Aircon Installation South Africa covers the whole job: sizing the unit to the room, mounting the indoor and outdoor halves, running the pipework and drain, wiring it and commissioning it. Describe the room once and compare installation quotes from installers who cover your area.
Describe the room and get installation quotes.
Get the Best QuoteWhat an Installation Includes
- Sizing. Matching the BTU rating to the room, its glass and which way it faces.
- The indoor unit. Mounted on a wall, in a ceiling or on the floor, level and accessible.
- The outdoor unit. On brackets or a plinth, with air space around it and room to service it.
- Pipework. Insulated copper refrigerant lines between the two, pressure tested.
- The condensate drain. A fall to somewhere the water can go that is not a wall.
- Commissioning. Vacuum, charge, run test and the paperwork that comes with it.
Sizing a Unit to the Room
- Floor area first. Roughly 600 to 700 BTU a square metre for an average room.
- Glass and sun. A west-facing wall of windows can add half as much again.
- Ceiling height. A double-volume room is a volume job, not a floor-area one.
- What is in it. Ovens, servers and people are all heat the unit has to remove.
- Oversizing. A unit too big short cycles, cools without drying and wastes power.
- Undersizing. A unit too small runs flat out, never reaches set point and fails early.
Where the Units Can Go
- Back to back. Indoor and outdoor on either side of the same wall is the cheapest run.
- Pipe length. Most units allow a few metres as standard, then it is priced per metre.
- Height difference. There is a limit between the two units and it is in the manual.
- Noise. An outdoor unit under a bedroom window is a decision you make once.
- Access to service. A unit on a third-storey parapet costs more every time it is touched.
- Body corporate rules. Many complexes dictate where an outdoor unit may be mounted.
Aircon Installation Prices
Ballpark installed figures so you can check a quotation.
| Item | Ballpark price |
|---|---|
| 9000 BTU mid-wall split, supplied and installed | R7,500 - R12,500 |
| 12000 BTU mid-wall split, supplied and installed | R9,000 - R15,500 |
| 18000 BTU mid-wall split, supplied and installed | R13,000 - R22,000 |
| 24000 BTU mid-wall split, supplied and installed | R17,000 - R28,000 |
| Installation only, your own unit, back to back | R3,000 - R6,500 |
| Extra refrigerant pipe run, per metre | R350 - R750 |
| Bracket, plinth or trunking extras | R450 - R2,500 |
| Electrical point run to the unit | R900 - R3,500 |
Prices JUST UPDATED. Ballpark figures, rounded, excluding VAT. They reflect typical South African aircon and refrigeration rates. They are not our prices or quotations, and no provider is bound by them. Confirm what each quotation includes, such as the unit capacity, the standard pipe run, the electrical work, making good and callout fees.
Get an installed price for your own room rather than a range.
Get the Best QuoteWhat Affects the Price
- The capacity. BTU rating is the single biggest line in the price.
- Pipe run length. Every metre past the standard allowance is priced on its own.
- Where the outdoor unit goes. Ground level is cheap; a roof or a parapet is not.
- Brand and warranty. The same capacity spans a wide price range across brands.
- Inverter or not. An inverter costs more up front and less to run.
- Making good. Chasing, plastering and painting after the pipe run is extra.
What to Include in Your Request
- The room size. Length, width and ceiling height, roughly.
- Which way it faces. And how much glass is in it.
- Where the outdoor unit could go. And how far that is from the indoor wall.
- Whether there is power nearby. An existing point or a run from the board.
- The building. House, flat, complex or office, and which floor.
- Whether you have a unit already. Installation only, or supply and install.
Before the Installer Quotes
- Ask what capacity they are quoting. A price without a BTU rating is not comparable.
- Ask what the standard pipe run covers. Then ask the rate per metre beyond it.
- Check the warranty terms. Most are void without a commissioning certificate.
- Ask who does the electrical work. And whether a certificate of compliance is included.
- Agree who makes good. Chasing a wall and leaving it is a common gap in a quote.
- Check the complex rules first. Before anyone quotes for a position you cannot use.
Aircon Installation FAQs
How long does an aircon installation take?
A straightforward back-to-back mid-wall split is usually half a day for two installers. A long pipe run, a chased wall, an outdoor unit that needs scaffolding or a new electrical circuit can push it to a full day or two. Multiple units in one visit are normally quicker per unit than one at a time.
What size unit do I need?
As a rough guide, 600 to 700 BTU per square metre of floor area for an average room with normal ceilings. Large windows, a west-facing wall, a high ceiling or a room full of equipment all push it up. A good installer measures rather than guesses, because an oversized unit cools without drying the air properly and costs more to run.
Can I supply my own unit?
Most installers will fit a unit you have bought, and some charge more for it because they carry no margin on the equipment and cannot stand behind it. Check who honours the warranty first: many manufacturers require installation and commissioning by an accredited installer before the warranty is valid.
Does an installation need a certificate?
Refrigerant work in South Africa is meant to be done by a registered practitioner, and the electrical connection needs a certificate of compliance if a new circuit is run. Ask for both in writing. It matters for insurance as much as for compliance.
Where should the outdoor unit go?
Somewhere with free air around it, out of direct afternoon sun if possible, close to the indoor unit, and not under a bedroom window. It also has to be reachable for servicing. In a complex, check the rules before you choose, because many dictate the position and the screening.
Installation is one of the jobs providers listed on Aircon Hub quote for, alongside repairs, servicing and unit supply.
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