All about Air Conditioners - believe it or not !
1> Cooling at the cost of noise: You will get the cooling but will lose the quality of sleep. Remember that noise is measured on a logarithmic scale. For Example: 6 dB increase in noise = Double the noise !! Most of the branded split A/C’s - the indoor unit generate noise of 42 dB at the lowest speed. On Turbo mode this goes up to 52 dB !!! this is noisier than your ceiling fan.The outdoor unit generates more than 60 dB noise.
The specs in the product catalogue mentions the noise at the lowest speed. (the clever devils. The quietest a/c is Daikin ( Don’t try to beat the heat: If the roof is exposed to the sun then consider putting a canopy on top during summers. Buying a higher tonnage A/C is not a wise decision. A large canopy tied across the four corners of the terrace or tied to cement blocks kept in the middle, should reflect the heat upto 70 %. Ensure there is an air-gap of minimum 1 foot below the canopy. Still better if you can white wash the canopy with cheap lime or distemper. It’s no fun paying huge electricity bills and also kill your A/C at the same time.
4> Don’t let the Frills fool you: Each brand has some fancy name to their filter technology.... carbon fibers, ionizers, anti-bacteria, anti-virus, deodorizers, silver coated what-not, auto cleaning .....(yawn). These are rendered ineffective within the first 3 months of buying the A/C. The utility value is only 20 % of what the manufacturer claims. What really matters is cooling v/s power consumption v/s the noise levels. Your A/C is good only if the EER is above 3.2 (w/w)
5> Is the compressor of the same make as the A/C? : Only Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Panasonic and Toshiba make their own compressors. The rest outsource it from China / Korea. Not just the compressor but other components upto 60% are outsourced. Even Voltas (a TATA company !!) has a chinese heart. Onida comes with a Chinese compressor called ’Highly’ but deserves some respect because it’s the Chinese company in collaboration with Hitachi.
6> Don’t compromise during installation: Do not rush into getting the A/C installed immediately after buying. Ask the dealer to deliver but not install. Spend time reading the manual and learn the basic troubleshooting. Learn how to clean the filter and the drainpipe before the A/C goes up the wall and becomes difficult to access. Insist on a qualified technician to do the job. Check the guy’s qualification and experience. Most of them are primarily technicians for washing machines doubling up for the A/C job. The best of the A/C’s will not perform unless properly installed and tested. I suggest you retain 20% of A/C cost and pay the balance only after a test run of 3 days.
7> The A/C with Invertor technology: These were introduced in 2007 and are good in reducing the overall power consumption while increasing the life of the compressor. A conventional A/C turns ON the compressor whenever the room gets too warm. It runs at full power until the room is cool enough, then shuts off. The frequent ON / OFF cycles reduces the life of the compressor. The inverter technology converts the electric supply (230 volts AC) into DC (Direct Current - like in batteries). This DC power is again converted back to AC (Alternating Current) but to a different frequency, thus making it possible to run the compressor at desired speeds (RPM) depending on the cooling requirements. Once the room is cool enough the compressor can run at idling speeds and smoothly maintain the room temperature.
Cons:
>> It is more electronic than electrical, thus prone to niggling issues and failures.
>> Too complicated to repair on-site / at-home. The entire unit has to be carted to the nearest service centre. This also means losing the coolant gas and then the added expenditure of refilling it.
>> Costs anything between 60K to 1.2 lakh. (ouch!)