Frequently Asked Questions

Installed cost depends on capacity, indoor unit type, and the distance between indoor and outdoor units. A standard 12 000 BTU back-to-back residential split is the cheapest scenario; long pipe runs, ducted systems, cassettes and VRF plant cost progressively more.

We quote on site, in writing, with the unit, materials, electrical work and labour itemised separately - so you can see exactly what you are paying for and compare quotes on a like-for-like basis. Be wary of any quote that gives a single lump sum with no breakdown.

As a rough starting point, allow 600–700 BTU per square metre for a well-insulated room with normal sun exposure. Then adjust for glazing area, ceiling height, orientation, occupancy and heat-producing equipment.

Undersizing means the unit runs continuously and never holds temperature. Oversizing short-cycles, fails to dehumidify, and costs more to run. Both are common. We calculate the heat load before quoting.

A straightforward residential split is three to four hours. Longer pipe runs, chasing into walls or new electrical circuits push it to a full day. Ducted and cassette systems typically take one to three days. Commercial VRF installations are programmed in weeks alongside other trades.

Yes - site visits and written quotes for new installations are free and carry no obligation. Diagnostic call-outs on broken equipment are charged, because that is skilled fault-finding work rather than sales. We tell you which applies before we come out.

For commercial work, frequently. Retail and hospitality installations often have to happen outside trading hours, and plant changeovers in occupied offices are easier at night or over a weekend. It needs to be agreed up front so it is reflected in the programme and the price.

For anything you run regularly, yes. A fixed-speed unit is either flat out or off, cycling repeatedly. An inverter varies compressor speed to match the actual load, so it settles at low speed and holds temperature steadily. That means noticeably lower running costs, quieter operation, more stable temperature and less wear on the compressor.

For a unit used a handful of times a year, the payback is slower - but for most homes and all commercial applications, inverter is now the sensible default.

VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) runs many indoor units from one outdoor unit on a shared refrigerant loop, with each indoor unit individually controlled. It is the standard approach for multi-room and multi-tenant buildings.

You need it when the alternative - one outdoor unit per indoor unit - would mean an unacceptable number of condensers, too much plant space, or excessive pipe runs. For a house with two or three units, a multi-split is usually more appropriate and cheaper.

That is microbial growth on a damp evaporator coil and in the drain tray - common in humid coastal conditions. A routine filter clean will not fix it; it needs a chemical coil clean and drain treatment.

If the smell returns quickly, the underlying cause is usually poor drainage or an oversized unit that never runs long enough to dry its own coil.

Most modern split systems are reverse-cycle heat pumps, so yes. In heating mode they move heat from outside to inside, which makes them dramatically more efficient than resistive electric heaters - typically delivering several units of heat per unit of electricity consumed. In Gqeberha's mild winters they work very well.

It depends on capacity, efficiency and how you use it, but the controllable factors matter more than most people realise: correct sizing, clean filters and coils, a sensible setpoint, and closed doors and windows. Setting 18°C does not cool a room faster than setting 22°C - it just runs the compressor longer and costs you more.

A clean, correctly sized inverter unit set at a reasonable temperature is dramatically cheaper to run than a neglected, oversized one.

Once a year for a home unit inland, twice a year on the coast or in any commercial setting that runs all day, and quarterly for kitchens, workshops, dusty environments and server rooms.

Filter cleaning, evaporator coil and blower cleaning, condensate drain flushing and treatment, condenser coil washing, refrigerant pressure and superheat checks, electrical terminal tightening, running current measurement, and a full controls test - followed by a written report.

Because it has a leak. Refrigerant is not consumed; a sealed system should never lose it. Repeatedly topping up is treating the symptom and venting refrigerant into the atmosphere. We pressure test, find the leak, repair it, evacuate the system properly and recharge to the manufacturer's weight.

If it is more than ten years old, runs on R22, and the repair exceeds roughly a third of replacement cost, replace it. R22 is phased out and the gas is scarce and expensive. A modern inverter will also cut running costs substantially, which shortens the payback considerably.

It can, and manufacturers do enforce it. Most warranties are conditional on documented servicing at the specified intervals. Without service records, a compressor claim can be declined. Keep the reports we issue.

Routinely. We price off drawings and specifications, produce shop drawings for ductwork, and work to a main contractor's programme. We survey carefully before ordering, so site changes are caught early rather than mid-installation.

Yes. We fabricate and supply ductwork, transitions, plenums, canopies and louvres to other contractors and maintenance teams. Send a drawing, sketch or cutting list for pricing.

Yes. Planned maintenance agreements include a scheduled visit programme, an asset register of every unit on site, written condition reports after each visit, early warning of developing faults and priority response on breakdowns.

Yes - cooling, fresh air, extraction and kitchen canopies as one coordinated package. Splitting the air side between contractors is where clashes and delays come from.

The whole Nelson Mandela Bay metro - Gqeberha, Kariega (Uitenhage) and Despatch - plus Jeffreys Bay, St Francis Bay and Humansdorp. For commercial and industrial projects we travel considerably further into the Eastern Cape.