[mempheS.D]

Originally Posted by Chalu

Wow that sounds like a good deal. Was it a Split & a 5 star rating one?

Yes, it's a SPLIT. And was installed back-to-back on a west facing wall and window. The room size is about 250 sqft approx. The AC is a 4-star rating.

I doubt whether the installer can do anything about power consumption. An expert should be be able to help you choose the right tonnage. Whether you are located on the top floor of the building? Whether you have walls which receive sunlight from the setting sun as against the rising sun? Whether you have windows which pass through sunlight from a setting sun, etc. etc.

[Aroy]

An indifferent installer can impact power.
. Substandard insulation, will heat up the cooled gas in transit, reducing thermal efficiency => more power
. Insufficient gap between hot and cold lines, will also heat up the cold line => more power
. Bad routing with sharp bends = more pressure needed to pump gas => more power
. Improper positioning of the out door unit, with restricted airflow, means the hot gas will not cool as much as it could, so more cycles for same cooling => more power

Last but not the least, and indifferent installer may not do pressure test before filling gas, and any undetected leaks will reduce the gas leading not only to lower efficiency, but saddle you with the cost of gas if it has to be topped up.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Aroy

.... and indifferent installer may not do pressure test before filling gas, ...

As far as I know all outdoor units come pre-filled. Installers do not have to charge the plant at installation.

[sgiitk]

Slightly OT; Which split and windows units have progressed beyond R22?

[devarshi84]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Slightly OT; Which split and windows units have progressed beyond R22?

I know of Toshiba and Daikin. Also Mitsubishi Electric was planning to bring in their new models with R410.

Originally Posted by Chalu

Wow that sounds like a good deal. Was it a Split & a 5 star rating one?

Devarshi - A good installer will do more wonders than going for a 5-star ac. - can you please throw some light on the same on how can installer help in lower power consumption

apart from what Aroy posted, a good installer

1. Will make sure the indoor unit and outdoor unit placement is correct leading to better transit of hot and cold gases.

2. Will make sure a minimum length of pipe is used with minimum bends and good handling.

3. Check for leakage.

4. Take care of proper insulation of the pipes.

5. Install proper piping for water.

6. check for install strength and vibrations.

7. Adjust the install to facilitate the highest airflow circulation.

Overall, a badly installed 5 star will not hold a candle to a similar capacity 3 star unit if installed properly.

[ghodlur]

Folks,

Need some advice regarding Samsung Split AC maintenance. Does Samsung have an AMC kind of thing or we need to call up their helpline everytime to get the services done. Or is it left to the dealer to handle the AMC's. The three free services are done for my AC, hence the need for the info. Looked at their website, could not find any details.

[devarshi84]

Samsung service is advisable only till the unit is under warranty.

Find a technical guy in your neighborhood. He can take care of service for much less and more conveniently.

[vcash]

Hello everybody. I am looking to get about 16 AC's for two residential apartments. All piping work has already been done during the civil work. The Split of the 16 will be something like this:
1) Four 2.0 Ton's
2) Eight 1.5 Ton's
3) Four 1.2 Ton's

Have got a quote from Hitachi on their Logic Cool Line (Business Brand for Hitachi) as a corporate order:
1) 2.0 Ton 5 star AC - Rs. 33,500
2) 1.5 Ton 3 Star AC - Rs. 28,500
3) 1.2 Ton 3 Star AC - Rs. 24,500

This exclusive of installation and bracket. Installation is Rs. 1250 per AC and the brackets for the outdoor compressor is 950 per AC. Don't need a stabilizer as the power situation is very good in the locality.

Good pricing and good brand or should I look elsewhere?

[khoj]

If this requirement is for Bombay look at other options especially from Daikin, Mithsubishi electric, General, Panasonic and Sharp.

Daikin : Cause they are a much better company to deal with especially for after sales requirements. Their products are of course above par, though a little expensive initially. They may however make a fuss regarding the existing piping but should not be something that cannot be resolved. You could explore the possibility of VRV systems with them.

Mitsubishi Electric : Excellent products, great price points.

General : Rugged, well known and accepted machines especially along our West coast. Competitively priced and plenty of technicians out there who know these machines. Out of the World pricing at Alfa in Vile Parle.

Panasonic : Again great products and an extensive range catering to all price points. One of the most organized service network in the country.

Sharp : Top of the line offerings, current with what is being sold in other markets outside the country. Service backup is direct from the company. Take a wee bit longer to respond but other than that they are worth the spend.

Hitachi : Would have recommended it untill a couple of years back and did do that. Not anymore. Great mechanicals but the current fit and finish on their plastics is atrocious. The company is milking the brand now, best to stay away.

Originally Posted by vcash

Good pricing and good brand or should I look elsewhere?

If this is for JSR then simply go with Hitachi only if none of the other brands above have a presence there. If either one of them is there then opt for them and forget the H word.

[devarshi84]

I got a 2.2 Hitachi scroll and its a blast but I am not sure if you need that much cooling in Mumbai weather and it costs a bomb too.

Other than that, I have heard average reviews for the Logicool line. Pricing though was better than even the likes of voltas and Videocon.

I would suggest Daikin, Toshiba, Sharp or Mitsubishi Heavy (considering the brand has a good dealer nearby.) I liked Mitsubishi Heavy products more than Mitsubishi Electric personally but their dealer network is not very customer friendly.

I have an excellent opinion for Daikin and I assume the same for Toshiba (Didnt opt for it though.)

Unlike some experts here, I have also had success with numerous Voltas units and a videocon which work flawlessly and silently.

But at the end of the day, all are good brands and you don't really know if others will provide you with good prices. Only then comparison comes into play.

[vcash]

Thanks for the fantastic advice Khoj! Checking with Daikin amongst others. VRV would be central AC right? Aren't those systems very expensive?

Any opinion on Samsung? Or LG? The installation site is Jamshedpur so after sales support for these brands are good especially post warranty. Daikin is nascent in this market. Checking on the others too.

And Devrashi84 - Thanks for your inputs as well. Will check out the options you have mentioned. Staying away from Voltas at this point since I believe they are currently rebranding 3rd party ACs.

[sgiitk]

My experience is a few years old. Central units were far more expensive than a couple of individual units. One good thing with Daikin is R410 as against R22. I have a feeling that in five years time the former will become far cheaper than the latter.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

My experience is a few years old. Central units were far more expensive than a couple of individual units. ....

In any case, my view is that central units are best avoided in our country where shoddiness is a way of life! One little fault and the entire plant is down!
Far better to be with a multiplicity of units; ideally window units that do not need any intervention from local techinicians other than to fix the box in the window!

[khoj]

By VRV I meant their inverter series. The full form being variable refrigerant volume or something like that.

Another make that you could explore is Whirlpool. They have been known to use excellent compressors from the likes of Sanyo & Panasonic in their machines and forum members have been posting positive experiences for their a/c units since the last two seasons. Their service network again is very well organized. I remember seeing their signboards in Bistupur as well as in Sakchi, so sourcing and servicing should not be an issue. In fact this make could be the best techno-commercial option.

Originally Posted by vcash

VRV would be central AC right? Aren't those systems very expensive?

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

In any case, my view is that central units are best avoided in our country where shoddiness is a way of life! One little fault and the entire plant is down!
Far better to be with a multiplicity of units; ideally window units that do not need any intervention from local techinicians other than to fix the box in the window!

Central units come on their own due to
. Low operating costs
. Long life
. Better cooling

All this at a higher capital cost. Normally though we may have five or more AC units in our house, they are rarely used simultaneously in which case it is fine to have individual units. Where more than half the AC are used at a time, central plants make more sense.

Any way time was when a central plant was large and required a dedicated operator. To day small VRF based computer controlled central plants, require no operator. Further these units operate efficiently down to 20% of their rated capacity, hence are viable for lower base load, with balance capacity reserved for peak loads. Ultimately it is a trade off between investment, comfort and running costs.