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I will prefer the old dinosaur. Voltas was originally from them. The brand is Carrier. They are still a global behemoth.

@GTO; best of luck with Hitachi. There are two issues, One: Spares/Guts keep evolving so availability can be an issue, and fragile parts. I have a window unit which suffered controller card failure twice in less than six months. TwoL There was also a motor failure (caused by the company mechanic insisting on giving it a bath) and the remote also had gone iffy. So I also started with high hopes but then got fed up.

I must say my old Voltas B1G (later upgraded to B1Z with a Sriram compressor)lasted me for well over two decades. It was expensive on power and a beast to remove (weighed in excess of 80kg). Further in peak summer we have to put water in the condenser area.

:OT Query :

I have a 15 year old Voltas 1.5T Split AC and a Hitachi 1.0T Window AC.
Due to weather conditions in the damp city of Kolkata, both appliances have turned horrendously yellow (more like Yellow-Ocre).

Is their a way to get the natural white back, without getting the thing spray-painted?

My usage is minimal, as I'm more of a table fan guy, and the ACs are working in good condition, thus not needing replacement.

@shafktale; Forget painting. Using a mild abrasive cleaner/restorer may help. Will not get the pristine look back but will help.

I don't think anything can be done about that age-related yellowing of some plastics. It would be great if it could! Hoping to hear from our experts that I am wrong...

Any recommendations for the same available in India?

This website suggests cleaning, by using a mix of bleaching powder, baking powder and warm water. In fact, many other guides also suggest this method. Maybe, yellowed areas could get a lighter shade by this method. Better to try on a small area.
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/whiten...ces-33573.html

Oh great, thank you for that!

I'd suggest that microfibre is used in the process, to get inside the tiny surface imperfections. Even for ordinary cleaning of plastic cases, microfibre can make a huge difference.

Thanks a lot Sir! I agree with you. I always keep microfibre cloth for all cleaning work. I store a set of MF clothes bought in bulk at Amazon.in. Even for face towels, I use MF clothes, as they are washable.

Be careful while using abrasive scrubs (scotch brite) or abrasive powders. Once the basic shine comes off plastics and the surface is a bit rough, it will attract dust and grime, which cannot be removed easily. This happened to one of our plastic chairs which the maid scrubbed with great diligence and patience to get rid of the surface grime., and there after the chair would get dirty in a few days.

The best way is to use detergent and once the surface is clean, bleach. If the surface is a bit rough, then use buffing compound to get a smooth surface.

We have a fairly large living room and were in the market for an AC. Spoke to a few technicians who service LG and Samsung ACs and they asked us to go with Hitachi eyes closed. The compressors these ACs have and the rigorous testing they go through are amongst the best in the industry.
It's now been an year since the AC was installed and am very happy with its performance. The only downside is that the one I purchased does not have have digital display on the indoor unit.

What we normally miss out while evaluating purchase is the after sales service. There are many excellent AC in the market with excellent build and latest technology. Where they fail is in prompt and efficient service, apart from horrendous prices charged for failed parts.

That is why I now evaluate the service and AMC plans before deciding on a home appliance purchase. As stated the Hitachi AC are excellent with state of art compressor, but lack totally in their service and AMC plans. The Hitachi compressors in my house have not failed in over ten years, but every thing else does, and that costs a lot to repair/replace.

In contrast some manufacturers have started to offer reasonable long term all inclusive AMC, giving one a lot of peace of mind. So I would advise that you evaluate the whole-life cost of an appliance before getting enamoured by hi tech features.

You sir's should see the process called retrobrite-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retr0bright

Lookup youtube on the 8-bit guy's channel on tons of videos on how he does that and his learnings as he developed this method.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZYbchvSUDY

Thank you for that. A real tool/process for the restorer.

Hi All,

I am shifting to a new place and my split A/C units have to be moved.

Technician gave an estimate of 30 ft of copper piping and is quoting Rs 250 per ft.

What is pipe diameter for Daikin and Bluestar non inverter models ?

I can find copper pipe on amazon at a far cheaper rate.

Godrej High Quality Air Conditioner Copper Pipe https://www.amazon.in/dp/B071LSHGFX/..._HOOfCbNKCAREA

I am also looking for 1.5T inverter AC for the master bed and found the below.

https://www.tatacliq.com/lg-1-5-ton-...00000002478758

Please advise.

you will need a pair of copper tubes, one would be larger diameter than the link you shared. I have purchased the set for about 230rs per meter (1/4 and 1/2 inch Dia). You should find a whole sale shop and get your material on your own. I had purchased in two lots, 8M and 11M during my house shift in July 2017.