Air conditioning

Six firms in Torre del Mar install, service and repair air conditioning, from domestic split units to centralised systems and commercial refrigeration, based in the centre, the eastern side and the northern edge of the town.

This is the heating too

The point that catches out anyone arriving from a colder country: homes here generally have no central heating. The same wall unit that cools in August is what heats the flat in January, running as a heat pump. So when you choose or service a unit, you are deciding about winter as much as about summer, and the January bill depends on it.

Use a registered installer and keep the certificate

Refrigerant handling is regulated work. A registered installer issues the certificate for the installation, which is what you need for the manufacturer's warranty, for an insurance claim and for the sale of the property later. Someone cheaper without paperwork is not the same job.

Book the service out of season

Every installer in this town is overwhelmed in the first hot week. A unit that has sat unused all winter should be checked in spring, not on the day it fails to start.

The ratings do not follow the volume

The most reviewed firm in the trade is not the best rated, and the spread between the best and worst here is the widest of any technical trade in the directory, more than two points. Worth reading both numbers before ringing the first result.