Floor-mounted · Floor-standing · Daikin
Daikin FXLQ-P floor-standing
A compact floor-standing unit that fits under a window, for homes and offices.
- Low height, fits beneath a window
- White and iron grey casing
- Automatic heating and cooling changeover
Floor mounted air conditioning
Floor mounted air conditioning: low on the wall, where heat does most good
Floor mounted air conditioning is a heat-and-cool unit that sits low on the wall, often where a radiator was, piped to a small unit outside. It suits loft conversions with sloping ceilings, conservatories and any room where a high wall unit will not fit. Apex fits floor units across Dartford, Kent and south-east London.
The basics
What is a floor mounted air conditioner?
It is the indoor half of a split system, shaped like a slim console and fixed low on the wall instead of high up. The outdoor unit, pipes and controls are the same as for any split.
Search results often mix it up with free standing or portable air conditioners. They are different things. A floor mounted unit is fixed, piped to a quiet outdoor unit and heats as well as cools. A portable is a box on wheels with a hose out of the window.
Floor consoles are sometimes called floor standing units. Some ranges also offer a concealed version that sits inside joinery, such as a window seat, with only a grille on show.
Why heat from low down feels better
Warm air rises. A high wall unit has to push warm air down to where you sit. A floor unit starts it at floor level, a bit like a radiator, so the room warms evenly and your feet stay warm.
When it cools, it sends the air up from the top outlet and across the room. Cool air then sinks gently into the space, which keeps the draught off you.
Because it runs as an air-to-air heat pump, a floor unit can be the main heat for a loft room or garden room that the boiler does not reach.
Is it right for you?
When a floor standing unit is the right call
- Loft conversions with sloping ceilings and low knee walls, where there is no high wall to hang a unit on.
- Replacing radiators, so the same spot heats in winter and cools in summer.
- Conservatories and garden rooms with lots of glass and little solid wall up high.
- Flats with balconies, where the pipe route works best at low level.
- Rooms with beams or deep coving that leave no clear space near the ceiling.
What a floor unit does well
- Even, comfortable heat that starts at floor level, where you feel it.
- Filters at waist height, so cleaning them takes a minute, no stepladder.
- Pipework often goes straight out through the wall behind it.
- Many models blow from a top and a bottom outlet, so warm air spreads across the floor.
Things to plan for
- It uses some low wall space, like a radiator does.
- Furniture must not block the front or the top.
- Fewer sizes than wall units: most domestic floor consoles top out at around 5kW to 6kW.
Lofts
Floor mounted air con for a loft conversion
Loft rooms get the hottest of any room in the house. The sun bakes the roof all day, and the heat builds up under the slope. They also tend to have short knee walls and ceilings that slope down to them, which leaves no good spot for a high wall unit.
A floor unit fits on the knee wall or a gable wall. The pipes can often run through the eaves storage to a gable end, then down to an outdoor unit on a wall bracket or on the ground. On a flat-roofed dormer, the outdoor unit can sometimes go on the roof, but not within 1m of its edge under the permitted development rules.
One Dartford customer told us other firms had said their loft could not be done. We fitted a split system there. Read more about loft conversion air conditioning.
Radiators
Swapping a radiator for a floor unit
The space under a window, where most radiators sit, is a natural home for a floor console. It heats the cold glass area the way a radiator does and keeps the rest of the wall free.
- Your plumber drains down and caps off the radiator pipes.
- We fit the floor unit on the same wall and core-drill one hole behind it for the pipes, cable and drain.
- We set it up on Wi-Fi, so you can warm the room before you get home.
We have fitted two Panasonic floor units with nanoe X air cleaning and Wi-Fi in place of radiators, keeping the rooms comfortable in every season.
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Floor mounted or wall mounted?
Both are split systems and both heat and cool. The choice usually comes down to the room's shape and how you heat it.
Swipe sideways to see the whole table →
| Point | Floor mounted | Wall mounted |
|---|---|---|
| Where it goes | Low on the wall, often under a window | High on the wall, near the ceiling |
| Heating | Very good: heat starts at floor level | Good: warm air is pushed down |
| Cooling | Good: air goes up and across | Very good: air throws further |
| Sizes | Mostly 2.5kW to 5kW | About 1.5kW to 7kW and up |
| Cleaning filters | Easy, at waist height | Needs a step |
| Suits | Lofts, conservatories, radiator spots | Bedrooms, lounges, offices |
Most homes still suit a wall mounted unit. If a room needs something hidden completely, see ducted air conditioning.
Cost
What affects the price of a floor unit?
A floor console often costs a little more than a basic wall unit of the same size. Beyond that, the price depends mostly on the room and the route:
- The kW size from the heat-gain calculation.
- How far the pipes run, and whether they go through eaves, floors or trunking.
- Where the outdoor unit can go, and whether it needs a bracket or roof frame.
- The power supply and the drain route.
Our air conditioning cost guide sets out published UK price ranges and what moves them. You get a fixed written quote from us after a free survey.
Planning and noise
On a house in England, a floor unit that heats and cools is usually permitted development if the outdoor unit meets the size and siting rules and passes the MCS 020(a) noise check of 37 dB(A) at a neighbour's nearest window. We do that check at the survey. Our planning guide covers flats, listed buildings and conservation areas.
WhatsApp a photo
A photo is often enough for a first idea of what will work.
Ranges we fit
Floor mounted air con units we fit
Ranges we fit include these. Makers update their models often, so we recommend the current one that suits your room and budget at the survey.
Floor-mounted · Floor-standing · Mitsubishi Electric
Mitsubishi Electric MFZ-KT
Fits low on the wall, often where a radiator was, and suits lofts with sloping ceilings.
- 2.5kW, 3.5kW and 5kW sizes
- Auto-swing vane
- Built-in 7-day timer
Also in the range
- Panasonic floor console (Panasonic) Floor-standing. Sits low on the wall with nanoe X air cleaning and Wi-Fi control, often in place of a radiator.
Real Apex jobs
Floor units and neat pipework
Real job photo 
Real job photo 
Real job photo 
Real job photo 
Reviews
“Other companies had told me it couldn't be done”
10/10 Checkatrade
Couldn't have asked for better service. The install was difficult and challenging due to access issues in loft. Olly made it look easy and dealt with everything in a professional and reassuring way. He went above and beyond as other companies had told me it couldn't be done. First rate job and top bloke.
10/10 Checkatrade
Olly who runs Apex, was excellent throughout the entire process - The pricing was very fair and the service was outstanding. Everything was faultless: - Quote returned promptly - Price we were quoted was the price we paid - Prompt delivery of ordered units - The work was carried out on the days it had been scheduled & was completed in good time - Friendly, polite & professional team - They kept us informed throughout - Quality products and full instruction on how to use was provided Delighted with our air con and Olly and his team!
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Other types of system
Wall-mounted systems
The most popular choice for bedrooms and living rooms.
Find out moreCeiling cassettes
Even airflow for offices, shops and open-plan rooms.
Find out moreDucted systems
Hidden in the ceiling, only the grilles show.
Find out moreAirzone zoning
Room-by-room temperature control for ducted systems.
Find out moreBrands we fit
Daikin, Mitsubishi Electric and Panasonic.
Find out moreQuestions
Floor mounted air con questions
Is a floor unit as good at cooling as a wall unit?
Yes, when it is sized correctly. A floor console blows cool air up and across the room from its top outlet, so the cool air still reaches the far wall. In a very long room a high wall unit throws air a little further, which is one reason we look at the room shape at the survey before recommending either.
Can a floor unit replace my radiator?
Often, yes. It can go in the same spot under the window and heat the room as an air-to-air heat pump, then cool it in summer. Your plumber caps off the old radiator pipes. We have fitted floor units with nanoe X air cleaning and Wi-Fi in place of radiators. It heats the room only, not your hot water.
What is the difference between floor standing and free standing air conditioning?
A floor standing (floor mounted) unit is a fitted split system: the indoor unit is fixed low on the wall and piped to an outdoor unit. A free standing or portable unit is a box on wheels with a hose out of the window. Fitted units are far quieter, cool and heat properly, and need an F-gas certified company to install them.
Where does the pipework go?
Usually straight through the wall behind the unit to the outdoor unit, so nothing shows inside. Where the outside route is awkward we can run pipes through eaves storage, under a floor or in trunking. On one Tunbridge Wells job we ran the pipework under the decking to keep the balcony clear.
How much space does a floor unit need?
Most are roughly 600mm tall, 700mm to 750mm wide and around 200mm deep, about the size of a small radiator. Leave the front and top clear so the air can get in and out. A low shelf or a sofa pushed hard against it will cut its output and make the fan work harder.
Get a quote for a floor unit
Talk to Olly directly. He quotes and fits the jobs himself.
Quickest way to a price: send on WhatsApp
- A photo of the room and the outside wall
- Your town and what you need
- For a repair, the unit's label and any error code
Free survey and a fixed written quote for new systems. No obligation.