[DrunkenMonk]

Originally Posted by shan.dr

And my AC has been leaking like a bursting dam since yesterday (did not use it the first night). I am putting two and two together, and maybe it is the confluence of hot and cold currents that is making it drip so much.

It is also quiet possible that the copper pipes are not insulated properly by the technician, causing condensation on the insulated portions.

[Aroy]

One bucket of water overnight is normal in Delhi, especially now a days as it is very humid. If the water is coming out of the drain pipe it is OK, if it is dripping inside, then immediate action is required. I had such leakage two years ago (due to blocked drain) and the water seeped into the wall and one whole wall was ruined.

I have connected the AC drain outlet to the rain water gutter, before that the water was all over the drive way, pretty irritating during rains when the water initiates moss growth and you slip on it.

[Gill]

I visited the market, following are the market prices quoted by the retailers for window AC.

1 Carrier 1.5T 3star-25000
2star-21500
2 Hitachhi 1.5T 2star-22000
5star-30000
3star-27000(Twin Motor Tech)
3 Samsung 1.5T 1star-17000
2star-19900
3star-24000
4 LG 1.5T 2star-19000
3star-22000
4star-24000
5 Godrej 1.5T 2star-17000
3star-20000
6 Voltas 1.5T 1star-18500
2star-19810
3star-21500
7 Onida 1.5T 2star-17500
3star-19500

Initially I had kept by budget up to 22k, but you consider spending another 3k to getter better value.
usage:-9hrs/day for 4 months.
Considering usage, should i go for 4/5* or 3 star or less will do?
Please suggest.

[esteem_lover]

From my experience, I can tell you Onida is certainly value for money. I have one for the last 7 years and it is a chiller and the service has been great off late(meaning right now).

[khoj]

Originally Posted by Gill

I visited the market, following are the market prices quoted by the retailers for window AC.

2 Hitachhi 1.5T 2star-22000
5star-30000
3star-27000(Twin Motor Tech)

Initially I had kept by budget up to 22k, but you consider spending another 3k to getter better value.
usage:-9hrs/day for 4 months.
Considering usage, should i go for 4/5* or 3 star or less will do?
Please suggest.

Of the lot get the Hitachi 3 star @ 22K.
I would however suggest that you take a look at the Whirlpool machines. You may be able to get a better rated machine at a similar price point.

[Gill]

Whirlpool WAR18G30RW0 3star is available for rs22000. How about Voltas? Is it reliable?

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Aroy

One bucket of water overnight is normal in Delhi, especially now a days as it is very humid. ....

Aroy, I wouldn't say Delhi is very humid these days! RH is averaging 15% or so and my giant desert cooler is doing a splendid job these days keeping the entire house at 26°C and going down at times to 24°C!
We haven't started using the ACs yet!

[jaysmokesleaves]

Originally Posted by Gill

Whirlpool WAR18G30RW0 3star is available for rs22000. How about Voltas? Is it reliable?

Voltas comes with bulletproof reliability. They are very rugged ac's and dont need maintenance other than regular filter cleaning. I have used 4 2ton & 3 1.5ton Voltas window units for over 5 years without a single issue. Somehow, not much of a star rating. But honestly, Theoretically the star ac's are supposed to save you a packet. But if you calculate the higher purchase cost, maintenance, etc. unless you use your ac everyday for 8hrs for 3-4 years, I doubt you will benefit from any 5 star rating ac.
For your 4 month usage per year even a 1 star ac will serve well.
The worst ac with the worst service you can buy is Lg.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Aroy, I wouldn't say Delhi is very humid these days! RH is averaging 15% or so and my giant desert cooler is doing a splendid job these days keeping the entire house at 26°C and going down at times to 24°C!
We haven't started using the ACs yet!

Humidity, as they say is relative, and my AC's do not think that it is dry, they are generating copious amounts of water, at least 1/2 a bucket per AC, over night.

Large dessert coolers work quite well well upto 70% humidity and are extremely good at cooling as they have large area for evaporation so can do with lower humidity differential (70 on upstream side and 80 on the downstream side). fifteen years ago I had built one using wood. It had 6 foot height and 2 foot depth and 3 foot width a total of 6 x (2 + 3 + 2) = 42 square feet of area for evaporation. Chilled the whole house, but consumed upwards of 1000 liters of water per day during peak summer, and due to acute water shortage in early 2000 we decommissioned it and switched over to AC's.

[khoj]

Originally Posted by Gill

Whirlpool WAR18G30RW0 3star is available for rs22000. How about Voltas? Is it reliable?

Well, with Whirlpool 3 star at 22K = your initial budget, I believe the answer is obvious.

Once again Voltas products are like a lottery ticket, if the piece you buy works then you have hit the jackpot. If it does not then you better be ready to nurture a friendship with the local service technician.

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Aroy, I wouldn't say Delhi is very humid these days! RH is averaging 15% or so and my giant desert cooler is doing a splendid job these days keeping the entire house at 26°C and going down at times to 24°C!

We haven't started using the ACs yet!

Hello Sir,
Good to see you posting again. The weather in the capital currently is indeed perfect for desert coolers.

Originally Posted by Aroy

Humidity, as they say is relative, and my AC's do not think that it is dry, they are generating copious amounts of water, at least 1/2 a bucket per AC, over night.

To all reading this thread pay attention to Aroy's comments above. The reason this is important is that it is a reminder for all of us to increase our water intake when living for extended hours in an airconditioned environment. These machines have the capability to not only suck moisture out of the air(literally) but also from our bodies. This is of higher concern if you have young children or senior members in the family as their skins are more prone to losing moisture rapidly.
So drink up, H2O that is

[oss]

Originally Posted by khoj

Once again Voltas products are like a lottery ticket, if the piece you buy works then you have hit the jackpot. If it does not then you better be ready to nurture a friendship with the local service technician.

Voltas used to source compressors from Mitsubishi earlier, which were one of the best available, and hence all those who bought their ACs in the early to mid-2000s were happier. Now a days, they are cashing in on the goodwill earned by using different compressor manufacturers, mostly Chinese ones - i was told they currently have 3 compressor vendors. This results in quality variations and your experience with the product depends on which compressor you end up with.

While on the subject of ACs, my Godrej window unit stopped cooling couple of weeks back (what a bad timing ) and i called the service engineer. After multiple calls and followup he showed up one fine day, checked the unit and nonchalantly announced that they the unit has run out of gas.

When i told him it was just a 3 yr old unit, he replied that he had encountered lots of units that were just 1 or 2 yr old which ran out of gas

My other AC (Amtrex/Hitachi) which is completing its 12th year, is running super good even today, and this one went kaput in just 3yrs?

A quick check around with friends and in forums did confirm that most of the people that bought Godrej are banging their head against the wall like me. He offered to take the unit back, service it/refill gas and fit it back for 2500 bucks, but i decided to get rid of the unit. Sold it and bought a new Hitachi - Summer QC. Though i had to pay 27.3k for a 1.5T window unit, atleast i am assured of some peace of mind.

[pugram]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

From my experience, I can tell you Onida is certainly value for money. I have one for the last 7 years and it is a chiller and the service has been great off late(meaning right now).

I too have a 1 tonne 3 star - Onida split (SPD3 model) working fine for Chennai's humid conditions.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by khoj

.....
.... These machines have the capability to not only suck moisture out of the air(literally) but also from our bodies. This is of higher concern if you have young children or senior members in the family as their skins are more prone to losing moisture rapidly.
...

Quite so, Khoj. And it's not just the skin, it is also the air we exhale, which is rich in water vapour!

Originally Posted by Aroy

Humidity, as they say is relative, and my AC's do not think that it is dry, they are generating copious amounts of water, at least 1/2 a bucket per AC, over night.
....

This could be because you are exhaling a lot of moisture too. But surely the current humidity levels are what would best be described as dry heat conditions, ideal for swamp coolers.

As for the RH value at which these coolers deliver acceptable performance I'd say 40% RH is about the limit.
My cooler has over 45 sq. ft. of evaporation area.

[Gill]

Close down to following two options:-
1 Hitachhi 1.5T 2star-22000
2 Whirlpool 1.5T 3star-22500(inc of V.regulator)+250 instal charges.
Whirlpool is giving the stabliser (digital) free. With a small chance is Voltas in race.Yet to sit and close on price with retailer, have disclosed that I need to buy two units.

I need information on General AC's 1.5 T(window) price.Their star ratings. I fail to see the star ratings on their website

[khoj]

Originally Posted by Gill

With a small chance is Voltas in race.

Are you telling us or asking whether Voltas should still be considered. The placement of 'is' is confusing.
Anyhow if it is the former, hey it has to be your decision in the end and if it is the latter then I would suggest that you go ahead with the big V. That will be a rare opportunity for us to find out regarding the quality of the lot sourced by Voltas for this season. It will contribute towards the benefit of buyers who come after you.

Originally Posted by Gill

I need information on General AC's 1.5 T(window) price.Their star ratings. I fail to see the star ratings on their website

Their web site and the brochures simply have a 5 star rating displayed against all of the product ranges, so it may be presumed that all of their models are indeed 5 star rated. This would not be a surprise given their excellent EER (energy efficiency ratio) figures which you will find are a high 10+ for all of their models compared to the 7~8+ for a majority of the machines in the market. However for a clearer picture it would be best to contact the company directly and check on the same. Here is the Chandigarh office no 5087288-90 for your perusal.

The prices for the window 1.5 ton General machines should be between 27+ to 29 + for the rotary compressor equipped manual and remote controlled machines respectively. The 1.5 ton with the reciprocating compressor if available this season (on order) then depending on various factors its price should be between 29+ to 31K.