A garden room or home office is a great space, until July, when the sun turns it into a greenhouse, or January, when you are working in a coat. Because these buildings are usually separate from the house, extending the central heating is expensive and does nothing for the summer heat. A small air conditioning system handles both.
One system for summer and winter
Modern air conditioners are heat pumps, so the same unit cools in summer and heats in winter. For every unit of electricity it uses, a typical system delivers three to four units of heat, which makes it far cheaper to run than a plug-in electric heater. Read more in our guide to heating with air conditioning.
Why garden rooms suit air conditioning
- They are small. Most garden rooms and offices need only a compact 2.0kW to 2.5kW wall-mounted unit.
- The pipe run is short. The outdoor unit can usually go on the side or back wall of the building, a short distance from the indoor unit.
- They are often well insulated. Newer garden rooms hold their temperature well, so the system runs gently for most of the day.
- You use them every day. If you work from home, a comfortable room all year is worth a lot.
Things we check at the survey
- Power supply. The system needs a suitable electrical supply. We check what is already running to the building.
- Outdoor unit position. Somewhere with good airflow, out of sight where possible, and away from your and your neighbours' windows.
- Drainage. The indoor unit produces water when cooling, so we plan where the condensate drain will go.
- Glazing and orientation. Large glass doors facing south or west add a lot of heat, which affects the size of unit you need.
Fitting air conditioning into a new garden room
If your garden room is still being built, get in touch early. We can plan the pipe and cable routes with your builder so they are hidden inside the walls rather than run in trunking afterwards.
What it costs
Single-room systems start from £1,495 supplied and fitted, with no VAT to add. Most garden rooms are a straightforward one-day installation. Book a free survey or read our cost guide.