Is it better to book AC during the summer rush or wait for the winter lull?

I actualy had a Daikin multi-split system with two 2.5kW wall units put in last November, and I’d honestly say waiting for the cold months is the best move. When the guys came to do the pipework, they weren't rushing to get to three other jobs like they do in July. They spent extra time making sure the trunking on the side of my house looked neat and even helped me set up the WiFi controller app without checking thier watches every five minutes.

As for the 'trampling trough the house' worry, it wasn't a big deal. They used shoe covers and laid down mats. Plus, becasue they weren't flat out, I managed to get a slightly better price on the hardware since they wanted to keep their crew busy during a quiet week. If you wait untill March, you’re just hitting the start of the spring rush when everyone else has the same idea. Getting it sorted in the dead of winter means you’re 100% ready for that first random 28-degree day in May.

I think waiting for the winter lull is a bit of a myth these days. Ever since everyone started looking at air-to-air heat pumps to offset their gas bills, the "off-season" has basially vanished. I tried that tactic last year with a local outfit for a Mitsubishi Electric Zen system, and they told me their January was actualy busier than their August becuase of the heating demand. If you wait til March, you're just hitting the pre-summer rush anyway. Instead of waiting for the big firms to have a gap, I woud look for independent F-Gas engineers who handle smaller residential jobs. I found a guy who ussually does commercial refrigeration for pubs, and he fitted my 12,000 BTU wall unit in less than a week because he had a gap between shop refits. The stock issue is real, but some of the smaller wholesalers still have decent supplies of brands like Panasonic or Fujitsu if you aren't dead set on one specific model. If you sit on a waitlist until January, you might find the 2025 price hikes hit before your drill even touches the brickwork.

Forget the timing of the install for a second and look at the hardware. If you’re eyeing somethig high-spec like the Panasonic Etherea with Nanoe-X or a Daikin Emura, you need to get your name on a unit now. Wholesalers like Dean & Wood are still struggling with lead times on the 3.5kW R32 outdoor units.

I recently helped a mate spec an MHI ZS-W system and the wait for the indoor heads was nearly ten weeks. If you wait untill the 'off-season' to even think about it, you’ll be stuck with whatever generic 2.0kW units are left in the back of the warehouse. Secure the hardware first, worry about the rain later.

Spot on about the heat pump demand killing the off-season. One thing people miss is that installers are often prioritizing those specific jobs becuase of the 0% VAT incentive on energy-saving materials. If you're just after a basic cooling-only unit, you'll likely get bumped for a full air-to-air heating system install since those jobs are higher value for the firm right now. It definitly makes that 'winter window' even harder to find than it used to be.

Quick update — I decided to put a deposit down now. You were spot on about the off-season being a myth becuase of the air-to-air heat pump demand. My installer confirmed they’re prioritising those jobs for the 0% VAT incentive anyway. Managed to snag a Mitsubishi system that was actualy in stock. Glad I didn't wait til March or I'd defintely be stuck in the queue again!