Compared with its sources on 5 November 2026
Portable against fixed air conditioning: which wins?
Choose fixed if you own your home and want quiet, steady cooling year after year. Choose portable if you rent, need a stopgap or cannot get consent. We sell fixed systems, so judge this comparison for yourself, but a portable really is the right answer for plenty of rooms in Leamington Spa.
Get a quote
Name, number, postcode. We call you back to talk it through.
How do they compare side by side?
| Portable | Fixed split | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price, 12,000 BTU | About £350 (£300 to £420) | About £1,900 fitted, plus £400 to £700 electrics |
| Where the compressor sits | In the room | Outside |
| Hot air goes | Out through a hose at the window | Carried out through refrigerant lines |
| Consent needed | Rarely | Often, depending on the building |
| Takes up floor space | Yes | No |
| Can move rooms | Yes | No |
Prices from Checkatrade, May 2026. Larger portables cost about £450 at 14,000 BTU and £650 at 18,000. Source: Checkatrade.
Why does a portable struggle in a heatwave?
Because of the hose and where the compressor sits. A single-hose model pushes air outside, and warm air leaks back in through the gap to replace it. The window has to stay partly open for the hose, which lets in more heat. The hot compressor is also sitting in the room you are trying to cool. It still helps, but it may not hold a top-floor room down on the worst afternoons.
When is a portable the right call?
- You rent, and your landlord will not agree to a fixed unit. With shared houses common in Leamington, this is often the case.
- Your flat's lease bans alterations, or the freeholder's charges make it not worthwhile.
- Your building is listed, and you want cooling this summer while you think about consent.
- You only need it for a few days each year.
Source for the shared house control: Warwick District Council.
When does fixed pay for itself?
When you plan to stay, and when the room needs cooling often. Fixed units are also far quieter in the room, and they do not need a window ajar overnight, which matters on a busy road or a ground floor. If it is reversible, it can provide cheap heat in winter too, and that use can take much of the sting out of the higher cost. See home air conditioning and air-to-air heat pumps.
Are portable units affected by the F-gas bans?
Yes. Movable room air conditioners using HFCs with a global warming potential above 150 are already banned for sale, according to GOV.UK, so new models use lower-impact refrigerants. It is not something you need to act on when buying a new one from a reputable seller. Source: GOV.UK.
What should you look for in a portable?
Check its cooling output against the size table, and be aware that portable and split figures may not compare directly. Dual-hose models generally perform better than single-hose ones. Listen to the sound level, as you will have the compressor beside your bed. Plan where the hose will go, and how you will seal the window gap. The bedroom guide has more on sleeping with a unit.
Common questions
Is a window unit an option?
Rarely in the UK. They suit few British windows, and any fixed change to a window in a listed building or a conservation area needs thought. Checkatrade gives £300 to £1,200 for the unit, plus £300 to £1,000 labour.
Can a portable heat too?
Some can. Compare the running cost with a reversible split on the heat pump page.
Do you sell or service portables?
We work on fixed systems. A portable is a retail purchase, and there is usually nothing for an engineer to service beyond cleaning its filter.
Sources
Before you ring
These details let us give you a better answer on the first call.
- Your postcode
- Flat, house or workplace
- Whether the building is listed
- Which rooms, roughly how big, and which way they face
- Who owns the outside walls, if you lease or rent
Ready to have it done? Air conditioning in Leamington Spa explains what we fit and look after, and where we travel.
If you want this done
Home air conditioning
Quiet systems for bedrooms, top floors and family rooms.
Air conditioning installation
Survey, consents, fitting and start-up, in that order.
Air-to-air heat pumps
One system for winter warmth and summer cooling, room by room.
Other guides
How much does air conditioning cost?
Fitted prices, electrics, running costs and the extras people forget.
Does air conditioning need planning permission?
The permitted development conditions, with the Leamington exceptions.
Can you have air conditioning in a listed building?
Consent, siting and humidity, for Grade II and Grade II* homes.
Is air conditioning allowed in a flat?
Leases, freeholders, planning limits and flats above shops.
Is air conditioning for a bedroom worth it?
How hot is too hot, what size to buy and what a night costs.
Air conditioning for a loft conversion: what works?
Why lofts overheat, and where units go under a sloping roof.
What size air conditioner do you need?
A room size table in kW and BTU, plus when to go larger.
How do you check the F-gas register for an installer?
Company certificates, personal qualifications and who to ask.
Want us to call you?
Tell us where you are and what is too hot or too cold. Or ring 01926 967778.