Repairs and regas
Aircon repairs and regas in Cape Town
An aircon that has stopped cooling, trips the power or drips inside needs a diagnosis before anyone can sensibly name a price. We find the fault first, then give you a written quote for the repair.
If your unit is an older one running on R22, there's a second question: whether to repair it at all. The refrigerant rules below explain why.
Call 060 016 7019
What the R22 phase-down means for your unit
R22 is an HCFC refrigerant. South Africa's ozone regulations under the Air Quality Act have been closing the door on HCFCs in stages, and the government said again in its World Ozone Day statement of September 2025 that HCFCs and HFCs used in air conditioners are being phased down. Here is the schedule, from the phase-out regulation:
- 1 July 2014Importing new or used air-conditioning equipment containing HCFC-22 (R22) or any HCFC refrigerant is prohibited.
- 1 January 2015Using R22 or any HCFC refrigerant in the installation of a new air-conditioning system is prohibited.
- 2026 to 2030HCFC consumption may not exceed 2.5% of the baseline. The cap covers all HCFCs, not R22 alone.
- 2031 to 2040That 2.5% may only be used for servicing.
- By 2040No one may import, place on the market or use HCFCs.
So an R22 unit can still be worked on today, but the gas it needs comes from a supply that keeps shrinking. When we diagnose an R22 unit we tell you what the repair involves and what a replacement would involve, and you choose. Comparing the two is easier with our published install prices, source by source.
If you decide to replace it
A replacement can't be another R22 unit. The 2015 rule bans HCFC refrigerants in any new installation, and since 1 July 2014 equipment containing them may not be imported, new or used. The new unit is a new installation in every other sense too. It needs its own certificate of conformity from an SAQCC Gas registered practitioner, and if it gets a new electrical circuit, the Electrical Installation Regulations require a certificate of compliance for at least that addition.
It's also a chance to check the size. The brands' own sizing charts disagree with each other, and nobody knows which one the old unit was picked from, so we measure the room again rather than copying the BTU rating off the old label.
Repairs need a certificate too
The certificate of conformity covers repairs and maintenance as well as new installs. The Department of Employment and Labour's guidance to the Pressure Equipment Regulations (note (g) of GN 1265 of 2017) says a certificate of conformity shall be issued by the SAQCC Gas registered gas practitioner for the installation, repair or modification and/or maintenance of a refrigeration system.
The same note points to SANS 10147, the national standard for refrigerating systems including those in air-conditioning. Its publisher says it covers all systems with a refrigerant charge over 150 g.
The technician who works on your unit's refrigerant circuit must be SAQCC Gas registered. Ask to see the card, and you can check it on SAQCC Gas's public search. That applies whether the job is in a house in Durbanville or a shop in Bellville.
What a repair or regas costs
| Source | What it prices | Range | Scope and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProCompare (quote-comparison site) | AC repair | R1,300 to R13,000 (usually R5,000) | National, page titled 2026; read 9 November 2026 |
| Regas | Refrigerant top-up or recharge | Quoted after diagnosis | No published price we could verify |
The source doesn't say whether VAT is included. ProCompare notes that repair prices vary heavily with how severe the damage is, which is why its range is so wide.
Once your unit is running again, our page on servicing and what it does for your warranty is worth a read, and the blog sets out the regulations that affect Cape Town aircon owners in more detail.
Repair and regas questions
Tell us what it's doing
The brand, the rough age and what the unit is doing (or not doing) are enough to start. It costs nothing to ask for a quote.
Request a repair quote