A UK split warranty is usually a manufacturer's parts promise, sometimes with a shorter labour period, and it usually starts only when an approved installer registers the system. Workmanship cover from the company that fitted it is a separate contract. Schedules often expect annual servicing and exclude damage, neglected filters and refrigerant work by someone else. Years differ by brand and by scheme, so read the one on your quote. Nothing here is a universal policy. The install still needs an F-gas certified company.
The years start when somebody registers the serials
The indoor badge does not, by itself, start a long warranty. Many Daikin, Mitsubishi and similar schemes extend parts cover when the installing company registers the serial numbers. Ask who does that, on what portal, and for how many years on parts and on labour. Those two numbers are often different. If the quote says up to seven years or five years available, ask what you actually receive on this model with this installer. Available is not the same as included. Get it on the invoice.
The warranty is not the same on every UK brand. Length, labour, registration and service conditions vary. Read the schedule for the model on your quote. Do not assume a number you saw on another badge. A marketplace unit with no UK registration path is a weak warranty. The fitter's own workmanship promise is a second document. Citizens Advice is the consumer side of getting that work done, not the manufacturer's schedule.
Dirty filters, missed services and who you call
Dirty filters, blocked coils, physical damage, failed pumps that were never commissioned, and electrical supplies outside the manual are the usual arguments. So is another contractor topping up refrigerant. The fair summary is that the warranty covers defects in the equipment, not neglect or a bad install. Confirm that against your schedule rather than treating this sentence as the contract. A leak caused by poor installation is often the installer's workmanship, not a parts failure. Your contract is with the company that invoiced you. Keep the commissioning record and write to them.
Consumables such as filters may be excluded even during the parts period. Ask. Coastal corrosion and units boxed in without airflow can fall outside cover as misapplication. The survey is how you avoid that argument. It is common for extended cover to depend on annual maintenance by a competent company. Miss the service and the long warranty can fall back to a shorter base. Put the interval in the diary when you pay, not when something stops in July.
Call the company on the invoice first. They know the model codes and whether the fault is a part, a charge, or a drain. The manufacturer will often send you back to that installer anyway. GOV.UK F-gas certification still matters for anyone who opens the circuit during a repair. If you move the unit, the warranty usually does not move without the manufacturer's rules and a fresh reinstall. Ask before you unbolt anything. Recovery and refitting are a new job. Before you compare a cheap badge with a familiar one, line up warranty years, who registers them, parts lead time, and the service cost. A lower equipment price with a one-year labour promise and no named parts route can be the dearer system by year four. A warranty does not rescue an outdoor unit in a position you should not have accepted.
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How this guide was prepared
This guide was written by the Local AC Installers Editorial Team. We compare official guidance, legislation and established consumer information, separate general information from project-specific advice, and show publication dates and sources. We do not accept installer accreditation claims at face value.