What is it doing?
Aircon Repairs South Africa covers everything from a unit that will not switch on to one that runs but no longer cools. Describe the fault and the unit once, and compare callout fees, diagnosis charges and repair quotes from technicians who cover your area.
Describe the fault and get repair quotes.
Get the Best QuoteCommon Faults and What They Usually Mean
- Not cooling. Low gas from a leak, a blocked coil or a failed compressor.
- Will not start. Power, a failed capacitor, a tripped breaker or the board.
- Water dripping inside. A blocked condensate drain, almost always.
- Ice on the pipes. Low gas or restricted airflow across the indoor coil.
- Noisy running. Fan bearings, a loose mounting or debris in the outdoor unit.
- Smells when it runs. Mould in the drip tray or on the coil, so a clean rather than a repair.
Gas Leaks, Honestly
- Gas is not consumed. A sealed system does not use refrigerant up, so a low charge is a leak.
- A regas alone is temporary. Without finding the leak the gas goes the same way again.
- Leak testing. Nitrogen pressure test, soap or an electronic sniffer.
- Common leak points. Flare joints, the indoor coil and corroded outdoor coils at the coast.
- What it costs. Finding the leak is often more than the gas that replaces it.
- When to stop. On an old unit a coil leak is often the end of the economic road.
Repair or Replace
- Age. Past ten to twelve years most units owe you nothing.
- The cost of the part. A compressor or an indoor coil is a large share of a new unit.
- Refrigerant type. Older gases are harder and dearer to get hold of.
- Running cost. A non-inverter replaced by an inverter pays some of itself back.
- Repeat faults. Three callouts in two summers is a decision, not bad luck.
- Availability of parts. Boards for discontinued models can take weeks or never arrive.
Aircon Repairs Prices
Ballpark repair figures so you can check a quotation.
| Item | Ballpark price |
|---|---|
| Callout and diagnosis | R550 - R1,200 |
| Regas, domestic split unit | R950 - R2,600 |
| Leak test and repair, accessible joint | R1,400 - R3,800 |
| Capacitor replaced | R650 - R1,600 |
| Fan motor replaced | R1,800 - R4,500 |
| PC board replaced | R2,500 - R7,500 |
| Compressor replaced | R6,000 - R16,000 |
| Blocked drain cleared | R550 - R1,400 |
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 a repair price for your own unit rather than a range.
Get the Best QuoteWhat Affects the Price
- What has actually failed. A capacitor and a compressor are not the same conversation.
- Whether the part is available. Discontinued models cost in waiting as much as in money.
- Where the unit is. A ducted indoor unit in a ceiling takes hours to reach.
- Refrigerant type. The older the gas, the dearer and scarcer it is.
- Callout distance. Outside the metros the travel is a real line item.
- Urgency. An after-hours or same-day visit is priced differently.
What to Include in Your Request
- The symptom. In plain words: no cooling, no power, dripping, noisy, smelly.
- The make and model. Off the sticker on the indoor unit, if you can reach it.
- How old it is. Roughly, and when it was last serviced.
- Any error code. The letters and numbers on the display or flashing on the unit.
- Where it is mounted. Wall, ceiling or ducted, and on which floor.
- How many units. Several faulty units in one visit is usually cheaper per unit.
Before the Technician Quotes
- Ask whether the callout is credited. Many deduct it from the repair if you go ahead.
- Ask for the fault in writing. Not just the price to fix it.
- Ask about a regas without a leak test. It is a refill of a leak, not a repair.
- Get the part price separately. Part and labour split out is comparable; a lump sum is not.
- Ask what guarantee the repair carries. On the part, on the labour, or on neither.
- Weigh it against a new unit. Above about half the price of a replacement, think hard.
Aircon Repairs FAQs
Why is my aircon not cooling?
The common causes are a low refrigerant charge from a leak, a dirty indoor or outdoor coil restricting airflow, a failed capacitor stopping the compressor or fan, or a compressor that has given up. A technician should measure pressures and temperatures rather than simply adding gas, because adding gas to a leaking system only buys a few months.
How much does a regas cost?
For a domestic split unit, roughly R950 to R2,600 depending on the gas type and how much it takes. Be careful of a quote that is only a regas: refrigerant is not used up in normal running, so if the charge is low there is a leak, and the gas will go the same way unless the leak is found and repaired.
Is it worth repairing an old aircon?
As a rough rule, if the repair is more than about half the cost of a replacement and the unit is over ten years old, replacement usually wins, especially if the alternative is an inverter that costs less to run. Below that, and with parts available, a repair is normally the better value.
Why is water dripping from the indoor unit?
Almost always a blocked condensate drain. The unit pulls moisture out of the air and that water has to run away somewhere; when the pipe silts up or the slime builds, the tray overflows into the room. It is one of the cheaper faults to fix and one of the easier ones to prevent with an annual clean.
How quickly can someone come out?
In the metros a local technician can often be there the same or next day, and repairs are busiest in the first hot week of summer when everyone switches on at once. Outside the metros, allow longer and expect travel to be itemised.
Repairs are one of the jobs providers listed on Aircon Hub quote for, alongside servicing, cleaning and replacement.
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