Air Conditioning for Vets’ Practices

By the AirCon Doctor team · Updated 30 October 2026

Veterinary practices are among the most varied buildings we work in. A single site may have a waiting room, several consulting rooms, a prep area, an operating theatre, an imaging room, kennels and cattery wards, a dispensary and a server cupboard. Animals, staff and medicines all need sensible temperatures, and the building is often busy from early morning to late evening.

This guide explains how to approach cooling and heating across a practice, the medicine storage guidance that applies and how to keep the system dependable.

Zones with different needs

Treating the practice as one big space rarely works. We usually plan zones:

Reception and waiting room: busy, often glazed at the front, with people and animals coming and going.
Consulting rooms: small rooms with doors closed, warm quickly with a vet, an owner and an animal inside.
Prep, theatre and imaging: equipment heat, lights and staff in gowns. Stable conditions matter here.
Kennels and wards: animals recovering, some unable to move away from a draught.
Dispensary and stores: medicines that must stay within storage limits.
Comms cupboard: servers and practice management systems. See server room air conditioning.

Separate indoor units, a multi-split or a VRF system give each zone its own control. Our VRF guide explains when that makes sense.

Medicine storage temperatures

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate published guidance on storing medicines in heatwaves in August 2026. It says cold chain products must be stored between 2°C and 8°C, that most ambient products should be kept below 25°C, and that ambient storage below 12°C should be avoided because condensation can damage packaging. It says ambient areas should have some climate control to limit temperature extremes, and that inspectors expect temperature records for ambient storage as well as fridges.

Air conditioning in the dispensary is one way to keep ambient stock within range through a hot summer. It doesn’t replace calibrated monitoring and daily records, which the VMD sets out in detail. Medicine fridges are a separate piece of equipment and aren’t something we supply.

Kennels, wards and airflow

Recovering animals in kennels can’t choose where to lie. We position indoor units so airflow doesn’t blow directly into kennel fronts, and set louvres and fan speeds for gentle mixing. Wards also need good ventilation to manage odour and moisture. Air conditioning recirculates room air, so we look at the extract and fresh air supply alongside the cooling. See ventilation systems.

Hygiene and cleaning

Clinical areas are cleaned often and thoroughly. Indoor units should be easy to wipe down and their filters easy to reach. In theatres and prep rooms, ceiling cassettes or ducted units keep surfaces clear. Animal hair and dander load filters quickly, so filters need rinsing more often than in an office, and an annual service, or more frequent visits, cleans the coils, fans and drains. Clean coils also help prevent smells. Our medical air conditioning page covers clinical settings more generally.

Want it done properly? AirCon Doctor installs, repairs and services air conditioning and heat pumps across London and the South East, from our base in East Grinstead. We’re an F-Gas certified company and NICEIC approved. Get a fixed-price quote.

Comfort for staff

The HSE says employers must keep workplace temperatures at a comfortable level, and suggests at least 16°C indoors (13°C for rigorous physical work). It sets no legal maximum. Theatre staff in gowns and vets working under lights feel heat far more than the thermostat suggests. Good zoning lets the theatre run cooler without chilling the wards.

Heating as well as cooling

Most split and VRF systems are heat pumps and can heat in winter. That gives thermostatic control in each room without portable heaters, which are a trip hazard and a burn risk around animals. Heat recovery VRF can even move heat from a warm room to one that needs warming.

Reliability and out-of-hours cover

Many practices run emergency or overnight care. A failed unit in a ward or dispensary on a hot weekend is a real problem. To reduce the risk:

keep the system serviced on a maintenance contract;
consider two units serving critical rooms, so one failure doesn’t leave the room uncooled;
keep our 24/7 emergency number to hand: 07833 053749.

Larger practices may also pass the 12 kW total that triggers a TM44 inspection, and systems above certain refrigerant amounts need F-gas leak checks.

Planning an installation

We survey the practice, talk to the practice manager about how each room is used and give a fixed-price quote. Commercial systems are priced after survey, and business premises pay the standard rate of VAT. We plan work around surgery hours, often in phases so the practice keeps running. Get in touch and we’ll reply the same working day.

Quick answers

What temperature should veterinary medicines be stored at?

The VMD says cold chain products must be stored at 2 to 8°C and most ambient products below 25°C, with ambient storage below 12°C avoided. Always follow each product’s own storage instructions.

Can air conditioning blow on animals in kennels?

It shouldn’t. We position units and set louvres so air mixes gently rather than blowing into kennel fronts.

Does air conditioning help with kennel odours?

Only a little. Odour is mainly a ventilation job, so we look at extract and fresh air alongside the cooling.

Can you install without closing the practice?

Usually, yes. We plan work in phases and around surgery hours.

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More advice

This guide is general information, checked against the sources linked on 30 October 2026. It isn’t legal, tax or financial advice. Rules, grants and product ranges change, so check the current position before you rely on it.