Why Hemel homes warm up in summer
Most of Hemel Hempstead was built quickly and to a plan. The post-war neighbourhoods — Adeyfield, Bennetts End, Chaulden, Warners End and Gadebridge, with Grove Hill and Woodhall Farm following later — are full of 1950s to 1970s brick houses with generous glazing, and plenty have a living room or main bedroom that takes the full afternoon sun. Loft conversions and rooms over garages tend to suffer most.
The upside is that this housing stock is about as straightforward as air conditioning installation gets: uncomplicated external walls, easy access for an outdoor unit on a side wall or in the garden, and short pipe runs between indoor and outdoor units. That tends to make the job simpler and quicker than in older, more awkward properties. We will not quote prices on this page, because they genuinely depend on your house and how many rooms you want covered — our air conditioning cost guide explains what actually drives the numbers. One thing worth knowing early: a modern split system is a reversible air-to-air heat pump, so it heats in winter as well as cooling in summer, but air-to-air systems are not covered by the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, which applies to air-to-water heat pumps — so do not build a grant into your sums.
The Old Town, flats, and what to check first
Not all of Hemel is new town. The Old Town around the High Street is older stock, and parts of it sit within a conservation area — before fixing an external unit to one of these homes, check with Dacorum Borough Council's planning team rather than assuming it is fine. Listed buildings need the same care. And if you live in a flat, including the converted blocks around the town centre, you will need your freeholder's consent before anything goes on an outside wall.
Electrics matter too. Some houses on the estates are still running older consumer units, and an installer may want an electrical check or an upgrade before adding a dedicated circuit. Our guide on whether your home electrics can handle air conditioning covers what to expect and what to ask for.
Where Coolhouse is up to in Hemel Hempstead
Honestly: our vetted installers currently work in St Albans and Harpenden, just along the road. We are building our Hemel Hempstead network now, and we would rather say so plainly than promise a survey we cannot deliver. If you leave your details via our quote form, we will tell you exactly where we are up to — and get in touch the moment we have an installer we trust working in HP1, HP2 or HP3.