Air conditioning

Although air conditioning is expensive to install and run, it is simply essential in some towns. Marius Louw of Louwco Cooling Solutions ( louwco.co.za) in Wellington explains: “The size of the air conditioner you should install is measured in BTU [British Thermal Units] and varies according to the size of the room, how much sunlight it gets, as well as insulation. Your energy usage will skyrocket if your BTU is measured incorrectly.”

Tips

• Marius encourages consumers to install energy-saving models, to find out what is covered by the guarantee and what isn’t, and to remember that air conditioners should be serviced annually by an accredited person. • The new Seasonal Energy Label of the European Union enables consumers to compare air conditioners effectively. A classification of A++++ is the most energy-efficient. • Newer models, such as Samsung’s Triangle AR9000 range, can be turned on via Wi-Fi half an hour before you get home, regardless of where you are. This allows you to save a siwgnificant amount of electricity, according to Michael McKechnie of Samsung Electronics SA. • Freestanding air conditioners, such as those from brands like De’Longhi, at R7 000, are significantly cheaper than those that are permanently installed – but these units have a pipe that blasts the hot air outside and they are therefore not as portable as some marketing material might lead you to believe.

Prices

Air conditioner Samsung AR5000 12 000 BTU R410 non-inverter air conditioner, approximately R7 199 (excluding installation) from Samsung samsung.com/za/home

Installation Marius has worked out a total installation cost of about R12 000 for this scenario: a room of 40m2 in the Paarl area with the air conditioner above installed back-to-back with a 1m pipe.