What to put in your request
A supplier can only price what they can see. Answer these and the quotes come back for the same job, which is the only way they can be compared.
- What you need: new units supplied and installed, old units replaced, a service contract, repairs, or a cold room or refrigeration plant.
- For each room: its size, what it is used for, how many people work in it, and heat sources such as servers, kitchens or west-facing glass. Or the capacity you need, if a professional has already worked it out.
- The existing units: make, model, age and refrigerant, all shown on the nameplate. An old R22 unit changes the repair-or-replace question.
- Where the indoor and outdoor units can go, how far apart they are, the wall type, and where the condensate water can drain. Say if the outdoor unit needs your landlord's or body corporate's approval.
- The electrical supply: whether the distribution board has space for new circuits, and whether it is single-phase or three-phase.
- For a service contract: how many units, how often, what each service includes (filters, coils, drains, refrigerant checks), and the response time for breakdowns.
- For cold rooms and refrigeration: the size, the temperature to be held, what is stored, and whether you want temperature monitoring and alarms.
- When the work can happen. Installing in occupied offices may have to be done after hours.
What to compare when the quotes come back
The lowest total is where comparing starts, not where it ends.
- How the capacity was worked out: a heat-load calculation for each room, or a rule of thumb.
- The exact make and model, inverter or fixed speed, the energy class, and the refrigerant.
- What the "standard installation" includes: how many metres of pipe, the brackets, the electrical work, the condensate drain and making good, and the rate for anything beyond it.
- The warranty from the manufacturer and from the installer, and the conditions, such as regular servicing, that keep it valid.
- For old units: the cost of repairing against replacing, given that R22 is being phased down.
- The lead time, and whether the units are in stock.
On SupScope every quote arrives with the same three figures: the total, the lead time and the deposit. The first comparison is done before you open anything. The rest of this list is what to read in each supplier's notes and documents.
Paperwork worth asking for
- SAQCC Gas registration, and a certificate of conformity
- Under the Pressure Equipment Regulations, only an authorised person may install or remove a gas system, and the authorised person issues a certificate of conformity when the work is done. SAQCC Gas, mandated by the Department of Employment and Labour, registers authorised refrigeration practitioners for this work, by category, according to the type and size of system they may work on. Ask for the technician's card and check it on SAQCC Gas's database.
- A certificate of compliance for any new circuit
- If a unit needs a new circuit from the distribution board, that is electrical installation work, and under the Electrical Installation Regulations it needs a certificate of compliance from a registered person. Ask whether the quote covers it, or whether you need an electrician as well.
- The energy label, for smaller units
- Split, window and portable air conditioners of up to 7.1 kW cooling capacity must be approved by the NRCS before they are sold, carry the South African energy efficiency label, and be rated at least Class B. Check the label and model number on what is delivered.
- Confirmation that old refrigerant is recovered
- The ozone regulations under the Air Quality Act prohibit releasing ozone-depleting substances into the air, and R22 is one of them. When an old unit is repaired or removed, ask how its refrigerant will be recovered and where it goes.
And from any supplier
- A SARS Tax Compliance Status PIN
- It replaced the old tax clearance certificate. Checking it on eFiling shows the supplier's status on the day you check, not the day it was issued.
- A B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit
- Only if your own scorecard counts it. Small suppliers (turnover up to R10 million) may use an affidavit instead of a verified certificate.
- Company registration and a bank confirmation letter
- Worth having before the first payment, so the account you pay is the company you chose.
General guidance, not legal advice. Regulations change, and some depend on your municipality or the job, so confirm anything you rely on with the authority concerned.
How this works on SupScope
- Step 1
Post it once
Describe the job and choose Air Conditioning & Refrigeration and your province.
- Step 2
It reaches the right suppliers
Only suppliers who work in this trade and cover your province see it.
- Step 3
Compare and award
Quotes arrive side by side. Accept one and the others are told.