[kaka46]

Originally Posted by ottocycle

I need some help.

I was thinking to buy a window AC (since I stay in rented apartment) and was almost decided on Hitachi 1.5 Ton QC (Bajaj Electronics quoted 35.7k for this).

However, after reading about after sales service of Hitachi on internet (mouthshut) I am very very confused, Most of the reviews are very negative.

First of all most of the shops don't stock window ACs at all. Out of 5 well known showrooms, I managed to find window AC in only one shop. They had only Hitachi (5*) and O General (2*). Other shops were reacting as if I am from some other planet or I have committed sin by asking for window AC.

I need your valuable suggestions on following..

1. Should I really go for window AC only? I have heard that copper pipes get spoiled when relocating to other place.
2. How is the After Sale service of Hitachi in Hyderabad. Should I bet my hard earned money on this.
3. Does star rating really saves money for house hold usage. In how many months/years I would be able to break even 2* vs 5* if the price difference is 7-8k.
4. Does going to Panasonic cube make sense?

You can comfortably buy a Hitachi AC in Hyderabad. The after sales service has improved tremendously after Hitachi has opened a company owned service center in Bowenpally. You should be able to find the details on their website. I have been using a Kaze 1.5T split AC for over two years now and one needs to call the hitachi helpline to set up a service request and the local service center will get back to you in a day or two to fix an appointment.
They are well trained technician's and explain everything in detail.

[huntrz]

Originally Posted by ottocycle

1. Should I really go for window AC only? I have heard that copper pipes get spoiled when relocating to other place.

Most of the apartments in Hyderabad are not designed for window AC. Many societies don't even allow window AC here as it spoils the looks of the apartment. Most of the new residential complexes keep a provision for a dedicated place in the flat for Outdoor unit's installation, so that it doesn't affect the aesthetics of the building. Hence a split AC will be usable for sure wherever you rent out your next flat, but the same can't be said for window AC.

In hyderabad the AC is required only for 3-4 months of the year, hence you will need a very very long owner ship to justify the premium you pay for a 5 star AC. In port cities like Mumbai, Calcutta or Chennai it definitely makes sense to invest in a 5 star AC.

Copper pipes are subject to folds and cuts etc during installation. But they can always be replaced. It is nothing compared to the convenience a split ac offers and the fact that it guarantees its utility-in hyderabad. From my personal experience of living in hyderbad I would suggest you to go for a 3 star AC with compact indoor unit from a brand that has prompt after sales service.

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Finally bought Panasonic 1.2 Ton Split A/C

Installation done today, using AC for last few hours now and here is initial views.

- Cooling wise AC is quite powerful and chills the room within minutes.

- Cost cutting measures by Panasonic -> No LCD temperature display on indoor unit, no remote control holder supplied, can't control airflow direction i.e. no louvers though that is because of the design.

- Indoor unit is bit noisy at max speed, else the other two fan speeds are just fine. Compressor in outdoor unit is also little noisy but that's not a big deal

- Build quality of both indoor/outdoor unit is perfect unlike my other Samsung unit.

- Cube design looks different than conventional split A/Cs.

Overall I am happy with the purchase.

[ottocycle]

Originally Posted by kaka46

You can comfortably buy a Hitachi AC in Hyderabad. The after sales service has improved tremendously after Hitachi has opened a company owned service center in Bowenpally. You should be able to find the details on their website. I have been using a Kaze 1.5T split AC for over two years now and one needs to call the hitachi helpline to set up a service request and the local service center will get back to you in a day or two to fix an appointment.
They are well trained technician's and explain everything in detail.

Thanks for providing the feedback on Hitachi service. I had almost omitted Hitachi from my list.

Originally Posted by huntrz

Most of the apartments in Hyderabad are not designed for window AC. Many societies don't even allow window AC here as it spoils the looks of the apartment. Most of the new residential complexes keep a provision for a dedicated place in the flat for Outdoor unit's installation, so that it doesn't affect the aesthetics of the building. Hence a split AC will be usable for sure wherever you rent out your next flat, but the same can't be said for window AC.

In hyderabad the AC is required only for 3-4 months of the year, hence you will need a very very long owner ship to justify the premium you pay for a 5 star AC. In port cities like Mumbai, Calcutta or Chennai it definitely makes sense to invest in a 5 star AC.

Copper pipes are subject to folds and cuts etc during installation. But they can always be replaced. It is nothing compared to the convenience a split ac offers and the fact that it guarantees its utility-in hyderabad. From my personal experience of living in hyderbad I would suggest you to go for a 3 star AC with compact indoor unit from a brand that has prompt after sales service.

Very valid point indeed. However, I am not sure if my land lady will allow me to make hole in the wall. I will have to call her to check if she is fine with that.

In split AC, I was advised from one of the shopkeeper to go for Panasonic. The of 3 star 1.5 ton was 32k (including installation/stabilizer).

On window ac, below were my new half hearted list.

1. 3* LG window ac - One shop quoted 25.8k
2. 3* Carrier window ac - 28.8k at Croma

Any idea about the quality of Carrier AC as compared to Hitachi AC. How is service quality of Carrier in Hyderabad?

[rajakumar]

Originally Posted by kala

I almost made the purchase yesterday when the Panasonic salesperson there mentioned that they're likely to get some stocks of a newer model in another 3-4 days. So decided to wait till I look at them as well.

Did you made the purchase, if so what is the model and price?

Originally Posted by bluevolt

Yes this is cube....just got the delivery. Is there any specific reasons why cube models are quite cheaper than routine split ACs?

When i inquired about the price difference in the panasonic brand shop, I am told that the following reasons attribute to it

1. Styling - old gen
2. No air flow control / swing
3. Noisy compared to the normal split
4. Cube is little inefficient in cooling compared to the normal split.

I don't know the technical details to validate these. I leave that to the experts in this group.

[eatpepsi]

Mod team note: Extremely dotty post, affect readability. Please avoid typing like... this.... Thanks.

Hello guys i am a little confused to pick among the two ACs i have finally selected after thorough research. I am looking for INVERTER class AC and the tonnage is 2, ive narrowed down Daikin FTKD71 and O General ASGA24JCC< what bothers me is this:

Firstly Daikin FTKD71 is 2.2 TON , but the MAX btu/hr is 25,900 and avg consumption is 2550W and O General is only 2 TON yet the MAX btu/hr is 27,300 with an average consumption of 2450W. According to wiki 1 ton is equal to 12,000btu/hr , but how can the O General put out 27,300 btu/hr with 2 tonnage capacity.

Please help me choose one.

links
DAIKIN FTKD71 - http://coldpoint.in/Daikin_Inverter_R_22_gas.asp

O GENERAL ASGA24JCC - http://coldpoint.in/general_inverter...nditioners.asp

The other two differences are in the gas , R22 in daikin and 410A in OGENERAL, its a new gas in OGENERAL, but i dont think cooling has anything to do with it except that it is more Ozone friendly and also Note the price. Iam getting DAIKIN @ 54,000 and OGENERAL @ 58,300. PLEASE ADVISE .... Thank you !!!

[Guite]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

- Cost cutting measures by Panasonic -> No LCD temperature display on indoor unit, no remote control holder supplied, can't control airflow direction i.e. no louvers though that is because of the design.

I have not come across an indoor unit with LCD display. I use a Daikin and Hitachi. Temperature display is only on the remote.

[kala]

Originally Posted by rajakumar

Did you made the purchase, if so what is the model and price?

No - I didn't like the newer model that they have now (It is a 2 star model and the price was higher as well), and they are out of stock on the earlier model that they had on sale. So have to go elsewhere and look for a good model.

Anyone has any info on which dealer offers the best deals on Panasonic units in South Bangalore ?

[aks_karthik]

My Friend has bought Panasonic Inverter Jade 1.0 Ton AC yesterday from Rathna Fan House, Chennai for Rs 38K.
Free Delivery, 4Kv Stabilizer & Installation.
I have only suggested him this model and I too plan this model to my new house. Need 3 ACs.

[JMaruru]

Originally Posted by kala

Anyone has any info on which dealer offers the best deals on Panasonic units in South Bangalore ?

Did you try 'Devi International'? They provide better deals on consumer durables in Bangalore.

[Zappo]

Recently I bought a Daikin 1 ton Inverter AC. Negotiated and got a very good deal through the distributor. I paid 36500 in total and that included the price of brackets, wires (4 core), copper pipe 2m, stabilizer and installation. Extremely silent unit and highly cost saving. After daily running of around 7 hours for the last 20 days or so it ran up a mere 550 bucks bill or so. too good!

[rajakumar]

Originally Posted by kala

No - I didn't like the newer model that they have now (It is a 2 star model and the price was higher as well), and they are out of stock on the earlier model that they had on sale. So have to go elsewhere and look for a good model.

Anyone has any info on which dealer offers the best deals on Panasonic units in South Bangalore ?

I believe that the earlier model that you saw in metro was 2011/2012 model with four star rating. This is equivalent to 3 star rating in 2013. Now Panasonic Pearl range has 3 star rating and retails around 31500 to 32500 for 1.5 ton in South bangalore outlets (reliance digital, girias, panasonic brand shop, etc). The range the freebies differs between these outlets.

[Aroy]

Installed Diakin FTKS50
- Inverter
- R410 gas
- Rs.46,500 + Installation
Both the Indoor and the Outdoor units are super silent
This series has all the gizmos you can think of
. Auto Dry - Cool - Fan operation
. 3D air flow - both horizontal and vertical vanes swing
. Quiet mode - individually for IDU and ODU
. Intelligent Eye mode
. Home Leave mode

The reason for getting the R410 unit rather than the R22 unit (even though R22 is 5K less) is that
- R22 will soon be phased out
- R410 units are fully imported
- R410 units come pre charged with gas
- The efficiency is better in R410 compared to R22

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Aroy

....

The reason for getting the R410 unit rather than the R22 unit (even though R22 is 5K less) is that
- R22 will soon be phased out
- R410 units are fully imported
- R410 units come pre charged with gas
- The efficiency is better in R410 compared to R22

You should find this very interesting indeed!
And it clearly says R410a efficiency is poorer at higher temperatures! Alas, just what we need most.

[khoj]

General rates this machine at 24200 Btu/hr and then 27 odd is the max. Being an inverter the speed at which the compressor runs can be varied so by virtue of it's design/technology General is spinning the compressor at a higher speed and getting higher throughput. Not much to think about here. General is using the newer gas so easy availability in future in case a refill or top up is required and then the higher Btus will help on days when the temp really goes up. Not much to think about really.

Originally Posted by eatpepsi

Firstly Daikin FTKD71 is 2.2 TON , but the MAX btu/hr is 25,900 and avg consumption is 2550W and O General is only 2 TON yet the MAX btu/hr is 27,300 with an average consumption of 2450W. According to wiki 1 ton is equal to 12,000btu/hr , but how can the O General put out 27,300 btu/hr with 2 tonnage capacity.

Hi Guite, the Chinese indoor units started this indoor display trend and the disease is slowly spreading. Now Panasonic too has a few IDUs which have these displays though they are muted as any lights on the IDU are considered as a disturbance to deep sleep patterns.

Originally Posted by Guite

I have not come across an indoor unit with LCD display. I use a Daikin and Hitachi. Temperature display is only on the remote.

I believe your friend could have gotten a better deal. Just compare the price paid by member zappo for the 1 ton Daikin that is a better machine, unless his unit is running on R22. Do check with Panasonic brand shops and negotiate for lower price more so since you would be buying 3 units.

Originally Posted by aks_karthik

My Friend has bought Panasonic Inverter Jade 1.0 Ton AC yesterday from Rathna Fan House, Chennai for Rs 38K.
Free Delivery, 4Kv Stabilizer & Installation.
I have only suggested him this model and I too plan this model to my new house. Need 3 ACs.

Originally Posted by Zappo

Recently I bought a Daikin 1 ton Inverter AC. Negotiated and got a very good deal through the distributor. I paid 36500 in total and that included the price of brackets, wires (4 core), copper pipe 2m, stabilizer and installation. Extremely silent unit and highly cost saving. After daily running of around 7 hours for the last 20 days or so it ran up a mere 550 bucks bill or so. too good!

Aroy, that is a great price for the 1.5 ton Daikin. Would you mind sharing who the dealer is either here or via pm. BTW all new units come fully charged from the factory and are also completely imported even when they have R22, unless something has changed in recent years.

Originally Posted by Aroy

Installed Diakin FTKS50
- Inverter
- R410 gas
- Rs.46,500 + Installation

The reason for getting the R410 unit rather than the R22 unit (even though R22 is 5K less) is that
- R22 will soon be phased out
- R410 units are fully imported
- R410 units come pre charged with gas
- The efficiency is better in R410 compared to R22