Children and pets should be out of the drill zone for the whole noisy part of a UK split install. The hazards are an open hole, masonry dust, tools on the floor, and a team carrying a condenser. Curiosity is normal and it is in the way. A closed room at the other end of the house, or a morning with a friend, is the kind plan. Tell the installer about dogs that bolt and about caged animals that cannot be moved far.
The drill zone is not a place to watch
The drill zone is the indoor wall, the floor beneath it, the pipe route and the outdoor bracket. A toddler on that floor, a cat on the bracket shelf and a dog under the ladder are the interruptions that cause accidents. Move them before the van unloads, not when the core bit starts. Older children can be in another room with a shut door. They should not be given the job of watching the tools. Standing back is still too close for the drilling and the carrying. Dust, tools and an open hole are enough reason to use another room. They can see the finished unit when the floor is clear.
The adult who can approve a route change still has to be present. A child cannot stand in for that decision, however helpful they are. Tell the team about a dog that runs for the front door, and shut the door on the room you are using as a holding room.
Noise, cages and the floor after the tools leave
Drilling masonry is sudden and loud. Dogs and cats do not get used to it in ten minutes. A spare room, a covered cage away from the wall, or a few hours elsewhere beats a pet circling the ladder. A cover does not stop dust or vibration on the wall you are drilling. Birds and small mammals are upset by vibration as well as noise. Move the cage off the party wall you are drilling, into a quiet room until the hole is finished. Do not leave a cage in the dust path. The noise is frightening more than it is a medical question for this page. Where the outdoor unit hums afterwards is a siting choice, made before the brackets go on. If the only outdoor spot is beside a hutch, say so before install day so the stand can move. Planning Portal rules and neighbour noise still apply to that stand.
Wait until the floor is clear of offcuts, cable ties and screws before pets come back. Condensate lines and a new isolator are not toys. Show children, once the room is calm, that the remote is not a game: one setpoint, doors shut, windows closed while it cools. The first week is when a low setting and an open window teach the wrong habit. If a pet must stay, tell the engineer where the water bowl and litter are so they are not kicked over. F-gas work needs concentration. A calm house is part of a safe commission, not a courtesy.
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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.