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Apartment air conditioning with installation: choosing the unit and its placement

Air conditioning installation for flats is among the most frequent requests we receive. Flats have their own specific features, limited space, a shared façade with other flats, and neighbours behind the walls and below the windows. In this article, we show which type of unit is best suited for a flat, where to place the indoor and outdoor units, and why it pays to address operational noise in advance.

Which type of unit is suitable for an apartment

For the vast majority of flats, a single wall-mounted split unit placed in the room you wish to cool most: typically the living room or bedroom, is sufficient. If you want to air-condition several rooms at once, you essentially have two options: an individual split unit for each room, or a multi-split system where one outdoor unit drives several indoor units. The unit's capacity is selected based on floor area, ceiling height and the room's orientation relative to the cardinal points, for a standard flat up to 40 m², a unit up to 3.5 kW is usually sufficient; larger or poorly oriented rooms may require higher capacity. Precise sizing is always part of the free survey.

Where to install the indoor unit

The indoor unit works best where it has unobstructed airflow across the entire room: typically on a wall opposite a window or door, in the upper third of the room's height. Avoid placing it directly above a bed or sofa where cold air would blow all night, and avoid locations that furniture, curtains or shelves might block. It is also practical to choose a wall closer to the external wall, this shortens the run to the outdoor unit, reduces visible piping in the interior and makes installation faster and cheaper. The technician will show you exactly which location in the room makes the most sense during the survey.

Where to place the outdoor unit

The outdoor unit is installed on the façade, balcony or on a bracket under the window, always ensuring free air access from all sides and remaining accessible for future service. For apartments on upper floors, the main considerations are maintaining sufficient distance from neighbours' windows and directing the airflow so that neither the discharged air nor the noise is directed straight at them. If you live in a panel building or in historic architecture, we can design an installation location without altering the façade or requiring a canopy. This is one of the most frequently asked questions from our clients.

Noise levels: what to ask about

Quality indoor units operate at around 19 to 24 dB in normal use, which is quieter than a standard refrigerator, and they also feature a night quiet mode with even lower fan speeds. The outdoor unit is noisier, but noise can be significantly reduced by correct positioning, maintaining sufficient distance from windows, and mounting on anti-vibration pads. When selecting a specific unit, always ask for the manufacturer-declared noise level in decibels, ideally separately for day and night (quiet) modes. This is a more reliable guide than subjective impressions from a showroom or an online review.

How much does such an installation cost

For apartments up to 40 m² with a unit up to 3.5 kW, installation starts from 6 900 Kč; for larger or more complex layouts, from 8 900 Kč. We confirm the exact price after a free on-site survey. A full breakdown of what makes up the total price, including the unit, materials and refrigerant, can be found in the article about air conditioning price including installation .

Consent from the building's owners' association if you live in an apartment block

If the unit will be visible on the shared façade of a residential building, it is advisable to inform the building's owners' association or the property manager in advance and agree on both the location and installation date. We describe in detail in our article about what exactly to include in the application and how to sensitively resolve the placement of the outdoor unit with regard to neighbours. air conditioning unit on the facade of a residential building .