IcyHomes installs air conditioning across Docklands, from warehouse conversions in Wapping and Limehouse to modern apartments on the Isle of Dogs and around Canary Wharf. Flats dominate here, and that shapes the whole job.
Two very different buildings
Docklands splits neatly in two. There are the converted warehouses, with brick walls, high ceilings, exposed steel and enormous windows that were never designed for comfort. And there are the newer apartment blocks, highly insulated, tightly sealed, and often with floor-to-ceiling glazing on one or two elevations.
They overheat for opposite reasons. The warehouses have huge areas of glass and little insulation. The new blocks have excellent insulation and almost no way of losing the heat they gain, which is why a south or west-facing flat can be uncomfortable well into the evening even with the windows open, assuming the windows open at all.
The freeholder is usually the hard part
Almost every Docklands installation is in a leasehold flat, so the real obstacle is consent rather than pipework. Fixing a condenser to an external wall, placing one on a balcony, or running services through common parts will normally need written permission from the freeholder or the managing agent.
Some blocks refuse external units outright. Many will approve them with conditions about siting and noise. It is worth starting that conversation before you start getting quotes, because it takes far longer than the work. We can provide the detail agents usually ask for, including the unit, its noise rating and how it is fixed.
What goes in when a condenser cannot
Where an external unit is genuinely not permitted, the options narrow but do not disappear. A monobloc or self-contained system can work in some flats, and in others the answer is improved ventilation and shading rather than cooling. We would rather tell you that at survey than sell you something that will not be approved.
Warehouse conversions
High ceilings and exposed brick make these flats, but they also make them hard to cool evenly, because the warm air sits well above head height. A single undersized unit struggles. Siting matters more than capacity: placed properly, a wall unit will move air through the whole volume rather than cooling the ceiling.
Where there is a bulkhead or a lowered section of ceiling, a ducted system can be concealed in it and leave only a slim grille, which suits a conversion where the brick and steel are the point.
Noise in a block
Flats share walls, floors and balconies. A condenser that nobody would notice in a garden can be very obvious to the flat next door at night, and that is a complaint that reaches the managing agent rather than you. We fit anti-vibration mounts as standard and specify quieter units in blocks even where a cheaper one would meet the load.
Home offices and single rooms
A good share of Docklands work is one room: a bedroom that faces the afternoon sun, or a home office in a flat that was never meant to be occupied all day. A single wall unit handles either, and is usually a day on site.
Cost
A single-room installation starts from GBP 1,500 to GBP 1,800 including VAT, subject to survey. Flats with difficult access or restricted condenser positions are priced individually, and we will tell you at survey if the siting is going to add to it. Our cost page explains what is included.
Book a survey in Docklands
If you are in a managed block, the survey is also the point at which we can tell you what your agent is likely to ask for. It is free and carries no obligation. Get in touch or call 020 3488 4657.
