Air conditioning hire

When hiring makes sense

Hire is the right answer when you need cooling for a limited time, or when you need it before a permanent system can be designed and fitted. Common reasons are:

• A breakdown, where the existing system is waiting for a part or a replacement and the room can’t go without cooling.
• Server and comms rooms that need backup while the main unit is repaired or serviced.
• Refurbishments, where the building’s own system is out of action while the work goes on.
• Events and temporary spaces, such as exhibitions, offices in temporary buildings and site cabins.
• Heatwaves, for rooms that only overheat for a few weeks and where a permanent system isn’t yet planned.

If the room overheats every summer, a permanent system is usually better value over time. Our article on hiring or installing air conditioning sets out the trade-offs.

Getting the size right

The most common problem with temporary cooling is a unit that is too small for the room. A unit only cools as well as its rated output allows, and a room full of people, computers, lighting or sun through large windows can produce more heat than a single small unit can remove. Before we supply anything, we ask about the room size, the number of people, the equipment, the glazing and the temperature you need to hold, and we size the cooling to match.

For server and comms rooms, it helps to know the heat output of the equipment, which is often on the equipment’s data sheet or available from your IT team. We take that into account so the room is held at a safe temperature, not just made a little cooler.

Getting rid of the heat

Every air conditioner moves heat from inside to outside. A temporary unit is no different, so the heat has to go somewhere. Portable units usually push warm air out through a hose, which needs a window, a vent or a panel to pass through. Split-type temporary units have an outdoor section connected by a hose or pipe, which needs a route outside and somewhere safe to stand. Vent the warm air back into the same room or a ceiling void and the unit achieves very little.

Units also produce condensate as they take moisture from the air. Some collect it in a tank that needs emptying, and others need a drain or a pump. We plan both the heat route and the condensate on the survey or the phone call so the cooling works from the moment it is switched on.

Power and safety

Temporary cooling needs a suitable power supply. Larger units can draw enough current to trip a circuit that is already carrying computers or other equipment, so we check where the unit will be plugged in and what else is on the circuit. Hoses and cables are routed so they aren’t trip hazards, and units are positioned so they don’t block fire exits or doors.

As NICEIC approved contractors, we can advise if a temporary supply or a dedicated socket would make the set-up safer, and we can install one where it is needed.

Refrigerants and the rules

Portable air conditioning is covered by the F-gas rules too. Movable room air conditioners that use HFCs with a global warming potential above 150 are already banned from sale in Great Britain, which is why new portable units use refrigerants with a much lower global warming potential (GOV.UK: F-gas bans). Some of those refrigerants are flammable, so the units have to be used in line with the manufacturer’s instructions on room size and ventilation. We take that into account when we choose a unit for your space.

From hire to a permanent fix

Hire is often the bridge to something else. If your existing system has failed, we can carry out the repair or quote for a replacement while the hire unit keeps the room usable. If the hire is covering a room that now overheats every summer, we can survey it for a permanent installation during the hire period, so you can compare the costs with real numbers in front of you.

Planning ahead for summer

Demand for temporary cooling rises sharply in a heatwave, at exactly the moment everyone needs it. If you already know that a room will need help, such as a server room with an ageing unit, an office during a refurbishment or a venue with an event in July, talk to us early. We can agree the size and set-up in advance, check the power and the route for the warm air and have the plan ready, so the cooling goes in quickly when it is needed. It is also a good moment to ask whether a permanent system would serve you better.

What it costs

Hire is priced on the cooling needed, the hire period, delivery and collection and any set-up work such as window panels, drainage or a power supply. We don’t publish a set hire price because those vary so much. Tell us about the space and how long you need cooling for, and you get a fixed price with your quote. For an urgent breakdown, call our 24/7 emergency line.