Send photos of the real wall, the real outside and the consumer unit before you compare air conditioning quotes. A survey still has to measure the room and confirm the pipe run, but the pictures decide whether the first price is about your house. A catalogue shot of a wall unit does not show your brick, your neighbour or where the water goes. Ask for a reverse-cycle split on 230 V, and keep refrigerant work with an F-gas certified company.
The indoor wall from the opposite corner
Stand in the opposite corner and photograph the whole wall from ceiling to floor, with the curtains, the radiator and the furniture in shot. A second photo of the patch you prefer, taken closer, shows sockets, picture rails and any crack the bracket would sit on. If you are torn between two walls, send both and say which one you hope to keep clear.
Height above the window or the wardrobe
Include a door or a tape in at least one frame so the height is honest. Installers price a high wall unit partly from how much clear wall sits above the head of a window or a wardrobe. A dark close-up of paint tells them nothing about that gap.
Outside, the soil pipe and the boundary
The outdoor photo changes the quote more than the indoor one. Step back until the elevation shows windows, the soil pipe, the boundary and the ground.
- Windows, the soil pipe, the boundary and the ground in one frame.
- A side passage or rear yard, from outside and from the room.
- The neighbour's windows if they face the spot.
- The floor level, and whether the crew must carry the unit through the house.
Which floor, and whether the crew can get outside
If the unit might stand in a side passage or a rear yard, photograph that place from outside and from the room the pipes would leave. A short walk from the indoor wall to the outdoor spot, filmed on a phone, beats a stack of brick close-ups. Say which floor the room is on. A bedroom with no outside access means the crew carries the outdoor unit through the house, and that belongs on the price.
The consumer unit and a lawful outdoor spot
Photograph the consumer unit with the cover open only if you can do that safely, so any spare ways are visible. Do not remove covers that are screwed shut and do not prod the wiring. A tired board with no spare way is a different job from a modern board with room for a dedicated circuit.
Name it if the home is a flat, listed, or in a conservation area, and say if a freeholder has to agree the outside wall. In England, check the Planning Portal conditions for an air source heat pump before you treat the outdoor spot as already allowed. Those conditions cover noise, size and how the unit is used. They are not a blanket yes for every wall. If a neighbour's window faces the outdoor spot, include that view. Noise and outlook decide whether that spot survives those conditions and a normal neighbour conversation.
When the pictures are still a guess
A catalogue shot of a wall unit does not show your brick, your neighbour or where the water goes. Condensate has to reach a drain or a pumped line. A drip onto a path is not a design. Three clear frames, the indoor wall, the outdoor elevation and the consumer unit, plus the floor level and whether the door stays shut, can support a serious draft. They do not replace the visit that measures pipe length, wall build-up, electrics and the lawful outdoor position before refrigerant is handled.
Core buying guides
Start with these high-intent guides, then dig into the rest of the library.
Related guides
Sources and further reading
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.