, mostly by retired people. Two retirement housing developments went up at Middleton between 1968 and 1974, and the Flansham Park estate of the 1970s mixed terraced, detached and semi detached houses with bungalows. These later homes are usually the simplest to fit, with room on a side or rear wall, although shared grounds may mean asking the managing agent before an outdoor unit goes up.
Flint and Thatch in Felpham Village
Around the church in Felpham, including Felpham Road and Limmer Lane, buildings are of coursed flint cobbles originally taken from the beach, with orange and red clay brick, clay tile roofs and some thatch, as at 101 Felpham Road and Blake's Cottage. Flint cobble walls are irregular and hard to drill neatly, and several cottages are listed within the Felpham Conservation Area. We check before we drill and look for a hidden position at the rear or in the garden.
Sun on the Glass, Hour by Hour
Bognor Regis averages much more sunshine a year than the UK as a whole, and a room with a lot of glass feels it. Choose a month, an hour and the way your window faces to see where the sun is.
Try a moment
Choose a moment to see a typical case, or drag the sun along its path.
The worked example: 21 July at two in the afternoon, with the window facing south.
At midsummer the sun is high at noon, so it meets south facing glass at a steep angle and reaches only a short way into the room.
On a summer evening the sun is low in the west and shines almost straight through west facing glass, often when a room is hardest to keep cool.
In winter the sun stays low all day, so it reaches deep into a south facing room even on a cold morning.
The window faces
Altitude58°above the horizonbelow the horizon
Azimuth203°northnorth north eastnorth easteast north easteasteast south eastsouth eastsouth south eastsouthsouth south westsouth westwest south westwestwest north westnorth westnorth north west
The sun is almost square on to this window.
The sun is on this window.
The sun is on this window, but at a glancing angle.
The sun is up, but behind this window’s wall.
The sun is below the horizon at this hour.
Relative sun on the glass49 out of 100
A relative guide from the angle between the sun and the glass, where 100 is the sun square on. It is not watts, and it leaves out cloud, shade and the glass itself.
Worked out for the 21st of each month at 50.78° north, 0.67° west, with the NOAA solar position equations, in clock time. A guide to where the sun is, not to the heat a room will gain; the survey decides the unit.
Sunshine at Bognor Regis
1,918.5
hours of sunshine a year
Bognor Regis has its own Met Office climate station, and its 1991 to 2020 average annual sunshine is 1,918.5 hours.
1,402.6
hours a year for the UK as a whole
That compares with a 1991 to 2020 average of 1,402.6 hours for the UK as a whole and 1,593.6 hours for the England South region.
253.7
hours in July, the sunniest month
July is the sunniest month at Bognor Regis, averaging 253.7 hours of sunshine; December is the dullest at 65.1 hours.
Source: Met Office, Bognor Regis climate averages, 1991 to 2020
Sunshine, Sea Air and the Systems We Fit
Bognor Regis has its own Met Office climate station, and alongside the extra sunshine its long term averages show fewer frosts than the regional and UK figures. The town's weather station in Waterloo Square opened in 1897, a Campbell Stokes recorder measures the sunshine it receives each day, and the town council has run the weather service since 1993. In a home here, sun through the glass is often what makes a room uncomfortable, particularly a conservatory, a room in the roof or a bedroom with a large south facing window.
For one or two rooms we usually fit a wall mounted split, with the indoor unit placed so its airflow spreads across the room rather than straight at whoever is sitting beneath it. A multi split serves several rooms from one outdoor unit, which suits a bungalow where every room is on the same floor. Each system heats as well as cools, so the same unit keeps a room warm on a winter evening. Our air conditioning installation work covers Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Electric, Daikin, Fujitsu, GENERAL, Samsung and LG.
Sea air is the other consideration. Historic England notes that plant and equipment in harsh environments such as coastal locations can have a shorter life, and the salt laden air along the front at Bognor, Felpham, Aldwick and Middleton on Sea is exactly that kind of environment. We look for a sheltered position for the outdoor unit, out of the direct wind off the sea, and recommend servicing that includes a clean of the outdoor coil.
Coast protection has been a long running concern at Middleton on Sea and Elmer, and in the 1910s a group of cheaper houses directly in front of the sea at Felpham were built on stilts to avoid flooding. On sites close to the shore we mount outdoor units on wall brackets or raised stands rather than straight onto the ground.
Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas in Bognor Regis
Arun District Council lists conservation areas in and around the town including The Steyne, Bognor Regis Railway Station, Hotham Park, Aldwick Road, Aldwick Bay, Craigweil House, Felpham, North Bersted and Shripney. Arun's guidance is that permitted development rights are restricted in a conservation area, so even small changes may need planning permission, and owners should check before starting work. An outdoor unit on a front wall in any of these areas is exactly the kind of change to ask about first.
Craigweil House conservation area also has two Article 4 directions that remove certain permitted development rights, so it is worth confirming with the council what they cover before a unit is planned there. Listed buildings in the town include Hotham Park House, Grade II*, and 8 and 10 The Steyne, Grade II. The Felpham Conservation Area is closely associated with the poet William Blake, who lived at Blake's Cottage from 1800 to 1803, and several of its cottages are listed.
For a listed building, Historic England's own advice is that air conditioning is likely to need listed building consent. In practice we look up the list entry and the conservation area at the survey, talk you through whether an application looks likely, and keep pipework and fixings off the principal elevation. Whatever the building, we check before we drill.
- Check the list entry for the building
- Check whether the street is in a conservation area
- Ask Arun about any Article 4 direction
- Keep units and pipes off the street front
Commercial Air Conditioning in Bognor Regis
Holidays have shaped the town for a long time. Butlin's has been here since the early 1930s, when an amusement park and zoo opened, and the holiday camp that followed in 1960 has since moved towards hotel accommodation. Hotels, guest rooms, bars and restaurants all need cooling that runs quietly at night and keeps going through a busy summer, and we design and install systems for premises of that kind, with the work scheduled around trading.
The town also has a campus of the University of Chichester, two secondary schools in The Regis School and Felpham Community College, and Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital, which first opened in 1919 and is managed by the Sussex Community NHS Trust. Its public buildings include the Alexandra Theatre, built in 1979 on the site of the former Edwardian Theatre Royal, and the Town Hall, designed by Charles Cowles Voysey and completed in 1930. Offices, shops, server rooms and treatment rooms each need a system matched to the way the space is used.
For commercial sites near the sea, a planned maintenance contract matters more than usual, because salt air can shorten the life of outdoor coils and fittings. The contract covers the F-Gas leak checks the law requires and keeps the records for you. A system holding 5 to under 50 tonnes CO2 equivalent needs a leak check every 12 months, or every 24 months where automatic leak detection is fitted.
Commercial Air Conditioning Servicing and Air Handling in Bognor Regis
Hotels and holiday accommodation, the hospital, the schools and the university campus are the buildings in town most likely to have an air handling unit as well as air conditioning. Air handling maintenance in Bognor Regis covers the obvious parts and the ones that fail without warning, such as a motor bearing or a slipping belt.
Sea air is hard on rooftop casings and fittings, so air handling refurbishment in Bognor Regis can start with the outer panels and insulation. Commercial air conditioning servicing for the same site, or commercial AC servicing in Bognor Regis for a single shop or office, goes on one planned maintenance contract with the F-Gas paperwork kept for you.
Getting to Bognor Regis From Our Horsham Office
Bognor Regis is about 24 miles from our office in the Afon Building, Horsham, in a straight line to the south west. Nicola books each survey and service visit through the office, so you know the date and which engineer is coming, Jay or Oscar, before anyone sets off.
A seaside system rewards regular servicing. Each visit covers the filters, coils, condensate drain, fans, electrics, refrigerant pressures and controls, and we leave a written record that also keeps the manufacturer warranty valid. On outdoor units near the front we pay particular attention to the coil and to any corrosion on the fixings and brackets.
If a system stops cooling or heating, starts leaking water or shows an error code, our air conditioning repairs cover every major brand, with the price agreed before the work starts. Call 01403 733 492 in office hours, or 07802 418530 for emergencies and out of hours. Every refrigerant job in the town is covered by our REFCOM F-Gas certificate, REF1019419, valid to 25 May 2028.
Villages and Suburbs Around Bognor Regis
Our visits to the town also take in the parishes along the coast and the villages a few miles inland.
- FelphamPO22
East of the town, Felpham is sometimes treated as part of Bognor Regis but is a civil parish in its own right.
- AldwickPO21
A seaside village and civil parish immediately west of the town.
- PaghamPO21
A coastal village and civil parish about two miles west of Bognor Regis.
- Rose GreenPO21
A smaller settlement between Aldwick and Pagham, within the ecclesiastical parish of Aldwick.
- Middleton on SeaPO22
Next to Felpham, with Elmer and Ancton in its parish, an urban southern half and a rural north.
- ElmerPO22
A coastal village within the built up area around the town, with a small shopping area and two pubs.
- FlanshamPO22
On the Felpham side of the town, where the Flansham Park estate of the 1970s mixed houses and bungalows.
- North BerstedPO21
One of the two villages of Bersted parish, with a conservation area of its own.
- South BerstedPO22
Like North Bersted, South Bersted is now a suburb of Bognor Regis.
- ShripneyPO22
The second village of Bersted parish, north of the town, which also has its own conservation area.
- BarnhamPO22
About five miles north of the town, joined with Eastergate in 2019 as the parish of Barnham and Eastergate.
- YaptonBN18
Three miles north east of Bognor Regis, where the B2132 and B2233 roads meet.
Our Services in Bognor Regis
The same engineers on every job, from a single bedroom unit to a plant room.
Domestic Air Conditioning Installation
Single split, multi split and ducted systems for houses, bungalows, park homes and garden rooms.
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Commercial Air Conditioning
Design, installation and planned maintenance for offices, shops, bars, hospitality and industrial units.
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Air Conditioning Repairs
Fast diagnosis and repair on any major brand, priced before we start, genuine parts fitted.
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Air Conditioning Servicing
Filters, coils, drains, electrics and refrigerant, with a written record every visit.
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Planned Maintenance
PPM contracts for commercial sites, scheduled around your trading hours rather than ours.
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Specification Sheets
Download the data sheets for the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and GENERAL systems we install.
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Air Handling
AHUs installed, maintained, repaired and refurbished. Filters, coils, fans, motors and dampers.
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Mechanical Assembly
Pipework, manifolds, valves and plant room assembly, brazed, pressure tested and insulated.
Explore →Your Bognor Regis Questions, Answered
Is Bognor Regis really sunnier than most of the UK?
The Met Office figures say so. Its 1991 to 2020 averages record 1,918.5 hours of sunshine a year at the Bognor Regis climate station, compared with 1,402.6 hours for the UK as a whole. In a home, that extra sun mostly shows up as heat through windows and roof glass, which is why conservatories and rooms facing south are often the first ones here to need cooling.
Will sea air damage an outdoor unit in Felpham or Aldwick?
It can shorten its life. Historic England notes that plant in harsh environments such as coastal locations can have a shorter life, and salt carried on the sea air is one reason the outdoor coil and fixings need watching. We place the outdoor unit in the most sheltered spot available, usually at the rear or side away from the sea, and recommend regular servicing so the coil is cleaned and any corrosion on the casing or fixings is found early.
Do I need planning permission for air conditioning in a Bognor conservation area?
You may. Arun District Council says permitted development rights are restricted in its conservation areas, so even small changes may need planning permission, and Craigweil House conservation area has two Article 4 directions as well. Conservation areas here include The Steyne, Hotham Park, Aldwick Road, Aldwick Bay, Felpham, North Bersted and Shripney. We check your address at the survey and talk you through whether an application looks likely before we drill.
Can you fit air conditioning in a bungalow at Middleton on Sea or Elmer?
Yes, and bungalows are often straightforward. With every room on one floor, indoor units can go on internal walls and a single outdoor unit at the side or rear can serve several rooms through a multi split. The loft can sometimes hide the pipe run. If the bungalow is part of a retirement development with shared grounds, the managing agent may need to agree the outdoor unit first.
How do you drill through the flint walls of a Felpham cottage?
Carefully, and only once we know the planning position. Felpham's old village buildings use coursed flint cobbles taken from the beach, which are irregular and hard to drill neatly, and several cottages in the conservation area are listed. We look first for a hidden route at the rear or through the garden, then core drill slowly and make good the opening so it sits well with the wall around it.
Do you service air conditioning in Bognor hotels and holiday accommodation?
Yes. We service and repair every major brand, including systems we did not install, and for hotels, bars and other hospitality premises we offer planned maintenance that covers the F-Gas leak checks and keeps the records. Visits can be timed around guests and trading hours. Near the seafront we pay extra attention to outdoor coils and fittings, which salt air can wear out sooner than inland.
We Also Work Nearby
Book a Survey in Bognor Regis
To talk about air conditioning for a house, bungalow, park home or business in Bognor Regis, ring the office on 01403 733 492 or email info@jacairconditioning.com and Nicola will arrange a visit. After the survey you receive a free, no obligation written price with the units named on it. Six miles or so to the north west, our page on air conditioning in Chichester covers the city and the villages around it.