How it works
From your first message to the first service
Six steps, in the order they happen. You get a written quote before anything is installed, and the certificates when the job is done.
- 1
You send the request
Use the quote form and tell us the suburb, the rooms you have in mind and whether it is a house, an office or a unit in a complex. A photo of the room and of the outside wall helps. It costs nothing to ask.
- 2
We get back to you
We answer enquiries Monday – Friday, 08:00 to 17:00, and Saturday, 08:00 to 12:00. We talk through what you need and arrange a visit.
- 3
Site visit and written quote
We measure each room and look at the windows and the sun. Size charts differ between brands: LG South Africa's chart puts a 30 to 40 m² room at 18,000 BTU, while Midea's guide lists 30 to 35 m² for that size. A measured room settles it.
We also agree where the outdoor unit goes. In a residential area it may not make more than 50 dBA on the property boundary, or more than 5 dBA above the background noise. If you live in a complex, the trustees' written consent is likely needed, and on a building older than 60 years the City of Cape Town says alterations need a Heritage Western Cape permit, without saying whether an aircon counts. We flag either one before you commit.
Then you get a written quote for the unit and the work. Ask about the warranty on it.
- 4
Installation
Our appointed installation contractor, working on our behalf, fits the indoor and outdoor units and runs the pipes, cable and drain. A new system cannot use R22: since 1 January 2015, South African regulations have prohibited HCFC refrigerants in new air-conditioning installations.
- 5
Certificates
Under the Pressure Equipment Regulations, the Department of Employment and Labour's guidance says the certificate of conformity for installing or servicing a refrigeration system must come from an SAQCC Gas registered practitioner, and the standard it names, SANS 10147, covers refrigerating systems including plants associated with air-conditioning systems.
If a circuit is added, a registered electrical contractor issues a certificate of compliance for that addition. In a house wired before 23 October 1992 that has not changed hands since 1 March 1994, the certificate must cover the whole installation. Keep both certificates with your house papers.
- 6
The first service
Warranties come with conditions. Samsung Air, a Samsung aircon distributor, says its midwall splits carry a 5-year warranty only if the unit was installed by a company it has authorised, serviced as the warranty card says, and registered online. One retailer with Cape Town branches makes all warranties on its installations subject to an annual service.
Read your own unit's warranty card for its service interval and book the first service in time. Some exclusions are worth knowing too: Livance's general consumer warranty excludes damage caused by corrosion and rust, and by atmospheric conditions including humidity.
Check the installer yourself
The installer who does the work must be SAQCC Gas registered. Ask to see the card, and you can check it on SAQCC Gas's public search, which looks practitioners up by province, registration number, surname, town or company.
Before the visit, our aircon installation price guide shows what published sources charge for the fitting. If you already have a unit, the aircon servicing page picks up from step six, and the questions people ask us cover sizing, noise and electricity costs.
Call 060 016 7019