What Actually Goes Into an Installation
An aircon quote that only covers the unit is not a real quote. A proper installation in Wellington includes wall brackets rated for the outdoor unit, the copper pipe run and insulation, a condensate drain that runs to somewhere sensible, vacuum-down and commissioning, and the electrical side. Our Wellington aircon team quotes all of it up front, with the electrical work priced in rather than sprung on you on the day: on 9,000 and 12,000 BTU units the power point is included in the installation price, and from 18,000 BTU up the unit needs its own dedicated circuit and isolator — R1,800 on an 18,000 BTU unit and R1,900 on a 24,000, covering everything within 20 metres of your DB board. Longer runs are measured on site. We say so before you commit rather than after.
What This Means for Your Electrical Certificate
Worth knowing, because almost nobody mentions it: adding a circuit for an aircon is an alteration to your electrical installation, so a Certificate of Compliance issued before the work is no longer current. If you are selling, or your insurer asks, you will need a fresh one. That is not a form we can simply sign on the day — a CoC certifies the whole installation, not just the new circuit, so it means a proper inspection of the board, the earthing and every existing circuit. Our electrician will not certify an installation he has not inspected, which is the answer you want from an electrician. Ask us and we will arrange the inspection separately.
Getting the Size Right Matters More Than the Brand
An undersized unit runs flat out and never quite cools; an oversized one short-cycles, never dehumidifies properly and wears itself out. Sizing depends on the room volume, which way the windows face, the glass area, ceiling insulation and how many people use the room. A 9,000 BTU unit suits a small bedroom, 12,000 BTU a standard bedroom or small lounge, 18,000 to 24,000 BTU an open-plan living area. We measure up on site rather than guessing from a photo.
What Each Size Costs, Installed in Wellington
| Unit size | Suits | Supplied & installed | Electrical |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9,000 BTU | Small bedroom | R9,800 – R12,000 | Included |
| 12,000 BTU | Standard bedroom or small lounge | R11,600 – R13,000 | Included |
| 18,000 BTU | Large bedroom or small open-plan | R14,200 – R21,200 | + R1,800 |
| 24,000 BTU | Open-plan living area | R19,500 – R26,600 | + R1,900 |
Prices include VAT and assume a back-to-back installation. The electrical column is the dedicated circuit and isolator: it is already in the price at 9,000 and 12,000 BTU, and from 18,000 BTU up it covers everything within 20 metres of your DB board. Premium ranges such as the Samsung WindFree sit above the figures above; the spread inside one size is the brand, not the work.
It Heats as Well as It Cools
Most people in Wellington buy an aircon for February, then find they use it more in July. A modern inverter split is a heat pump — it runs as an efficient heater through a Boland winter, typically at a fraction of the running cost of a fan heater or oil heater. Worth factoring into which unit you choose. Installed cost for a supplied midwall split runs from about R9,800 for an entry-level 9,000 BTU unit to around R27,000 for a premium 24,000 BTU inverter. A back-to-back installation, with the indoor and outdoor units either side of the same wall, includes the first metre of copper pipe, insulation, trunking, brackets and cable; past that the pipe run is R480 a metre. Where the condensate cannot drain by gravity a pump is added — R1,560 fitted, or R2,080 for the near-silent version we use in offices, studios and anywhere quiet matters.
Twelve Months on the Workmanship
The unit carries its manufacturer warranty, which varies by brand and range. Separately from that, our Wellington aircon team guarantees the installation work itself for twelve months — the brackets, the pipe work, the flares, the drain and the wiring. Fair wear and tear, storm damage, misuse and vandalism are excluded, as you would expect. Very few installers in Wellington put a labour guarantee in writing at all.
