Air conditioning replacement in London
A system that is old, unreliable, or running a refrigerant nobody can legally top up any more will eventually need replacing. Before that, though, comes a simpler question: does it genuinely need replacing, or would a repair do the job for a lot less money? Ninja Plumbers gives you a straight answer either way, even when that means talking you out of the bigger job.
- F-Gas certified for refrigerant work
- Fully insured, DBS-checked engineers
- Price agreed before work starts
- 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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What this includes
- 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 never quite kept 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
Worth knowing first
A little of this might mean you do not need to call us at all — we would still 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.
Old refrigerant is often the real reason to replace
Many older systems were charged with R22, a refrigerant that has not been legally available to top up for years. If one of those systems develops a leak, there is no legal repair that keeps it running on the same gas. Converting an old unit to a substitute refrigerant is sometimes possible, but on an ageing home system it is rarely money well spent. Replacement is usually the only real option, whatever the rest of the unit is like.
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 decide it, and we tell you which applies before quoting, not after.
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.
Common questions
How do I know if my air conditioning needs replacing rather than repairing?
Age, what has actually failed, and whether it still runs a refrigerant that can legally be topped up. A system on an obsolete refrigerant with a leak usually has to be replaced; most other faults are worth repairing first.
Can I get a price for repairing it as well?
Yes, wherever a repair is genuinely possible. Comparing both prices is the only fair way to make the decision.
Can I upgrade to a bigger or multi-split system when I replace?
You can, and replacement is the sensible moment to do it — especially where the existing system has never really kept up with the room, or you want extra rooms brought onto one outdoor unit. Ask Ninja Plumbers to size it properly rather than matching what was there before.
Do you remove the old unit?
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.
More air conditioning work we take on
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Air Conditioning Repair
A system that has stopped cooling, is leaking indoors, or is tripping the breaker — diagnosed before anything is quoted.
More on Air Conditioning Repair -
Air Conditioning Maintenance
Annual maintenance that keeps a system cooling efficiently and catches a refrigerant leak before it becomes a breakdown.
More on Air Conditioning Maintenance -
Air Conditioning Installation
Split and multi-split air conditioning, sized and sited properly, fitted by F-Gas registered engineers.
More on Air Conditioning Installation
Need air conditioning replacement in London?
Describe the problem and give us your area, and we’ll tell you the price before anyone starts work.