[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

.... In the past year I have had blower motor failures on both my Hitachi window and Daikin split. This is not in any way traceable to the electronics!!

Are the blower motors not controlled by the electronics?

[Cowardly Lion]

When i mentioned my unease with excessive electronics it was aimed primarily at the inverter aspect of the air conditioned.
Re blower etc... part of the ownership experience..!
Delhi - nearly 50℃ and bone dry air...!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Behemoth

I have a Panasonic 2 Ton in my home theatre room (room is 300 sq ft +) and exposed to sun from the Top and also South walls. The AC cools the room very effectively, even in 45 Degree outside heat. It is around 3 years old now and still performing flawlessly. I would certainly recommend Panasonic as a brand.

Thank you for that.

I wonder how many people consider the remote control when buying an AC?

None of us would buy a car without liking the cabin layout and finding it comfortable to drive, and yet people buy AC machines without even seeing the remote, which is our interface to the unit: the thing we have in our hand, and maybe even need to operate in the dark. They don't seem to be featured on websites. Anyway, the best way to figure out what devices do and how easily, is by looking at the manual. Some Indian AC makers don't even have manual downloads online, even though they may have in other countries.

Our old Samsung remotes are very easy, and the most important controls ---on/off, temperature, flap--- are very easy to find in the dark. A newer-model Samsung remote is the exact opposite: I cannot even locate the temperature up/down without looking.

Sharp is poor. Although the temperature control looks obvious, it does not feel that obvious in the dark. There is no logical grouping of buttons (to my thinking, at least) and my wife regularly puts the machine into unwanted, non-cooling (or freezing!) modes in the night. A bedroom AC remote needs to be easy to use when hardly awake,

I have tried to enhance the tactile-recognition aspects

I should have added a dot for the flap. I also mean to create surrounds to make it difficult to press buttons that are seldom, if ever needed, and never required when half asleep at night.

These are some of the things that I would love to see on a remote...

• Easy-to-thumb vital controls; hard-to-press-by-mistake optional features.
  I notice that Daikin do a reasonable job by covering up all but two or three buttons.
• Backlit display
• Current-temperature/setting-temperature display
• Time-of-Day display (although I don't need, as I now have a glowing clock)

So, gentlemen... what are your votes for easy to use AC remotes?

[diyguy]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

So, gentlemen... what are your votes for easy to use AC remotes?

I think a phone app would be best
I use a backlit Logitech Harmony Learning Remote so I can see functions in the dark. I have it for most of my devices as I'm afflicted with the cells leaking in my remotes. Started with my Sony Shelf System after which I purchased this remote and now use it for my projector and few other appliances for which the battery leak has made my remotes useless...

[Thad E Ginathom]

I noticed that one of the companies I browsed has a phone app, but the wifi fitting is an optional extra. I like the idea for lights-on, awake, use (They could integrate a whole weather station!) but, when half asleep, I want to just reach out and feel the buttons.

The universal remote idea is good, but again, too complex for eyes-glued-shut use.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

...

So, gentlemen... what are your votes for easy to use AC remotes?

You've raised a very valid concern and it ought to be among the make or break features that an AC offers, but alas it is not so.
Why? I feel it's because not many people wake up in the middle of the night wanting to 'adjust' their AC settings.
Ask me, I do not wake for a minute from the time I hit my pillow to the time my alarm goes off early morning.

[fine69]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

• I notice that Daikin do a reasonable job by covering up all but two or three buttons.

The daikin split at my shop has a slightly large remote but has a flap that covers all the advanced functions. Even my window unit of Hitachi has a flap cover that hides all complicated buttons.

My Hitachi unit has a function where in I could set the temperature to rise by a degree (for upto 4 hours) after I go to sleep. It comes pretty handy considering one doesn't want to wake up in the middle of the night. But then the remote is easy to use as well so anytime I wish to increase/decrease temperature I just have to press one of the two glowing buttons on the remote which are easy to locate.

One thing I've noticed is that whenever I've used a light blanket instead of a sheet I get much better sleep, that is when I turn down the temperature a few notches too. I mean cozy up in the blanket in somewhat colder temperature rather than sleep in 25-26 degrees with a sheet. But then maybe its just me.

EDIT: By the way I got the R32 refill from Daikin at about 3800/-. It was a definite case of gas leakage as the guy showed my wife the readings initially and after filling up 0.5 kg of gas. He agreed that the guy who did the wet service might have played with a joint somewhere which could've been the reason for leakage. The AMC is going to be around 6-7k but it would include 2 wet services so I'd purchase that soon.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

You've raised a very valid concern and it ought to be among the make or break features that an AC offers, but alas it is not so.
Why? I feel it's because not many people wake up in the middle of the night wanting to 'adjust' their AC settings.
Ask me, I do not wake for a minute from the time I hit my pillow to the time my alarm goes off early morning.

It is a little complicated here. My wife and I have different (they meet in the middle) sleeping times, and different climate needs. She prefers cold with draft, and I prefer warmer with no draft. Our bedroom AC has to put up with quite a few change requests during the night!

Originally Posted by fine69

The daikin split at my shop has a slightly large remote but has a flap that covers all the advanced functions. Even my window unit of Hitachi has a flap cover that hides all complicated buttons.

I like this, but would have to open the cover for flap control. Disliking drafts, my favourite newish AC feature is to be able to point the cold air up at the ceilling, so the room is cooled gently.

My Hitachi unit has a function where in I could set the temperature to rise by a degree (for upto 4 hours) after I go to sleep. It comes pretty handy considering one doesn't want to wake up in the middle of the night.

This would not work for me, as I set the temperature to 25-27C. My comfort zone is too narrow and just one or two degrees increase would make it too hot for me. You can imagine how much I prefer the even temperature of inverter technology! I do dislike the ups and downs, both of temperature and humidity.

But then the remote is easy to use as well so anytime I wish to increase/decrease temperature I just have to press one of the two glowing buttons on the remote which are easy to locate.

Luminous is good! I forgot to mention that on my requirement list.

Luminous also helps find the control in the dark. It's placing is pretty habitual, but sometimes one person may do something different.

One thing I've noticed is that whenever I've used a light blanket instead of a sheet I get much better sleep, that is when I turn down the temperature a few notches too. I mean cozy up in the blanket in somewhat colder temperature rather than sleep in 25-26 degrees with a sheet. But then maybe its just me.

It's just you ...and all the other people who prefer it that way

But not me. I guess there are several groups with different preferences for sleep climate. It does affect the way we use the machine, and the remote, and we should take it into account when buying.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Are the blower motors not controlled by the electronics?

Not really, in both cases it was the motor which had gone bad, so let us not blame the electronics. Yes, both had BLDC (brushless DC) motors.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Not really, in both cases it was the motor which had gone bad, so let us not blame the electronics. Yes, both had BLDC (brushless DC) motors.

Electronics can never be dissociated from BLDC motors since these motors are entirely controlled by electronics!
These motors are being used because of their inherently superior efficiencies and controllability. Cheap implementation is to blame for such failures of what are otherwise very reliable and sound motors.
I do find it ironic that the effort to reduce power consumption (and therefore the electricity bill for the end user) ends up in significantly increasing the eventual cost through catastrophic failure. I would hate to be looking at a motor replacement bill once the guarantee period is over!

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Electronics can never be dissociated from BLDC motors since these motors are entirely controlled by electronics!
These motors are being used because of their inherently superior efficiencies and controllability. Cheap implementation is to blame for such failures of what are otherwise very reliable and sound motors.
I do find it ironic that the effort to reduce power consumption (and therefore the electricity bill for the end user) ends up in significantly increasing the eventual cost through catastrophic failure. I would hate to be looking at a motor replacement bill once the guarantee period is over!

In both cases the failures were shortly after a service. So maybe the mechanics messed it up. Let us watch and wait.

[Aroy]

Even in my case the BLDC motor conked off within a week of service. The general opinion of service people is that water ingress most probably caused it. Now a days I insist that the motor be covered thoroughly.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by Aroy

Even in my case the BLDC motor conked off within a week of service. The general opinion of service people is that water ingress most probably caused it. Now a days I insist that the motor be covered thoroughly.

This is what I intend doing in future. So I am not the only victim of overzealous service.

[2500cc]

Am new to the AC world (apart from the AC at office) and planning to buy one for my home and looking for expert advice on the below product in terms of longevity, service in Bangalore, effectiveness, power consumption:
http://www.snapdeal.com/product/blue...mbLabelId:2407

Please suggest.

Thanks in Advance,
Rajesh

[hellmet]

Guys, one of our ACs is starting to smell (indoor unit). I looked at the unit and there's a lot of dust and some moldy looking stuff. Is this user-serviceable or do I have to call some guy to clean this mess up? How much can I expect to shell out for this service and will it make a mess of my house ( I believe they're going to use liquids to clean the thing)?