Team-BHP - The home / office air-conditioner thread

I am trying to finalize on two 1.5 inverters with R410. Models shortlisted are

1) Panasonic silver CS-PS18NKY - 44,900 [Inclusive of stabilizer + installation]
2) Sharp - 47,550 [Inclusive of stabilizer + installation
3) Daikin - 50,490 [Inclusive stabilizer + installation but copper tubing extra]
4) General - 52,890 [Inclusive stabilizer + installation but copper tubing extra]

As I am staying in a rented place so not fond of very large outdoor units (Daikin has the largest outdoor unit).

Features of Sharp are impressive but there are not many reviews of Sharp ACs out there. These A/Cs are fully imported from Japan. Service Network in Chennai is suspect. Any feedback from Chennai bhpians?

Any recommendations on which one I should go for?

@Lord_Lucan; Sharp are a small rand but by and large their products tend to be world beaters. If Sharp service is there in your area then why not go ahead.

I just do not understand the logic of a stabiliser in an Inverter system. The first thing, you rectify to DC and then run the inverter to provide a drive at the correct frequency. I have not used a stabiliser for the past 35+ years both on IIT campus and outside. I am aware of only one AC failure, this was when the jokers from Kanpur Electric Supply came and pulled out the Neutral. Never informed my wife otherwise she would have switched the AC off. Damaged on split AC (control card) and blew the power supplies of two TV's. If your voltage is between 175 and 270V then forget the stabiliser (most unreliable) and just put an MCB or starter of the correct (not too high) rating in the circuit. I use these as switches as well!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Lucan (Post 2793357)

I am trying to finalize on two 1.5 inverters with R410. Models shortlisted are

....
Any recommendations on which one I should go for?

Can not comment on the choice. Heard General is doing good & service in chennai is expanding. Also, did you check Hitachi - seems to be doing better on service as well.
[I recently bought a 1.5 & 2.0 T Carrier - 'cos i am comfortable with the service guys for over a decade and they are close to my home !!]

But have you checked the price in 'Rathna Fan House' in T.Nagar. If not, please get the quote from them. You will indeed a see 3 - 5k difference from other shops !.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Lucan

Sharp and Daikin are the best and you should select one out of the two. Daikin has good service as its well established, cant say the same about sharp.

Thank you sgiiitk & gjiyap1.

All the quotes, except Sharp, are from Rathna Fan House.

I did consider Hitachi and ruled it out due to the following reasons
1) Bhpian khoj, who seems to be an expert in this area, does not recommend these due to their shabby (?) build quality. Check the previous pages in this thread.

2) No Inverter range. I did a cost benefit analysis and inverters do makes sense when thinking long term (>3-4 years). I have attached the analysis, probably members can review/comment

A.S.S is a major requirement for me. I believe this is one area where Sharp lags behind the other three in Chennai.

I have to close the deal this week. Any chennai bhpian looking for a group deal?

I am looking for a reliable window AC brand which can be used in my city i.e. Noida. Current choices include Bluestar, Voltas and Carrier. Not particularly inclined towards LG and Samsung especially after suffering with Samsung split AC and its humongous maintenance cost. Noida is notorious for its slow butchering of Split AC's.

Have heard a lot about quality w.r.t Voltas, other choices like Bluestar. Of Course Hitachi is one name which comes up in my mind as well. However I am not sure about their prowess in Window AC's.

Looking forward to quick suggestions to rely on, considering the situation in Noida.

Thanks
Setu Niket

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Lucan (Post 2793718)

I have to close the deal this week. Any chennai bhpian looking for a group deal?

Update!

After confirming the service availability in Chennai & Bangalore, I went ahead and booked two sharp 1.5 ton inverter A/Cs. They were installed yesterday evening. Total hole in the pocket 1,04,000 [Including installation, double boost stabilizers and L-stands for outdoor units]

These A/Cs display real time current consumption. In my 12x15 room, with the temperature set at 27 deg, the A/C started with the full capacity of 1.5kw, in about 30 minutes it reduced to 0.7/0.8 kw, in roughly about an hour it reduced to 0.3/0.4 kw. Nightly power consumption should be b/w 5kw to 6kw clap:. If I turn OFF the plasma ION feature, it should reduce further.

Another feature fairly unique is the A/C capacity can be reduced to a 1.1 or a 0.8 ton A/C with the remote. This should come in handy if I have to move the A/C to a smaller room.

Quote:

Originally Posted by setuniket (Post 2798553)

Of Course Hitachi is one name which comes up in my mind as well. However I am not sure about their prowess in Window AC's.

I have a Hitachi Windows Uhit, 5* just over a year old. The unit is nice, and efficient. I would definitely buy Hitachi again. In fact if I am looking for a split, I may prefer Daikin, General or maybe even Panasonic (however with the sort of problems my son is having with their brand new Refrigerator, I am very doubtful here).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Lucan (Post 2798615)

Congrats for the purchase. Keep updating your experience. Can you mentione the model number for Sharp inverter A/C. I am planning to buy inverter A/C next off season.

Even I bought the Hitachi 5* last June, it is extremely efficient and you get 5 speeds - 3 normal + super high (for high speed cooling) + super slow (for whisper quit operation).

Regarding AC in Noida, from what I gather from my friends and even some news paper reports, those who live near the Drain, have a perennial problem with the gas leaking and the pipes corroding. Hence I would suggest the following
. Get a window AC for ease of servicing
. Find out if any one can coat all the joints including the gas filling valve with a robust industrial grade sealant.

Inverter AC are able to deliver upto 10-15% of their rated power with full efficiency. Hence there is no harm (excepting financial) in getting higher rating units to cater to those rare occasions when the normal AC gasps. Another good use of an inverter AC is in getting a large unit to cater to multiple rooms and assuming that the Drawing rooms and bedrooms will not be used simultaneously, size it for maximum instantaneous consumption, rather than sum total of individual consumption. So if you have 3 bedrooms and a large drawing room, and at a time either the drawing room or the bedrooms are used size the unit for the bedrooms.

What I have figured out in Sharp inverter model 1.1T A/C is some high efficent model number ( AY-XP12GHR) can run as low as 150Watt and in some model which is close to AHXP13LV is (AY-XP12LSR still less efficient) consumes just 240Watt. Compared to Daikin uses 300W for similar capacity.
I observed capacity planning should be spot on in inverter A/C. According to daikin website upto 1.1T A/C's use 300Watt once the set temperature is reached. For 1.5T models use minimum consumption of 450W. So in 150Sq.feet room with the set temp of 25C, if we use 1.1T inverter A/C instead of 1.5T inverter A/C, there is a potential savings of around 1~1.5units for a period of 10~12 hrs(30 days x 1.5 units, 5Rs/unit = INR 225 and if used for 8 months (Rs 1800). Dont forget higher cost price of higher tonnage A/C . provided if the conditions are met.
Similarly if the inverter A/C is running on under capacity say 20C for 200 sq.feet room. It will consume full power and negates the power savings of inverter tech. Initially I thought of going for 1.5T inverter model but it look like 1.1T is more than enough for 11x14 room. Lowyat malaysian forum has good details on the inverter A/C's. The speak in terms of hp rather than tonnage (1 hp=.75T). Once the temperature stabilizes inverter A/C's will reduce the capacity thus saving electricity bill.

Congratulations Lord Lucan, Could you share the complete model number for both the ODU and the IDU, thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Lucan (Post 2798615)

Why does this not come as a surprise, what with Sharp outselling all other brands in their home market and also being the market leader in Europe. Cold/temperate climates in both locations but technically mature and demanding markets.

Lord Lucan, again could you elaborate on this feature as to how do they achieve this. Is their some sort of a speed limiter on the compressor that does not allow it to exceed beyond a certain RPM thereby restricting capacity ..

Quote:

Another feature fairly unique is the A/C capacity can be reduced to a 1.1 or a 0.8 ton A/C with the remote. This should come in handy if I have to move the A/C to a smaller room.

Quote:

Originally Posted by khoj (Post 2801999)

Lord Lucan, again could you elaborate on this feature as to how do they achieve this. Is their some sort of a speed limiter on the compressor that does not allow it to exceed beyond a certain RPM thereby restricting capacity ..

Technically yes. Inverter runs at full power during starting which is more than rated capacity of the compressor and gradually reduces when the set point is reached. This is to aid faster cooling. But there is a button in remote which makes to run at .8 or 1.1 T to limit the compressor cooling capacity rather than running at 1.8T .It improves efficient heat transfer hence reduced power bills.
Slowly I am inclined towards Sharp. Earlier I was planning for Daikin but I heard Plasma cluster ion is the best from Sharp.

Refrain from making statements that have no standing. I have underlined the part that I am talking about.

Further, I am not looking at being tutored as to what an inverter system is.

I am specifically asking as to how Sharp is limiting the compressor, I also know for certain that it is via speed control. My query is more as to how are they exercising this control.

Oh and the plasma cutter ion is nothing but marketing BS

Quote:

Originally Posted by vijaycool (Post 2802062)

Technically yes. Inverter runs at full power during starting which is more than rated capacity of the compressor and gradually reduces when the set point is reached.This is to aid faster cooling. But there is a button in remote which makes to run at .8 or 1.1 T to limit the compressor cooling capacity rather than running at 1.8T .It improves efficient heat transfer hence reduced power bills.
Slowly I am inclined towards Sharp. Earlier I was planning for Daikin but I heard Plasma cluster ion is the best from Sharp.