Public sector air conditioning

Public buildings we work in

Public sector estates are varied: council offices and civic centres, libraries, museums and community centres, schools and academies, GP surgeries and health centres, police and fire service buildings, depots and control rooms. Many are older buildings that were never designed for today’s summers or for the IT they now hold. Others are newer buildings with large systems that need careful maintenance.

We install, service and repair air conditioning, heat pumps and ventilation in these buildings across London and the South East. Our sector pages cover councils, schools, GP surgeries and hospitals in more detail.

Clear quotes and documents

Procurement teams need to compare like with like. We provide an itemised fixed-price quote that shows equipment, installation, electrical work, commissioning and F-Gas documentation, so you can see what is included. With it, we can supply product data sheets, a risk assessment and method statement for the work, and copies of our certificates: we are an F-Gas certified company, NICEIC approved for electrical work, MCS certified for heat pumps, and a Checkatrade member.

If your process asks for something we have not listed, such as a particular framework, insurance level or contractor check, ask at enquiry. We will tell you honestly whether we can provide it, so nobody’s time is wasted.

Compliance the operator is responsible for

Public bodies operate a lot of refrigerant across their estates, and the operator carries legal duties. GOV.UK sets F-Gas leak check intervals by the size of each system’s charge:

Buildings with air conditioning over 12 kW, adding together the systems under one person’s control in a building, need an inspection by an accredited energy assessor at least every five years, according to GOV.UK’s guide to air conditioning inspections. We are not energy assessors, but we help you arrange and prepare for TM44 inspections and carry out the remedial work they recommend.

Older equipment and refrigerant

Many public buildings still have systems running on R410A, and some much older units. R410A can still be legally repaired, but the phase-down of HFCs means it is getting scarcer and dearer to buy for top-ups. We can survey an estate and give a clear picture of what is worth repairing and what should be planned for replacement. Our articles on the 2027 F-gas phase-down and repairing or replacing R410A and R22 systems explain the background.

Planned maintenance across sites

A planned maintenance contract brings each building onto a schedule, with servicing, leak checks and records for every system. Each site keeps its own records, and we can provide an asset list showing location, equipment, refrigerant type and charge. That helps with budgets, audits and replacement planning. Our 24/7 line covers breakdowns, and we reply to enquiries the same working day.

Working in public buildings

Public buildings are often open to visitors, staff and sometimes vulnerable people. We plan work to suit: out of hours, in holidays for schools, or in agreed areas with barriers and signs. We sign in, follow site rules, keep fire routes clear and leave each area clean. Where a building is listed, consent is planned in from the start. See listed buildings.

Emergency services, depots and control rooms

Police, fire and ambulance buildings, highways depots and control rooms often run around the clock. Control rooms and IT rooms need cooling that runs all year, with a standby unit and an alarm, and maintenance planned so a room is never left without cooling. See server room air conditioning for how we approach rooms that cannot go without cooling. Where a site has security rules for contractors, we follow them and agree access in advance.

Libraries, museums and community buildings

Public buildings that open to visitors have busy and quiet times, and controls should follow them. A library or community centre may be packed for an event and empty the next morning. We set up timers and setpoint limits so the building is comfortable when people are there, and not cooled or heated when it is empty. Where a building holds collections with specific conservation targets, those may need specialist control set by a conservator.

Heat pumps and lower-carbon heating

Many public bodies are looking at replacing gas or oil heating. Air conditioning systems are heat pumps, and for some buildings an air-to-air or air-to-water heat pump can take on much or all of the heating. We are MCS certified and can look at what would suit a building, with an honest view of where a heat pump fits and where it does not.