Air Conditioning Solutions for Listed Buildings
No planning permission required! Our air conditioning solutions for listed buildings are fully internal without the need for an external unit fitted to the exterior of your property.
Can You Install Air Conditioning in a Listed Building?
Air conditioning can be installed in a listed building through an internal air conditioning system. The system does not impact the external features of the property meaning no planning permission is required.
Our fully internal water cooled air conditioning is a tailor-made solution for listed buildings. Watch the video to learn more about water cooled air conditioning:
Urban Cooling’s Air Conditioning Solutions for Listed Building Owners
Listed buildings are properties that are protected for their architectural and historical significance. These properties can not be modified unless permission is granted from a local authority.
While the unique designs and picturesque surroundings of these buildings often draws people to them. These visual advantages can unfortunately make it much harder to install air conditioning within the property.
This is where we can help! At Urban Cooling we provide a fully internal water cooled air conditioning solution that doesn't require an external unit or any alterations to the exterior of the building. Therefore, no planning permission is required.
As the owner of a listed property, our system offers you a reliable air conditioning solution, whilst saving your valuable time and eliminate the stress of having to contact the local authorities.
The Challenge of Air Conditioning for Listed Building Owners
Our internal air conditioning solutions are hassle free and significantly reduce the installation time compared to conventional air conditioners with an outside unit. This is because conventional air conditioning systems require prior planning permission and listed building consent applications to be granted.
These applications are made to the local authority who consult Historic England and the National Amenity Societies for certain applications.
The application may not be permitted under the following circumstances:
- In the event that the installation of the air conditioning system has an effect on the outward appearance of the structure.
- As a result of the installation, there will be multiple air source pumps within the confines of the building.
- Within the same building or residential complex, there exists a wind turbine.
- The outdoor compressor unit's size would exceed 0.6 cubic meters in volume.
- An air source heat pump is situated on either a flat or sloped roof, positioned within a distance of one meter from the outer edge of the roof.
Learn more about planning permissions on the gov website.
How to Find Out if Your Building is Listed
If you are unsure whether your building is listed or not, there are a few websites you can use to find out. Use the ‘Search the List’ function on the Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland websites to search by postcode or keyword.
Listed buildings come in three categories of 'significance':
- Grade 1 for buildings of the highest significance which are of exceptional importance.
- Grade 2* includes buildings of more than special interest.
- Grade 2 for buildings of special interest.
Grade 1 Listed Buildings
Grade 1 buildings are of exceptional national, architectural or historical importance and are often rarer (2.5% of all listed buildings) than Grade 2 buildings. Some examples of Grade 1 buildings include popular tourist attractions like Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge and St. Paul’s Cathedral (pictured).
There are also Grade 2* and Grade 2 listed buildings which are seen to be of particular national importance, but less so than Grade 1 buildings.
Grade 2 Listed Buildings
Grade 2 acknowledges buildings of special architectural or historical interest, which are considered to be of more than local significance. These buildings are deemed to possess a degree of special interest and warrant preservation. Grade 2 is the most common designation and includes a wide range of buildings, from residential houses (pictured) to public buildings.
Grade 2* Listed Buildings
Grade 2* is a higher level of designation for listed buildings. These buildings are considered particularly important and of more than special interest. Grade 2* buildings are less common than Grade 2 buildings and represent a higher level of architectural or historic significance.
They often possess exceptional architectural features, high-quality craftsmanship, or historical importance. Grade 2* buildings are regarded as particularly valuable and warrant greater care and attention for their preservation. Pictured is the Coliseum Theatre in London which is a Grade 2* listed building.
How Does Our Water Cooled Air Conditioning Work?
Water cooled air conditioning systems operate in a similar way to conventional split-type air conditioning systems that have an external 'unit'. However, rather than using the outside air to cool the heated gas refrigerant, our system is designed to use water instead.
This means that the system is fully internal as it does not need an outdoor condenser, just a water supply and waste drain to connect to the indoor condenser.
Features:
Compact Indoor Condenser Design
Our water cooled condenser unit is purposefully designed to be concealed out of view for aesthetic reasons and space efficiency. Our smallest condenser measures just 500mm x 500mm x 295mm, allowing it to be conveniently stored in cupboards or under a sink. This makes it ideal for properties where space is at a premium.
Integrates With Existing Pipework
Our air conditioning systems utilise the latest refrigerant pipework, all of which is contained within your property. This means nothing needs to be installed externally and we don’t need access to the outside of your property to fit your system.
WiFi
Enabled
All our indoor units are WiFi enabled allowing you to control your air conditioning from your phone. This enables you to set the temperature remotely so you'll never have to worry about leaving your air conditioning on or having to arrive home to a hot and stuffy apartment.
Customisable Indoor Unit Options
Just like with a conventional split system, our water cooled condenser units can be connected to a range of different indoor units. This includes multiple customisable wall unit options, as well as floor mounted and ducted units hidden behind a grill, as long as you have sufficient void space above your ceiling.
Quiet Operation
(19dBa)
Our internal wall-mounted room units are the quietest on the market, with our Urban Designer model operating at just 19dBa. While our condensers operate at a similar volume to a quiet washing machine (additional noise absorption is available by lining the inside of a utility-cupboard door with acoustic egg-shell foam).
Energy Efficient
(AAA Rated)
Our internal water cooled air conditioning systems are rated AAA for electrical energy efficiency.
The Benefits Of Our Internal Water Cooled Air Conditioning Solutions
01
No external unit or planning permission required
Our fully internal water cooled systems have no external elements and therefore remove the need for planning permission. They are the only integrated solution for properties where external modifications are not permitted.
02
Maintains the visual appeal of your property
Our condensers and wall units blend seamlessly into your property's design, ensuring your property’s aesthetics remain untouched.
03
Cool multiple rooms simultaneously
One of our water cooled condensers has the capacity to cool up to 5 rooms at once!
04
Control the temperature of your property from anywhere
With the convenience of controlling your air conditioning from your phone, never worry about returning to an uncomfortably hot home.
05
Adds to your property's value and rentability
Investing in our systems improves your property's rentability and value, potentially leading to a positive return on investment.
06
Quick installation with minimal disruption
There is minimal disruption during installation by our F-gas registered engineers.
07
Enjoy a cool and peaceful environment
Our quiet air conditioning systems not only cool you effectively, but also enable you to focus, relax, and sleep undisturbed.
08
Save on energy costs
With an AAA rating for electrical energy efficiency, you can stay cool without worrying about skyrocketing electricity bills.
09
Peace of mind with up to 5 years of warranty cover
All of our systems come with a full 12-month parts and labour warranty. This can be extended to up to 5 years, with the first three years covering both parts and labour, and the final two years covering parts only. Please note to maintain the extended warranty, annual servicing by our maintenance team is required.
10
All the benefits of conventional air conditioning without the limitations
Our systems don’t compromise on performance, as they offer equivalent cooling efficiency to conventional air conditioning units.
Start Your Enquiry Today.
Start your no-obligation enquiry today, and one of our expert team will get in touch within 24 hours* to discuss the best way for you to get cool and comfortable.
If you want to talk to one of our experts now, then call 020 8080 9708
“No pressure, no pushy salesperson, no obligation, just expert help and honest advice.”
Our Product Range
We provide Wi-Fi-enabled water cooled air conditioning solutions that you can control using a tablet or mobile device. Whether you’re at home or out and about, as long as you’re connected to the internet, you can control your water cooled air conditioning system.
Urban Signature
With the Urban Signature range, our internal water cooled condenser is paired with Toshiba's Seiya wall-mounted units. These compact, understated units deliver A++ energy efficiency and come with Wi-Fi connectivity as standard, so you can control your system from anywhere via your smartphone or tablet.
Urban Signature Wall Unit
A compact flat-panel design in white.
Water Cooled Condenser
An Urban Cooling fully internal Water Cooled condenser unit.
Guide Prices:
Urban Designer
Our Urban Designer range combines our Water Cooled condensers with a sleek, modern wall-mounted unit. With swappable textile covers, this unit is able to be customised to match the style of any room. Not only that, the wifi app control, whisper-quiet operation, reliability, leading air quality and purifier air filtration really do make this a premier water cooled air conditioning solution.
Urban Designer Wall Unit
These units have a stylish textile cover that can be customised to match any room and style.
Water Cooled Condenser
An Urban Cooling fully internal Water Cooled condenser unit.
Guide Prices:
Match Your Decor, Even When You Redecorate.
Our Urban Designer units offer an innovative and stylish textile cover that can be customised to match any room and style. Choose a ready-to-go colour or customise your own to match your properties interior.
Urban Ducted
Our Urban Ducted range connects our water cooled condensers to a discreet ducted unit, concealed within your ceiling void and hidden behind a modern, minimalist grille. With no visible wall unit, it's the ideal choice for maintaining a completely seamless look throughout your property, without compromising on cooling performance.
Urban Ducted Unit
Maintain a seamless look with a ducted unit hidden behind a modern and minimalist grill.
Water Cooled Condenser
An Urban Cooling fully internal Water Cooled condenser unit.
Guide Prices:
Our Urban Ducted units are available at an additional cost of £1,200 per room. Please note that a ceiling void or bulkhead of at least 250mm is required in order to accommodate a ducted unit.
Join Hundreds of Happy Customers...
See one of our customers discuss...
- What they think about their new A/C system
- Their thoughts on the installation process
- The service provided by our team
Watch the video to see Firdaus’s full review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn more about our Water Cooled system from our founders, Tony and Mark
Read more FAQs about our internal water cooled air conditioning systems below.
Which areas do we cover?
We mainly install across London and the South East, including Surrey, Kent, Essex, Windsor and Reading. We also cover Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds.
If your property is somewhere else in the UK, get in touch anyway. We may still be able to help.
How much water does the water cooled system use?
It’s hard to give an exact figure, as water usage depends on several factors:
Setpoint temperature: The cooler you set the room, the more water the system uses. Cooling a room to 18°C uses more water than our recommended setting of 22–23°C.
Outdoor temperature: The hotter it is outside the more heat is being transferred from the outdoor air to the cooler room being air conditioned, therefore the system’s water consumption increases to remove it.
Building construction: How your property is built affects how much heat it gains and holds. A building with a lot of glass and thermal insulation will absorb external heat and retain it in the building for longer.
Incoming water temperature: The system uses cold water to cool the refrigerant. The colder the incoming water, the less of it is needed to remove the latent heat from the refrigerant.
Running time: A system left on all day will use much more water than one switched on for a few hours to cool a bedroom before bed.
As a guide: an average 5m x 4m bedroom with a typical amount of glazing, insulated to modern building regulations, would need a 2kW indoor unit and a condenser unit. With an outdoor temperature of 27°C and an incoming water temperature of 12°C, the condenser would use around 40 litres of water per hour to cool the room to 22°C.
Our condenser units only use water while they’re actively cooling. Once the room reaches its setpoint, the condenser switches off. Maintaining that temperature typically needs only 20–30 minutes of running time per hour, so water use drops once the room has cooled.
Can the system be installed over multiple floors and how many units can be connected?
Yes, our systems are able to be installed over multiple floors as long as the height does not exceed 8 metres from the condenser to the indoor room units. We can also cool up to five rooms with one of our internal condensers.
Do you need to modify the property’s exterior during installation?
Our fully internal water cooled system doesn’t require an external unit or any modifications to the property’s exterior at all.
Does the water cooled air conditioning system heat as well as cool?
Our water cooled system does provide heating; however, we advise only using this as a backup and not a primary source of heating for your property.
How is an internal water cooled system installed?
Installation is straightforward and takes on average one day per indoor unit, carried out by one of our own engineering teams.
First, we install the condenser. It's connected to your water mains, drainage and electrical supply, and its compact design means it can be concealed in a utility room or cupboard.
Next, the indoor units go in. These can be wall mounted, floor mounted or ducted, and we fit one in each room you want cooled. We agree the best position for each at the video consultation stage, so your property is cooled as efficiently as possible.
Finally, we connect everything together. Two insulated refrigerant pipes and a communication cable run between each indoor unit and the condenser, through small access holes cut into the plasterboard. We then pressure test the system and make good the access holes.
Once that's done, we fully test and commission the system, and talk you through how to use it before we leave.
Still have a question?
Do you still have a question about our air conditioning systems or our services in general? Please call us on 020 8080 9708.
Enquire Online Now or Call Us to Get Some Free Advice
Call us on 020 8080 9708 and speak to one of our friendly air conditioning experts who will answer any questions you have and provide you with tailored advice based on your requirements, or complete the enquiry form and we'll get back to you.
Download Our FREE Definitive Guide to Air Conditioning for London Apartments and Listed Buildings
Get all the information and advice you need to make an informed decision on air conditioning for your flat, apartment or listed building.
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- The options available for your situation
- The advantages & disadvantages of each solution
- 7 key tips to ensure you make the right choice
- How to sleep through the next heatwave
