Self installing Air con?

[TheMitchells]

As many folk, we are looking to install air conditioning in our bedroom, following the recent heat waves.  Temperatures of 28-30oC in the bedroom are not pleasant! 

The quote has come in as nearly £2k for a Mitsubishi Electric 2.5kw wall mounted spilt system, with the indoor unit centrally over the bed (trunking will be required to get the pipework to the outside wall, after exiting the external wall the pipework would travel down the wall in black trunking to the condenser mounted on a cantilever bracket on the wall below the window)

The install is as simple as it can be, with electric already there and an easy drop to the wall below.

 

I am seeing the Mitsubishi unit for sale for less than£800 so that's over a grand labour for the install, which seems rather a lot.  

 

With a neighbour who is trained for heat pumps, and the refrigerant, who could do that side, is this something we could do ourselves as competent diy'ers?  

 

If it had been around the £1.5k I think I'd have said yes straight away.  But now I think we are being overcharged due to the heat and demand for these units.  Maybe if we wait till winter to get it installed, it will be less. Any thoughts?

[Mr Punter]

This type of unit MUST be installed and commissioned by a legally certified F-gas installer.

[-rick-]

1 hour ago, Mr Punter said:

This type of unit MUST be installed and commissioned by a legally certified F-gas installer.

 

But if you're neighbour is f-gas certified then you could potentially do the leg work of mounting units, drilling holes, etc, and just leave the pipework ready to be connected by your neighbour.

 

There are other types of AC unit that don't need f-gas certification at all that might be worth looking at. One is just requires two largish holes in the wall and another type use r290 gas though there are some safety concerns there so would lean against in most situations except things like garden building (Other threads on here, have a search)

[JohnMo]

1 hour ago, Mr Punter said:

This type of unit MUST be installed and commissioned by a legally certified F-gas installer.

Not completely correct - you must use an F gas installer if it's an F gas, R290 isn't covered by the rules so you can self install it's not a refrigerator gas by the rules as it's propane. However if R32 or any other number other than R290, you must use F gas registered installer.

 

In addition it is not even legal to sell to anyone other than an F gas certified installer, except R290

Edited 8 hours ago by JohnMo

[TheMitchells]

7 minutes ago, JohnMo said:

Not completely correct - you must use an F gas installer if it's an F gas, R290 isn't covered by the rules so you can self install it's not a refrigerator gas by the rules as it's propane. However if R32 or any other number other than R290, you must use F gas registered installer.

I believe that is exactly what he is.  Still something to find out. But yes, we are thinking that the majority of the prep work is stuff we could do so maybe i need to speak to the supplier again.  Or just do a deal with the neighbour!  😁