Single-split for a Knutsford master bedroom

The Hardings moved into a new-build off Toft Road in late 2023. By the second summer, the master bedroom — a generous south-facing room with two large windows and decent insulation — was sitting at 26°C at midnight and barely dropping overnight. They'd had a quote from the developer's preferred installer for a 3.5kW Daikin unit at £2,400 fitted, but something about the sales process hadn't felt right.

Sophie ran the desktop survey from four photos and the EPC. The room is 18m², south-facing, 2023-spec insulation. The honest heat-load number was 2.0kW with headroom for the worst day; we specified the Daikin Perfera 2.5kW (FTXM25R) rather than the 3.5kW the developer had quoted.

Two reasons. First, a 3.5kW unit cycling on and off in a room that only needs 2kW is louder, more annoying, and slightly less efficient than a 2.5kW unit running at 60% load. Second, the Perfera 2.5kW was £400 cheaper installed.

Single-day install, condenser sited on the side passage on anti-vibration mounts, pipework concealed in the airing cupboard. Commissioning paperwork and the F-Gas record went to the customer the same evening.