These are the units you cannot see. They sit built into the false ceiling and distribute the air through grilles or diffusers spread around the room. Precisely because they are invisible, they are also the most forgotten — many have never been opened since installation.
From €40 per unit + VAT.
Why these units get forgotten
On a wall-mounted unit, the dirt eventually shows: the grille darkens, the fins are stained, the air comes out visibly weaker. On a ducted unit there is nothing to see. The unit is above the ceiling and the only visual contact is a white grille.
The result is that these units tend to accumulate far more than wall-mounted ones before anyone notices. And when someone does, it is almost always in one of three ways: the smell, a damp patch on the false ceiling, or a room that simply stopped cooling like the others.
Where you find them in the Algarve
Villas. High-ceilinged living rooms, corridors and open areas in Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo and Almancil. A large villa usually has wall-mounted units in the bedrooms and ducted units in the common areas.
Offices and shops. It is the usual solution when you want to air condition a large space without visible equipment.
Restaurants. Dining room areas, almost always. Here there is the added problem of grease in the air, which clogs the heat exchanger much faster than household dust.
Hotels. Corridors, reception, meeting rooms and restaurant.
How we work on a ducted unit
Removing the grilles and diffusers. Each grille is taken out, washed and refitted. We take care at the fixing points — a badly refitted diffuser leaves a mark on the ceiling and a false ceiling is not cheap to repair.
Access to the unit. Through the inspection hatch, where there is one. Where there is not, we assess the access available and tell you honestly what we can and cannot reach.
Washing the heat exchanger and fan barrel. The same process as wall-mounted units, with the difference that it is done at height and with reinforced protection underneath.
Drain tray and drainage. On these units the drainage is often the critical point, because a blockage gives no warning until water appears on the false ceiling.
Accessible duct sections. We clean what is accessible from the unit and the grilles. Complete duct networks, with inspection hatches opened along the route, are work of a different scope — if that is what you need, tell us and we will talk about it before quoting.
What changes the price
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Ceiling height | High ceilings need a stepladder and, at times, two technicians |
| Presence of a hatch | Without an inspection hatch the work is slower and more limited |
| Number of grilles per unit | Each grille is removed, washed and refitted individually |
| Type of dirt | Kitchen grease takes more time and a different product from dust |
