Ceiling cassette air conditioning
Ceiling cassette air conditioning in Surrey
Recessed into the ceiling, a cassette spreads conditioned air evenly in four directions while leaving walls and floor space free. It’s the standard choice for offices, shops and restaurants — and increasingly for open-plan homes.
Get your free quote
Tell us what you need and we’ll get back to you, usually within 24 hours.
What it is
What is a ceiling cassette air conditioner?
A ceiling cassette is an indoor unit that fits into the ceiling, with only a square grille panel visible from below. Air is drawn up through the centre and pushed out through louvres on each side, giving wide, even coverage without cold draughts in one spot.
Compact cassettes are designed to drop into a standard 600 × 600mm suspended ceiling grid; larger models need a slightly bigger opening. Most include a built-in condensate pump, so the water they remove from the air can be lifted to a suitable drain.
Applications
Where are ceiling cassettes used?
Open-plan offices
Even coverage across desks without units on every wall.
Retail and showroom floors
Keeps walls free for displays and shelving.
Restaurants and cafés
Spreads air across dining areas rather than blasting one table.
Clinics and salons
Quiet, discreet comfort in treatment and waiting areas.
Open-plan kitchens and extensions
A clean, architectural look in large living spaces.
Workshops and warehouses
Heavy-duty cassettes fitted to exposed steel or timber structures.
Types
Four-way, one-way or round-flow cassette?
| Cassette type | Airflow | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Compact four-way (600 × 600) | Four directions | Offices and shops with grid ceilings |
| Full-size four-way | Four directions, higher capacity | Large open-plan areas |
| Round-flow (360°) | All around the panel | Even comfort with minimal draughts |
| One-way / slim cassette | One direction | Narrow rooms, corridors, along a wall |
Before you choose
Ceiling cassette installation questions
Do you need a suspended ceiling for a cassette?
A suspended ceiling makes it easiest, but cassettes can go into plasterboard ceilings too, provided there’s enough void depth — typically 250–300mm — and access for the pipework and drain.
Can a cassette hang from an exposed ceiling?
Yes. In warehouses, workshops and industrial-style interiors, cassettes can be fixed to steelwork with the pipework run neatly alongside.
Cassette or ducted for an office?
Cassettes are usually quicker and less expensive to install. Ducted systems hide everything but need more ceiling space and ductwork.
How noisy are ceiling cassettes?
Modern cassettes are quiet at normal fan speeds — well suited to offices and meeting rooms.
Exposed structures
Cassettes in commercial and industrial spaces
Not every commercial building has a neat ceiling grid. In units with exposed steel portal frames or timber roofs, we fix cassettes to the structure and run refrigerant, power and condensate in tidy runs alongside the existing services.
See how we approach whole projects on our commercial air conditioning page.
How much does a ceiling cassette cost to install?
A single cassette typically costs more than a wall unit because of the ceiling work and condensate pump. See our installation cost guide for typical ranges; your exact price follows a free survey.
How many cassettes does an office need?
It depends on floor area, occupancy, equipment and glazing. We calculate the heat load for each zone rather than relying on a rule of thumb.
How are ceiling cassettes serviced?
The grille drops down for filter cleaning, and the coil, drain pan and condensate pump are checked from below. Commercial cassettes are usually serviced twice a year — see maintenance plans.
Get in touch
Get a ceiling cassette quote
Send us the room dimensions and ceiling type. We’ll survey and recommend the right cassette layout.