Air-to-air heat pumps
An air-to-air heat pump gives you controllable heating and cooling, room by room, from one quiet system. It suits homes where certain rooms are too cold in winter, too hot in summer, or both.
Who this suits
- A bedroom, office or living room that overheats in summer
- A room the central heating never quite reaches
- An extension, loft or garden room that is hard to heat
- Direct-electric heating that feels expensive or hard to control
- Wanting independent temperature control in different rooms
Who it may not suit
- Homes that mainly need a whole-house heating replacement — an air-to-water system is usually the better route
- Rooms with no suitable external wall for the outdoor unit
- Rented homes without the freeholder's or landlord's permission
Comfort when it’s hot. Heating when it’s cold.
Most people who ask us about air conditioning are actually describing something broader: a room that is unbearable in July and cold in January, and no easy way to control it. An air-to-air heat pump handles both. It is a single system that heats and cools, room by room, with its own thermostat for each space.
Where it works best
Bedrooms that overheat under a warm roof. Home offices that the central heating forgets. South-facing living rooms. Extensions, loft conversions and garden rooms that were never properly on the heating system. Homes on expensive direct-electric heating that want better control. If that sounds like your house, this is usually the right conversation to be having.
Where it doesn’t
If your real problem is an ageing boiler and a whole house that needs reheating, an air-to-water heat pump is likely the better answer. We would tell you that rather than sell you the wrong thing.
What happens with Ballantyne
We start with a short call, then a simple online assessment — a few photos or a video of the rooms and the outside wall. We talk you through the options and an indicative cost, validate the unit sizes and positions technically, and only then give you a firm figure. If you go ahead, most installations take a day or two, with no wet plumbing and no re-plastering.
Start your home assessment and we’ll tell you honestly whether this suits your rooms.
How it works
An air-to-air heat pump moves heat rather than creating it. Outside, a fan draws in air and a refrigerant circuit extracts warmth from it — even when it feels cold to you. That heat is carried indoors and released into the room through a wall-mounted or ceiling unit. In summer the cycle runs the other way, taking heat out of the room and rejecting it outside. One outdoor unit can serve several indoor units, each with its own thermostat and remote.
Meaningful benefits
- Heating in winter and genuine cooling in summer from the same units
- Room-by-room control, so you only condition the space you are using
- Quick to install — most homes are a day or two, with no wet plumbing
- Discreet indoor units and a tidy outdoor unit, sited with you
- Efficient: it moves heat rather than burning fuel to make it
What to understand
- It heats the rooms it is fitted in, not the whole house through radiators
- The outdoor unit needs a sensible external position and airflow
- Running cost depends on how much you use it and your electricity tariff
- System size must be confirmed against each room before we quote firm
A clear path from question to decision
- 01
Enquiry and a short phone call to understand the rooms and the problem
- 02
An online assessment — a few photos or a video of the rooms and the outside wall
- 03
A phone or video consultation to talk through options and indicative cost
- 04
Technical validation of unit sizes and positions
- 05
Your decision, with no chasing
- 06
Installation, commissioning and a walk-through of the controls
What it costs
from £2,200 for a single-room system
Multi-room systems vary with the number of indoor units and the outdoor position. The final figure is confirmed after the technical assessment.
Recent air-to-air heat pumps work
1930s semi in Leeds — air-to-air across four rooms
A family in a 1930s semi wanted cooler bedrooms in summer and warmth in a cold home office. We fitted a four-room air-to-air system…
Read moreQuestions
Can it cool as well as heat?
Yes. A reversible air-to-air system provides controlled cooling in summer and heating in winter from the same equipment.
Is it noisy?
Modern indoor units are quiet — typically a soft airflow sound. The outdoor unit has a low hum; we position it with noise in mind.
What does the indoor unit look like?
Usually a slim wall-mounted unit. Ceiling and low-level options exist for some rooms. We show you the choices before fitting.
Can I have it in just one room?
Yes — a single-room system is a common starting point, and more rooms can be added later.
Do I need planning permission?
Most domestic installations fall under permitted development, but this depends on your property. We check before we proceed.
