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@serious_maniac; some of the star rating you are quoting are 2011. Now they are up and 5* is 3.3 min. There is a 0.2 increase across the board in the 2012 ratings. I have a feeling some vendors are using 2012 and others 2011 ratings.

I was not aware of this change. This explains the higher ratings of 2011 models. In any case I was looking at the EER ratio and cooling capacity to make a choice. Did not have Samsung on radar after reading this forum but ended up buying as retailers had limited choice and I had limited time.

~maniac

any feedback on the sharp splits vis-a-vis the panasonic splits?

the models i am looking for are all inverter ( 1 ton to 1.5 ton).

the sharps seem to have the plasma cluster ion feature which is a good thing, also the difference is around 1-2k; panasonic < sharp.

Hi all the Cube AC users, i wanted to check what is the installation height for indoor unit. I went to Relinace Digital yesterday and the person there mentioned it had to be installed 6' from the ground. I Saw a pic of an installed unit here on tbhp (neilguy) and it looked higher than 6'. How effective would it be if done higher, ie 7'.
Also RD, has a good 15 EMI option for most 5 star acs, which works out quite nice.
So i was planning on a Cube due to the price and performance but was not aware of the installtion height. Might go in for a Samsung 1.5ton 5 star. (approx dp - 2600/- emi 2600x14 months)

That works out to 39,000 bucks!
No offence, but that's an awful lot for a Samsung. I would go for Mitsu or Toshiba 1.5 5* for the price.

afaik the 2012 ratings are 3.3+ (or is it 3.2) for 5*. Then you go down in bands of 0.2. The 2012 ratings are 0.2 higher than the 2011 figures. I remember fairly prominent ads on this by Panasonic (and later by another vendor) in the papers about a week ago. I will se I can find it, then I will try to scan and post it.

There is a cooling drop in my five year old one tone Voltas Vertis split unit. I have cleaned both indoor and outdoor unit thoroughly but still the A/C is not cooling the room at all. The air from IDU is not chilly as it used to be.

Now what next? Gas recharge? Will the service guy top up the gas or fill fresh refrigerant? Also how will I determine what quantity he has filled in the unit? And one final question - how much it will cost? This Unit is installed at our Gurgaon Residence.

Just observed that there is ice formation on indoor unit fins but cooling is still not effective.

If there is ice formation then its most probably gas issue, in our old samsung unit same thing used to happen and we filled gas 5 times in 5 years :eek:, then again in the 6th year again same thing happened and we sold it for peanuts.

Sameer

First, look at the fan in the indoor unit. If it is clogged with dust, it will not be blowing air through the cooler unit. You can take a thin paint brush to it, although it's a tedious job and the dust will fall all over you, or you can get a service guy to do it.

If you have lost gas, it is not just a question of refilling, but of finding out why: the leaks need to be fixed.

Cost for fixing leaks, in both Indoor and Outdoor units, refitting and refilling, for our 1-ton Samsung recently was, I think, Rs.2300.

I don't think we ever refilled while under warranty. Since then, it has become a once-every-year-or-two routine. When we replace, I'll go for something upmarket like General or Daikin --- but we can get an awful lot of fas refills for the price of one of those, so will stick with the Samsungs for a few more years yet.

I guess you are right as the air throw is also very weak as compared when the unit was new and the blower is never cleaned during the AC's entire lifetime. I will clean it.

And what are your views on the ice formation on fins of indoor unit? Is this sign of low gas as stated by sameerg?

If the ice formation is uniform across the fins, it is air flow problem.

If the ice formation is one side, then it is low gas.

Please check the air flow. For all you know the blower fan may be on its last leg (happened to our AC a number of times). Get it checked. At times only the capacitor is faulty. An electrician will be able to tell. If not change the motor.

That's a good rule to know.

Reminder: due to some strange thermal property of water, as ice freezes (from 0 to -4, if I remember correctly) it expands. This is what causes burst pipes in colder climes. So, the ice, if solid, can be causing actual damage. It was weird cracking and popping noises that first alerted me to the problem.

Frosting, rather than solid ice, is, I think, a sign of gas leak at that point. Aroy?

That is correct.
Poor cooling can also be due to moisture in the refrigerant. This will cause the expansion valve to 'ice up'.

Price Updates from a recent purchase.

1) LG 1.5Ton 3Star + V Guard Stabilizer + Installation in Kerala Rural
2011 stock
Price : INR 28,000

2) Voltas 1.5Ton 3Star + "x" Stabilizer + Installation in Kerala
2012 stock (bulk purchase in dad's office)
Price : INR 28,500


Experience with LG 1Ton 5star is excellent for last 2 years. Bought it for INR 24,000 with V Guard stabilizer and installation in Kerala.

Just bought 3 units of Daikin FT KD 50 (1.5 tons Inverter AC). Replaced my home Hitachi 1.5 and other two are for office. Total Cost 1.26 lacs + installation

Positives

• The outdoor unit is extremely silent compared to my old Hitachi which used to grumble like a tractor when compressor switched on (every 4-5 minutes). the comparative difference is about 80% lower noise
• The indoor unit is silent too, comparative difference in indoor noise is about 20-25%
• The temperature is more or less constant due to continuous compressor running. Although there is a temperature variation i.e it throws slightly warmer air and then slightly cooler.
  Unlike Hitachi set at 26deg, used to throw air at about 18-20deg when compressor on and 26-28 when compressor off. Now the air flow variance must be between 24-28deg when temp set at 26deg.

Negatives

• The indoor unit is almost twice the size of my old Hitachi
• The remote does not have backlighting !!! Imagine you needing to increase of decrease temp at 3am !! Am i missing something here?? maybe other Daikin users can enlighten me, otherwise this is a major letdown from Daikin.. come on Daikin do your engineers sleep with lights on??