Air Conditioning in Randburg

Randburg’s homes, hills and climate

Randburg sits on the ridges and valleys north-west of central Johannesburg, at around 1,600 to 1,750 metres above sea level. It is a little cooler than the lower-lying suburbs, but summers are still hot, with afternoon temperatures in the high twenties and low thirties and dramatic thunderstorms. Winters are cold and dry, and the higher parts of Randburg, around Northcliff and Linden, can be noticeably chilly on July mornings.

Most Randburg homes were built between the 1950s and the 1990s, and many have been extended over the years with extra bedrooms, studies, flatlets and second storeys. Many are built on slopes, with split levels, retaining walls and terraced gardens. Those features make Randburg homes interesting to work on, and they shape almost every installation we do here: where the outdoor unit can safely go, how far the pipes need to run, and whether the existing electrical board can take another circuit.

Cresta, Brightwater Commons, Northcliff Hill and Delta Park

Cresta Shopping Centre on Beyers Naudé Drive is the commercial heart of this part of Randburg, and the roads around it, especially Beyers Naudé and Weltevreden Road, are some of the busiest in the area. Further east, Brightwater Commons in Ferndale, which many locals still call the Randburg Waterfront, has been redeveloped into a shopping and entertainment centre. The older Randburg CBD, around Hill Street and Republic Road, has offices, government buildings and many small businesses.

Northcliff Hill, with its water tower and wide views across the city, is one of the highest points in Johannesburg and a landmark visible from much of Randburg. On the eastern side, Delta Park in Blairgowrie and Victory Park offers green space, dams and walking trails, while 7th Street in Linden and the small shopping streets of Blairgowrie and Ferndale give those suburbs their village feel. We plan our Randburg routes around these landmarks and the main arteries, including Malibongwe Drive, Beyers Naudé Drive, Republic Road, Bram Fischer Drive and Jan Smuts Avenue, so that we arrive when we say we will.

Randburg, area by area

Installing on slopes and split-level homes

Many Randburg homes are built on sloping ground, and that affects air conditioning in a few practical ways.

Where the outdoor unit goes. On a sloping stand, the easiest spot for the condenser is sometimes on a narrow terrace, above a retaining wall or on a high wall bracket. We choose positions that are stable, easy to service and safe to reach. If a position would need a technician to work on a ladder over a drop, we look for an alternative or plan for proper access equipment.

Pipe runs between levels. In split-level homes, the indoor unit may be on a different level from the best condenser position. Longer pipe runs and height differences are fine within the manufacturer’s limits, but they need to be planned and may need extra refrigerant. We work this out during the site visit so the quote is accurate.

Drainage. Condensate water must drain away by gravity or be pumped. On slopes, we route drains so that water does not run down walls, across paving or onto a neighbour’s property.

Storm water. On steep properties, heavy summer rain runs fast across terraces and driveways. Outdoor units must sit above the path of running water, on a solid base.

Older homes and electrical capacity

In a lot of Randburg homes, the air conditioner is the easy part. The electrical board is where the real work is.

Many homes in Fontainebleau, Ferndale, Linden and Blairgowrie still have their original or early distribution boards. Some have no space for another breaker, some have no earth leakage unit, and some have wiring that has been extended by several owners over the years. Adding an air conditioner to a board like that can cause nuisance tripping, overheating and, in the worst cases, a fire risk.

Because Aircon Master employs registered electricians, we check the board as part of every installation quote. If it needs work, we tell you exactly what and why, and we can do the DB board upgrade, run a dedicated circuit for each unit and fit surge protection. If you are selling your home, we can also inspect the whole installation and issue an electrical Certificate of Compliance, which is required on transfer.

Choosing the right system for a Randburg home

We size every unit for the room, taking into account its size, ceiling height, windows, orientation and use. Rooms in extensions often have flat roofs with little insulation, which makes them particularly hot in summer, and we allow for that.

Flatlets, cottages and home offices

A lot of Randburg properties have a garden flatlet, a converted garage or a backyard cottage, used by family members, tenants or as a home office. These small buildings are often the hottest rooms on the property: many have flat or low-pitched roofs, little insulation and a single window. A small inverter split is usually the most practical way to make them comfortable, but the electrical supply needs checking first. Flatlets are often fed by a long cable from the main house, sometimes with no separate board, and adding an air conditioner can overload that supply. Our electricians can install a small sub-board with its own protection, which also makes the flatlet safer and easier to rent out.

For home offices, we think about where you sit. An indoor unit blowing directly onto your desk or your back all day is uncomfortable, so we position it to move air across the room instead, and we choose models that are quiet enough for video calls.

Winter heating on the ridges

Randburg’s higher suburbs, particularly around Northcliff, Linden and Fontainebleau, get properly cold in winter. Many older homes have large windows, wooden floors and no ceiling insulation, and they lose heat quickly. A modern inverter unit in heat mode is one of the most efficient ways to heat a room with electricity, typically producing several times more heat than the electricity it uses, and it is much safer than open-element heaters or gas heaters in bedrooms. If winter heating is your main reason for installing air conditioning, tell us, and we will choose units and positions with heating in mind. Warm air rises, so for heating, the indoor unit’s position and louvre settings matter more than they do for cooling.

Complexes and apartments

Randburg has a large number of townhouse complexes and apartment blocks, especially in Robindale, Windsor, Ferndale, Olivedale and Northriding. In sectional-title schemes, trustees generally need to give written consent before an owner changes the outside of a building, and that includes mounting an outdoor unit or running trunking. We provide the details trustees usually ask for: the unit model and size, the proposed positions with photos, the pipe route and the drainage plan. On balconies, we keep condensers compact and tidy and make sure that water does not drip onto the unit below.

Trees, gardens and outdoor units

Randburg is known for its trees. Jacarandas, oaks and other big old trees shade streets and gardens across Ferndale, Linden, Blairgowrie and Northcliff. They keep houses cooler, which helps, but they also drop leaves, flowers, seed pods and sap onto anything beneath them, including outdoor units. A condenser that sits under a tree can lose a lot of its airflow within a single season. When we choose a position, we look up as well as around, and we avoid placing units directly below heavy leaf fall wherever possible. Where there is no alternative, we recommend more frequent cleaning of the outdoor coil, and we make sure the unit is easy to reach for servicing. Tree roots can also lift paving and plinths over time, so we check that the base is stable.

Offices, shops and small businesses

From the Randburg CBD and the offices along Republic Road to the light-industrial units of Strijdom Park and the shops of Linden and Blairgowrie, many Randburg businesses need reliable cooling. We install cassettes and splits in offices, consulting rooms and shops, dedicated cooling for server cupboards, and we offer scheduled maintenance so that systems are clean and working before the summer rush. See commercial air conditioning for more.

Repairs, regassing and servicing

Many Randburg units are ten or more years old, and the faults we see reflect that: refrigerant leaks from old joints, failing fan motors and capacitors, clogged coils, blocked drains, and control boards damaged by power surges. Units under the big trees common in Randburg gardens also collect leaves and seed pods that block airflow.

Every repair starts with a proper diagnosis and a written price. If a unit is short of gas, we find and fix the leak before we regas. We recommend a service once a year for most homes, and twice a year for units that run daily or sit under trees. If your unit is not cooling, try our seven quick checks first.

Randburg questions

Which areas of Randburg do you cover?

All of Randburg, including Ferndale, Blairgowrie, Bordeaux, Linden, Northcliff, Robindale, Windsor, Kensington B, Fontainebleau, Malanshof, Cresta, Darrenwood, Randpark Ridge, Boskruin, Bromhof, Sundowner, Olivedale, Northriding, Strijdom Park and the Randburg CBD.

My house is on a steep slope. Can you still install?

Yes. We plan the condenser position and access carefully, and use proper equipment where needed. The site visit lets us work out the safest and neatest option.

Will you check my electrical board?

Yes, on every installation quote. If it needs an upgrade, we explain why and include it as a separate item.

Do you work in apartment blocks?

Yes. We prepare the information trustees need and install once approval is given.

How do I choose an aircon company?

Ask for an itemised written quote, proof of refrigerant registration and details of the workmanship guarantee. Our guide on what to look for in a Johannesburg installer has more.

Can you install an air conditioner in my flatlet?

Yes. We will check the electrical supply to the flatlet first, and if needed, install a small sub-board so the unit has its own protected circuit.

Is air conditioning good for heating in winter?

Yes. Inverter units heat efficiently and safely, and in Randburg’s colder suburbs many clients use them more in winter than in summer.

Book air conditioning in Randburg

Call or WhatsApp 060 959 2231, or use the quote form. Tell us your suburb, the rooms you want to cool or heat, and whether you are in a complex, and we will come back to you with a plan and a written quote.

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Nearby: Fourways Roodepoort Sandton Midrand All areas