Air conditioning replacement in London
Sooner or later, a system that is old, unreliable or running on a refrigerant nobody may legally top up will have to go. First, though, ask a simpler question. Is replacement really needed, or could a repair do the job for far less? Ninja Plumbers gives you a straight answer either way, even if that means steering you away from the bigger job.
- Refrigerant work by F-Gas certified engineers
- Engineers DBS-checked and fully insured
- Price agreed before we start
- Workmanship guaranteed
Monday – Sunday, 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Out-of-hours emergency? Call 020 3576 5825
Get a price for air conditioning replacement
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Included in the job
- Old, failing and broken-down systems replaced
- An honest repair-or-replace comparison, with a price for each
- Systems still running R22 or another obsolete refrigerant
- Same-size swaps, bigger units and moves to multi-split
- Resizing a system that has always struggled to keep up
- Checking whether existing pipework can be reused
- Refrigerant recovered from the old system by F-Gas registered engineers
- Old indoor and outdoor units taken away for proper disposal
Read this before you ring
You may find you can sort some of this yourself, without calling us. We are fine with that, and would rather you knew it.
Signs a system is nearing the end
Repairs coming round more and more often. A compressor or main circuit board failing on a unit well past its first decade. Cooling that fades a little more every summer, even after servicing. Parts the manufacturer no longer makes. Any one of these is worth a conversation. Two or three together usually mean money spent on the old system would be better spent on a new one.
Often it is the old refrigerant that forces a replacement
A lot of older systems were filled with R22, and it has been years since that refrigerant could legally be used for top-ups. Once such a system springs a leak, no legal repair will keep it going on the same gas. Some old units can be converted to a substitute refrigerant, but on an ageing home system that rarely repays the cost. However good the rest of the unit is, replacement is usually the only practical choice.
Ask for the repair price as well
Wherever a repair is genuinely possible, its cost belongs next to the replacement quote. If you have only ever been given a price for a new system, it is fair to ask why. We price both and leave the choice with you.
What a modern inverter unit changes
Many older systems run the compressor at one speed: fully on until the room is cold, then off until it warms up again. Most current units use an inverter instead, which slows the compressor down and keeps it ticking over once the room is at temperature. That generally means less electricity for the same cooling, a steadier temperature and less noise. How much it saves depends on the old unit and how you use the new one, so we will not promise a figure.
Do not replace one sizing mistake with another
A system that has never quite kept a room cool, or a single split that stopped being enough once a loft was converted or an extension went on, deserves better than a replacement that falls short in exactly the same way. This is the moment to size it properly, or move up to a multi-split, rather than living with the same warm room for another decade.
Existing pipework can sometimes be reused
Reusing the copper pipes already in the wall keeps the job smaller and the decoration untouched, and sometimes it is possible. Often it is not. The pipe sizes have to suit the new unit, and the pipes must be clean inside and hold pressure when tested. Pipework from an old R22 system was put in for lower working pressures than modern refrigerants use, and carries traces of an oil they do not mix with. The manufacturer’s requirements settle the question, and you will know which way it goes before we quote, not afterwards.
The old refrigerant is recovered, not released
Before an old system comes off the wall, the refrigerant inside it is pumped into a recovery cylinder by an F-Gas registered engineer and sent on to be recycled or destroyed. Letting it out into the air is illegal. The units themselves count as electrical waste and go for proper disposal, not into a skip.
Plan the swap before the hot weather
Replacing a system means a spell without cooling between the old one coming out and the new one going in, and the hardest time to arrange that is the first heatwave of the summer. If you already know your system is on its last legs, autumn, winter or early spring is the easier time to do it.
Questions we often get
How can I tell whether my air conditioning needs replacing or repairing?
Look at its age, what has actually failed, and whether its refrigerant can still legally be topped up. A leaking system on an obsolete refrigerant will usually need replacing, while most other faults deserve a repair first.
Can I get a price for repairing it as well?
Yes, as long as a repair is genuinely possible. Weighing up both prices is the only fair way to decide.
When I replace, can I move up to a bigger or multi-split system?
Yes, and replacement is the right moment for it, above all if the old system never really kept the room cool or you want more rooms running off one outdoor unit. Ask Ninja Plumbers to size it properly instead of copying what was there before.
Will you take the old unit away?
Yes. The refrigerant is recovered first, then the old indoor and outdoor units are taken away and disposed of properly as part of the job.
How can I tell if my system uses R22?
Look for the label on the outside unit, which lists the refrigerant type. If it says R22 or HCFC-22, the system was almost certainly made before R22 was phased out of new equipment in the early 2000s. If the label is missing, a photo of the unit with the make and model often tells us.
If the new unit goes in the same place, do I need consent again?
Not always, but it is worth checking. A straight swap in the same spot is usually simpler than a first installation. If the new outdoor unit is larger, moves to a different wall or needs new holes through the outside of the building, leaseholders should ask the freeholder first, and anyone in a listed building or conservation area should check with the council.
Other air conditioning jobs we do
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Air Conditioning Repair
Stopped cooling, leaking indoors or tripping the breaker? We track down the fault before quoting for anything.
Read about Air Conditioning Repair -
Air Conditioning Maintenance
A yearly visit to keep your system cooling efficiently and to catch a refrigerant leak before it turns into a breakdown.
Read about Air Conditioning Maintenance -
Air Conditioning Installation
Single and multi-split air conditioning, correctly sized and positioned, and installed by F-Gas registered engineers.
Read about Air Conditioning Installation
Looking for air conditioning replacement in London?
Tell us what is wrong and where you are, and you will have the price before any work begins.