Loft Conversion Heating (and Cooling)

Loft conversions are brilliant extra space, but they're often the hardest room in the house to keep comfortable. In winter the heating is at the far end of the system and slow to reach the top floor. In summer the roof soaks up the sun and the room can be several degrees warmer than downstairs by the evening, which is miserable if it's a bedroom.

A Haier heat pump handles both seasons from one unit, independently of the rest of the house.

Why not just add radiators?

You can, and plenty of conversions do. But adding radiators to the top floor means extending the pipework to the furthest point on the system, and it depends on your boiler having spare capacity. It also does nothing for the summer heat, which is often the bigger complaint in a loft room. A heat pump runs independently of the boiler, with its own thermostat and timer, and switches to cooling in summer.

Installing in a loft room

• Indoor unit: normally on a gable or dwarf wall, set high enough to throw air across the room without blowing straight onto the bed or desk.
• Pipework: often routed through the eaves void and out through the wall, which keeps most of it hidden.
• Outdoor unit: either on a wall bracket or at ground level with the pipework run down the wall in trunking. The position is agreed at survey, and access equipment is confirmed then if a high-level bracket is needed.

Sizing a loft room

Loft rooms have sloping ceilings and roof windows that change the heat load compared with an ordinary bedroom of the same floor area. Big dormers or several roof windows facing south or west push the cooling load up considerably. For a typical loft bedroom, a 2.5kW or 3.5kW unit is common. We confirm it at survey based on the actual room.

Planning a conversion now?

If your loft conversion is still being built, tell your builder you'd like air conditioning. Getting the pipe route and a suitable electrical supply in while the walls are open is quicker and neater than retrofitting later. We're happy to coordinate directly.

Running costs

At the October–December 2026 cap of 26.32p per kWh, a 2.5kW unit costs about 18.2p an hour at full heating output and about 11.8p an hour cooling. It runs less than that once the room is at temperature. See the running costs guide for the full table.

Haier systems, certified installers

We install Haier exclusively. Keeping to one brand means our engineers know the range inside out, we hold the right spares, and costs stay down. Haier systems come with a 6-year warranty as standard when installed by a certified engineer. Our engineers are F-Gas certified, the business is REFCOM registered, and electrical work is carried out to Part P standard. We're based in Buckingham, MK18, and cover Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire and the surrounding area.

Heat pump installers near you

Milton Keynes Buckingham Bletchley Newport Pagnell Aylesbury Bicester Northampton Oxford

See the full list of areas we cover, or check recent installations for real examples of our work.

More heating guides

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Common questions

What is the best heating for a loft conversion?

An air to air heat pump is a strong option because it heats and cools, runs independently of the boiler, and does not need extra radiator pipework to the top floor.

Can I add a loft room to my existing central heating?

Often yes, but it depends on the boiler having spare capacity and extending the pipework to the top of the house. It also does nothing to cool the room in summer, which is often the bigger issue in a loft.

Where does the outdoor unit go for a loft room?

Either on a wall bracket or at ground level, with the pipework run down the wall in trunking. We agree the position at survey.

What size unit does a loft bedroom need?

Typically 2.5kW or 3.5kW, depending on roof windows, dormers and orientation. We confirm it at survey.

Is it quiet enough for a bedroom?

Yes. Haier indoor units have a quiet or night mode for bedrooms, and the outdoor unit is outside.