Warehouse managers call us when summer heat starts affecting people or stock. The first question is usually “how much to air condition the whole building?” Our answer is usually a question back: what exactly needs to be cooler?
In a tall, lightly insulated shed with dock doors open half the day, conditioning the entire volume is expensive to install and run. Often a mix of targeted cooling, better air movement and some building fixes does more for less. This guide explains the options, including when air conditioning isn’t the right tool.
Start with what needs cooling
- People: pickers, packers and drivers working in the heat.
- Offices and welfare areas: the transport office, canteen and toilets.
- Stock: goods with temperature limits, such as some foods, cosmetics, medicines, electronics or chocolate.
- Equipment: server racks, battery charging areas and control panels.
Each of these has a different best answer. Stock with strict limits may need a dedicated temperature-controlled zone; people on the floor may only need cooler air where they work.
Offices, mezzanines and welfare areas
The enclosed rooms in a warehouse are the easiest win. A transport office or mezzanine office is just an office, and wall-mounted, cassette or ducted systems work well. Canteens and rest rooms benefit too. Many sites start here, because it helps staff immediately for a modest cost. See office air conditioning.
Spot cooling on the floor
Spot cooling directs cooled air at a workstation, packing bench or loading area rather than the whole space. It can use ducted outlets from a fixed system, or hired units for a hot spell. It works best where people stay in one place for long periods. For short-term needs, see our hire vs install guide.
Destratification and air movement
Warm air rises. In winter that means heat collects under the roof while the floor is cold; in summer, heat from the roof and lights builds at the top and some of it radiates back down. Large ceiling fans or destratification fans mix the air and keep it moving. Moving air also makes people feel cooler, even when the air temperature hasn’t changed.
Destratification doesn’t cool the building, but it often makes cooling and heating systems work better and cuts complaints. We can advise on where it fits alongside air conditioning or ventilation.
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.
When air conditioning isn’t the answer
We’d rather tell you honestly than sell you a system that can’t keep up. Air conditioning struggles when:
- dock doors are open for long periods, letting conditioned air out;
- the roof is uninsulated or has large rooflights;
- the space is very tall and only the floor area matters;
- the heat load comes mainly from processes that need their own extraction.
In those cases, roof insulation or solar control on rooflights, ventilation that brings in cooler night air, fast-acting doors or air curtains, and targeted cooling usually deliver more. For stock with strict limits, a sealed, insulated room within the warehouse is often better than conditioning the whole shed. Our cold storage and food processing page covers chilled areas.
The legal side: temperature at work
The HSE says employers must keep temperatures at a comfortable level. It suggests indoor workplaces are generally at least 16°C, or 13°C where much of the work involves rigorous physical effort, and says there’s no law for maximum working temperature because every workplace is different. Your risk assessment should look at heat in summer as well as cold in winter.
Heating with the same system
Warehouse offices and welfare areas often rely on old electric heaters. A heat pump system that cools in summer can heat the same rooms in winter far more efficiently than direct electric heating. On the open floor, heating people with targeted systems is often more practical than heating the whole volume.
Larger systems and compliance
Once a site has several units, the total can exceed 12 kW and trigger a TM44 inspection at least every five years. Larger refrigerant amounts bring F-gas leak-check duties. A maintenance contract keeps both on track.
Getting advice
We survey the building, measure where the heat is and talk through how the site works. Then we give a fixed-price quote for the parts that make sense. Commercial systems are priced after survey. Get in touch.
Quick answers
Can you air condition a whole warehouse?
It’s possible, but it’s rarely the best value. Targeting offices, work areas and sensitive stock usually works better.
What is spot cooling?
Directing cooled air at specific workstations or areas rather than the whole building.
Does destratification cool a warehouse?
Not on its own. It mixes warm air from the roof with cooler air below and keeps air moving, which helps comfort and makes heating and cooling systems more effective.
Is there a maximum legal temperature for a warehouse?
No. The HSE says there’s no law for maximum working temperature, but employers must keep temperatures comfortable and assess the risks.
Related services
More advice
- Commercial Air Conditioning: What Businesses Need to Know
- Air Conditioning Hire vs Permanent Installation
- Air Curtains Explained
- Air Conditioning for Offices: What You Need to Know
- All 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.