Air Conditioning Questions Answered

Yes. A modern split system works in reverse in winter, taking heat from the outside air and releasing it indoors, even on cold days. It works well as heating for a bedroom, a home office or a garden room through the cooler months. Running costs depend on the unit, the room and how it is used, so we talk that through at the survey rather than quote a figure.

We measure the room at the survey and look at everything that adds heat: the size and direction of the windows, the number of people, computers and other equipment, and how well the room is insulated. From that we choose a unit with the right capacity. Too small and it runs flat out without keeping up. Too large and it switches on and off and wastes energy.

A single room system is normally fitted in one day. The pipework runs between the indoor and outdoor units through the wall or in slim trunking, and we agree the route with you before anything is drilled. We protect floors and furniture, tidy up as we go and leave the room as we found it. Larger multi room and commercial jobs are staged so the building keeps working.

Wall mounted units suit most bedrooms, living rooms and home offices and are the simplest to fit. Ceiling cassettes sit flush in a suspended ceiling and spread air in several directions, which suits offices and shops. Ducted systems hide the unit in a ceiling void with only grilles on show. A multi split runs several indoor units from one outdoor unit. We recommend one after seeing the room.

Usually on a wall bracket, or on a level base on the ground, as close to the indoor unit as is practical. We look for a spot with free air around it, away from a neighbour's bedroom window, and where it can be reached for servicing. We show you the options at the survey and agree the position before we quote, so there are no surprises on the day.

It depends on the building, where the unit goes and the council, because outdoor units are not treated the same way everywhere. A listed building, a flat, or a property in a conservation area or a national park may need consent, and some councils ask for a noise assessment. We look at this at the survey and, where consent may be needed, suggest you check with the council. We check before we drill.

Once a year for most domestic systems, which is usually what the manufacturer asks for to keep the warranty valid. Busy commercial systems are often serviced twice a year. Separately, the F-Gas rules set a leak check interval once a system holds 5 tonnes CO2 equivalent of refrigerant or more. We tell you which applies to your system and keep a written record of every visit.

We clean or replace the filters, clean the indoor and outdoor coils, clear and test the condensate drain, and check the fans, electrics, controls and refrigerant pressures. We run the system in both modes to confirm it is cooling and heating as it should. You receive a written record of what we did and anything we found, which is useful for the warranty and for any future work.

Yes, including systems whose original installer is no longer trading. We service and repair every major brand, not only the ones we fit. On the first visit we assess what is there, tell you plainly what we find, and then take it onto a regular service schedule if you would like us to look after it from then on.

Check the remote is set to cool and the set temperature is below the room temperature. Then look at the filters behind the front panel, because blocked filters are a common cause, and make sure nothing is covering the outdoor unit. If it still is not cooling, or you see ice, water or an error code, switch it off and call us rather than keep running it.

Air conditioning takes moisture out of the air, and that water should run away through a condensate drain. If the drain is blocked, the pipe has dropped or a condensate pump has failed, the water can come back into the room. Ice on the coil, often from dirty filters or low refrigerant, can also melt and drip. Switch the unit off and call us so we can find the cause.

Yes. We diagnose the fault first, then tell you what it needs and what it will cost before any repair work starts. If a part has to be ordered, we say so and give you the choice. We use genuine parts, and we will be honest if a repair is not worth doing on an older system, so you can decide with the facts in front of you.

Most air conditioning refrigerants are fluorinated greenhouse gases, and only a certified company may install, service or repair a refrigerant circuit. JAC Air Conditioning Ltd holds REFCOM Company Certificate REF1019419, issued on 25 May 2025 and valid to 25 May 2028, covering all systems under or over 3 kg and hermetically sealed systems over 6 kg. An uncertified installer cannot legally work on the refrigerant side of your system.

It depends on the refrigerant charge in tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Under 5 tonnes, no check is required. From 5 to under 50 tonnes, every 12 months, or every 24 with automatic leak detection. From 50 to under 500 tonnes, every 6 months, or 12 with leak detection. At 500 tonnes and over, every 3 months, or 6 with leak detection, which is then mandatory.

It is the refrigerant charge in kilograms multiplied by the refrigerant's global warming potential, then divided by a thousand. R32 has a value of 675, R410A 2,088, R407C 1,774, R404A 3,922 and R134a 1,430, so the same weight of different refrigerants can fall into different leak check bands. Hermetically sealed systems under 10 tonnes are exempt from the checks.

The refrigerant is printed on the rating label of the outdoor unit, usually with the charge in kilograms. Many newer split systems use R32 and many older ones use R410A, while some older commercial systems run on R407C, and R404A is found mainly in refrigeration plant. If you cannot find the label, we can check on a visit and tell you which leak check band your system falls into.

No. Only a certified company may work on a refrigerant circuit, and doing it properly needs the right gauges, recovery equipment and training. A system that has lost gas has a leak somewhere, so adding more without finding and repairing the leak only delays the problem and releases more refrigerant. We find the leak, repair it, pressure test the circuit and then recharge it to the correct weight.

Ask for the company certificate number and check it on the register kept by the certification body. For REFCOM, open the Refcom Register on refcom.org.uk and search by company name or postcode. Our certificate is REF1019419, valid to 25 May 2028, and we are happy to send you a copy. Check the business named on your quotation, not only the engineer who visits.

Yes. Commercial work is planned around how your building is used. We can fit or service early in the morning, in the evening or at weekends where that is needed, and we stage larger jobs floor by floor or zone by zone so staff and customers are not disturbed. We agree the programme with you, or with your building manager, before we start.

It is an agreed programme of service visits for your systems, set at the frequency the equipment and its use need. Each visit covers the service itself and, where the system requires it, the F-Gas leak check, with a written record kept for you. We track when each visit is due, so filters, coils, drains and refrigerant checks are not left until something fails.

Yes. Server and comms rooms need cooling that runs reliably all year, often with a second unit or a backup arrangement so one failure does not take the room down. We size the system to the heat the equipment gives off and to the room itself, and we can include it in a planned maintenance contract so it is serviced on schedule.

Yes. We install, maintain, repair and refurbish air handling units, including filters, coils, fans, motors, belts, bearings and dampers. Refurbishing an existing unit can be a sensible choice where the casing is sound and the moving parts have worn. We inspect the unit, explain what we would replace and why, and give you a written price before any work starts.

Offices, shops, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues, gyms, server rooms and industrial units, as well as plant rooms that need pipework, manifolds and valves assembled. Each site is different, so we survey first, talk to whoever manages the building, and design a system that suits the space, the hours it is used and the way it will be maintained.

Sussex and Surrey from our Horsham office, including Guildford, Godalming, Horsham, Dorking, Brighton, Worthing, Chichester, Bognor Regis, Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Billingshurst, Cranleigh, Hassocks and Storrington, along with Crawley, Reigate, Redhill, Leatherhead, East Grinstead, Uckfield and Crowborough. In Lincolnshire we work from Fosdyke, covering Boston, Spalding, Sleaford, Grantham, Lincoln, Market Deeping, Sutterton and Donington.

Yes. We visit, look at the rooms and the building, and then send a written quotation that names the units and says what is included. It is free and there is no obligation to go ahead. If you are comparing prices, you can set ours alongside the others line by line, because the units and the work are written down.

Ring the office on 01403 733 492, email info@jacairconditioning.com or send an enquiry through our website, and Nicola will find a time that suits you. It helps to tell us the make of the system if you know it, roughly where you are, and whether it is a home or a business. For a breakdown out of hours, call the engineers on 07802 418530.

Call the engineers' mobile on 07802 418530. It is the number for emergencies and breakdowns outside office hours, for example a server room that has lost its cooling or a unit leaking water into a room. For anything that can wait, such as a quotation or a routine service, the office line on 01403 733 492 is the better choice.

It helps to know which rooms you want to cool or heat, how you use them, and whether you have a preference for where the indoor and outdoor units go. If you rent, own a flat, or live in a listed building or a conservation area, tell us beforehand, as consent may be needed. Photographs of the rooms are useful if you send an enquiry by email.