[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by Mortis

The outdoor unit starting and stopping could be due to the fan not working so get that checked.

I would seriously advise people to avoid inverter ACs as far as possible. For energy savings go for a 5 star conventional model. It will be energy saving enough from an environmental perspective and also the savings on purchase price will offset the savings on electric bill. Also in case of failure parts will be cheaper and you have one less PCB to worry about

No way. The comfort you get from an inverter ac is unmatched. In addition, the energy savings are quite a bit more if you use the inverter ac in a small well sealed room. For the extra comfort and modern technology, it is worth paying an extra amount if needed. Most ACs conk out after 5 years these days in any case.

[drsingh]

Any feedback on Midea brand inverter AC.? As I understand these are made and serviced by carrier.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

I called the owner of the service center and he said that since it's an Inverter AC, the PCB will have to be changed. After that they will check if the compressor is working or not. PCB costs 16,000.

This can happen to any brand of inverter AC. Problem is the local mechanics can't repair electronics. So they will source the entire PCB and substitute your AC's PCB one by one to find the source of problem. Get to some specialist inverter AC service centers. In Madras they repair a PCB of an inverter PCB for about 1- 3 k.
An inverter compressor uses a DC motor and so there is no start/running capacitors like in traditional AC motors. Also there is no OLP (over load protector). The excess current if stalled is sensed by the control unit and will shut off the supply to the motor. What fails though is the power transistor(s) in the inverter.

[arindambasu13]

Noob question, any advice from experienced users will be highly appreciated.

Having borne the brunt of Bangalore summers over the past few years, it seems inevitable that a AC will have to be installed in our house. In purchasing my first AC, would like to have some basic advice on the following:

1. Need a small capacity split wall mounted AC. This will work only for the main bedroom, so I am assuming a 1 ton AC will be more than sufficient. usage will mostly be at night for around 6-8 hours during the summer months.

2. What are the good brands available? Priority is fuss free ownership, reliability and great service. At a reasonable cost of course. Not interested in any fancy feature (touchscreen, smart AC and the like), just good and fast cooling with reliable operation and less power consumption. Any specific features that I should be looking at?

3. Ours is a old house with no specific accommodation for a AC outlet, ledge etc. - stuff which is generally found on newer apartments. What modifications are usually required and who would be able to advise on this - the installation guys themselves? Would they be making the necessary cutouts in the wall during installation?

4. Lastly, what should be my budget range?

I have very little knowledge on the details, so feel free to advise from a learner's perspective

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Noob question

1. Need a small capacity split wall mounted AC. This will work only for the main bedroom, so I am assuming a 1 ton AC will be more than sufficient. usage will mostly be at night for around 6-8 hours during the summer months.

2. What are the good brands available? Priority is fuss free ownership, reliability and great service. At a reasonable cost of course. Not interested in any fancy feature (touchscreen, smart AC and the like), just good and fast cooling with reliable operation and less power consumption. Any specific features that I should be looking at?

3. Ours is a old house with no specific accommodation for a AC outlet, ledge etc. - stuff which is generally found on newer apartments. What modifications are usually required and who would be able to advise on this - the installation guys themselves? Would they be making the necessary cutouts in the wall during installation?

4. Lastly, what should be my budget range?

1. There are tools available on the net to calculate the capacity of the AC. But you need to factor in the heat loss, type of construction, insulation, number of occupants and so on. I would advise you to go for 1.5 ton. You will not incur much of operating cost when compared with a 1 ton.
2. Go for any good brand. Scroll through this forum for good actionable information on brands. Generally select a brand that has a good service backup.
3.Ask your electrician to draw power supply with heavy gauge 7/20 wire to the place your ac will be connected. Your AC installers will drill the hole and install the indoor unit and the external unit should be fitted where it is convenient to have access.
4. Your budget depends on the brand. Go for inverter AC and you will save a pile of money. Broadly your budget should be around 35k for a good brand inverter 1.5 ton AC.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Noob question, any advice from experienced users will be highly appreciated.

Having borne the brunt of Bangalore summers over the past few years, it seems inevitable that a AC will have to be installed in our house. In purchasing my first AC, would like to have some basic advice on the following:

1. Need a small capacity split wall mounted AC. This will work only for the main bedroom, so I am assuming a 1 ton AC will be more than sufficient. usage will mostly be at night for around 6-8 hours during the summer months.

2. What are the good brands available? Priority is fuss free ownership, reliability and great service. At a reasonable cost of course. Not interested in any fancy feature (touchscreen, smart AC and the like), just good and fast cooling with reliable operation and less power consumption. Any specific features that I should be looking at?

3. Ours is a old house with no specific accommodation for a AC outlet, ledge etc. - stuff which is generally found on newer apartments. What modifications are usually required and who would be able to advise on this - the installation guys themselves? Would they be making the necessary cutouts in the wall during installation?

4. Lastly, what should be my budget range?

I have very little knowledge on the details, so feel free to advise from a learner's perspective

1. The capacity will depend on both the room area and whether the room has floors above it or has a terrace. In case the room is more than 100 square feet or has a terrace above it a 1.5T AC will be better than a 1T.

2. I personally like LG inverter AC. They may not be the best or have as many gizmos as others, but their service is excellent.

3. Split AC have the following installation steps
- Make a 75mm hole in the wall.
- Fix a bracket for ODU on the wall or if there is space put a stand outside the room.
- Fix the IDU on the wall and the ODU on the bracket/stand.
- Connect the pipes between ODU and IDU.
- Vacuum the system to get rid of air and moisture.
- The units come with gas so all they have to do is to release the gas from the ODU into the system.

4. A 1.5T LG inverter sells any where between 40K and 50K, depending on the schemes at that time. In Delhi Paytm comes up with lucrative schemes from time to time. Keep on the lookout. Generally they have 42+K with a cashback of any where between 3K and 6K. ICICI has also a cash back of 2K in tie up with them. Depending on schemes the installation may be free or Rs.500. 3m pipes come with the unit and any extra length will be charged extra. The stand/bracket are also charged.

Even though you need a basic AC I would advice you to get an LG Dual Inverter AC. The advantages are
- Lower power consumption
- Stabilizer free unit (between 160 and 270V)
- Great 4 years extended AMC which will cover all but a few rubber parts and comes with two services free per year. So essentially you will not be spending anything for 5 years. They are practically only company to have free parts and labour for the whole period.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

I have very little knowledge on the details, so feel free to advise from a learner's perspective

We over here sometimes over analyze things to the point that it makes zero sense, but I get your point, here's some sensible advice :

1) Buying an a.c is no more complex as buying a fridge, the job of both is cooling, more stars the more energy savings, lesser stars the cheaper the product is.

2) That said, there is a hierarchy of brands which are proven 1) O General 2) Sharp 3) Panasonic in order of performance, reliability and resultantly, cost.

3) Dont even bother with installation, what, where, how.. the technicians know the job and they do it. You may just need to pay extra for wall mounts for the external fan, copper piping over a limit etc. If plug point isnt available you need to hire an electrician and draw a line thru plastic piping and keep one near the place.

Seeing your love for anything Japanese I'd recommend Panasonic/Sharp in that order, I have a Panasonic too. Btw summer in Bangalore? I've not noticed my entire life, and Ive been here that long, my aircon is actually an HVAC and used almost only for heating or making the home a bit toasty. 24 is the lowest we've put it in.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by Prowler

1. There are tools available on the net to calculate the capacity of the AC. Go for inverter AC and you will save a pile of money. Broadly your budget should be around 35k for a good brand inverter 1.5 ton AC.

Thanks a lot for your advice. Appreciate it!

Originally Posted by Aroy

1. The capacity will depend on both the room area and whether the room has floors above it or has a terrace. In case the room is more than 100 square feet or has a terrace above it a 1.5T AC will be better than a 1T.

Yes I do have the terrace directly above me and that certainly contributes to the heat during summer. Thanks for the detailed advice, and looks like 1.5 ton will be a better bet going by what you are saying.

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Btw summer in Bangalore? I've not noticed my entire life, and Ive been here that long, my aircon is actually an HVAC and used almost only for heating or making the home a bit toasty. 24 is the lowest we've put it in.

Thank you, that is very helpful!

Yes sir, Bangalore summers. I have stayed here since 2001 and unfortunately, in recent years, the months of March, April and May have been pretty bad, though still much better than my hometown Kolkata

But an AC is warranted nowadays, for sure. Managed without it thus far but looks like will have to bite the bullet this coming summer. My flat is directly below the roof and therefore does heat up quite a bit.

As for my love for Japanese, I suppose my signature does speak to it!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Seeing your love for anything Japanese I'd recommend Panasonic/Sharp in that order,

Sharp? I thought they had left the Indian AC market with their tail between their legs.

It was the best AC I ever had... when it worked.

It was the most horrible, and expensive, domestic-equipment ownership experience I have ever had. It was scrap within a couple of years, and my experience was not rare.

Sharp is probably responsible for a lot of the bias against inverter ACs. Yes, their control board failed, and yes, they were expensive, if the company could even find them.

A bitter experience indeed.

[Mortis]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Sharp? I thought they had left the Indian AC market with their tail between their legs.

It was the best AC I ever had... when it worked.

It was the most horrible, and expensive, domestic-equipment ownership experience I have ever had. It was scrap within a couple of years, and my experience was not rare.

Sharp is probably responsible for a lot of the bias against inverter ACs. Yes, their control board failed, and yes, they were expensive, if the company could even find them.

A bitter experience indeed.

I came here just for this. I'm sorry dark.knight I cannot take your advice seriously if you have ranked Sharp as the No2 best AC !! Buying Sharp ACs was one of the worst decisions of my life and have completely put me off inverter ACs.

[dark.knight]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Sharp? I thought they had left the Indian AC market with their tail between their legs.

It was the best AC I ever had... when it worked.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it was your recommendation of Panasonic aircon and its durable nature which sucked in smoke at marriage halls on a regular basis which swung me to the brand, 4 years on no regrets.

I know you're kind of the "to go" man when it comes to aircons and yes sadly it seems Sharp has left India but my aircon guy seems to procure it on order, as also O General, last I talked to him. These 2 brands never seem to have a visible marketplace.

Also, I have a friend who put in Sharp aircons and fridges at his home, based on my recommendation, when Sharp used to be around, having sat in his home many a time, the silence and cooling combo of that Sharp even 4 years down is unbelievable. As you youself might agree to that, I needn't write much more. Samsungs and LGs are a bit rattly/noisy, Carrier Aircon is a nasty joke (personal experience of having one in office). Seems Panasonic is a safe bet then (but going by sales they may fold up soon as well).

Originally Posted by Mortis

I cannot take your advice seriously if you have ranked Sharp as the No2 best AC !! Buying Sharp ACs was one of the worst decisions of my life and have completely put me off inverter ACs.

A small correction, otherwise you're entitled to your experience and opinion. I can only suggest based on my experiences and opinion from a very experienced aircon installer (he does 40-50 installations per month), he believes that O.G is undoubtedly the best and many people seem to agree, then Sharp, and Panasonic. His opinion is based on the fact that most internal chips and boards in these brands are in-house made, he did say that they are expensive to buy /fix but they are most satisfying in terms of temperature accuracy, noiseless operation and reliability. My friend has 3 of them at home, all 1.5 tons and even today they are reliable, does that make my opinion right? Not really but it is a true case study to ponder upon.

I would've bought O.G or Sharp but for the fact that I was looking for a 2 ton HVAC and only Panasonic had it. Plus this may only be my opinion but in a world where people buy 1 lakh rupee phones, multiple cars or high end cars (all considered to be upper luxury), a 40k aircon and a repair now and then worth maybe even half the value would be kind of ok given that it keeps one comfy at home. My set costed about 73k, rest about 4-5k worth of cleaning and maintenance over 4 years, not too bad. If some part does go kaput and I've to spend even half of the value I'll be happy to do so. No electronics can come with 100% guarantee, I've never had problem with Sony televisions over a decade, yet so many report failures as well.. I can only go by my experience.

[Sebring]

If you love Japanese, look no further than Mitsubishi. Being in Bangalore, you will love their unique experience center - demo of all their products plus company installation. I'm a happy customer (two years now). But yeah it commands a premium. In Dubai, for that heat, we use only General. They got the market

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

As for my love for Japanese, I suppose my signature does speak to it!

[mazda4life]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Thanks a lot for your advice. Appreciate it!

Even we took the plunge and bought a AC after moving back from LA, I definitely can recommend Hitachi as an alternate, although their installation has been not upto the mark.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

I know you're kind of the "to go" man when it comes to aircons and yes sadly it seems Sharp has left India but my aircon guy seems to procure it on order, as also O General, last I talked to him. These 2 brands never seem to have a visible marketplace.

No! Not at all <Large Blush>. People like Aroy are our mentors and chief advisers!

And I have to say this: he is recommending LG, with a five year warranty and maintenance, while I, having bought Mitsubishi, could buy a new machine on five years of AMC after the one-year warranty. I'm seriously thinking this is probably a bad deal, and will quiz the guys, next visit, about the cost of the most expensive components. Money paid for insuring a risk I could afford is money thrown away,

I'm glad you have had a good experience of Sharp. As a brand, I had never before had a bad one.

Oh, and... it isn't "Oh" General! but who's quibbling!

[Aroy]

My take on AC is
1. With Indian power supply situation, the service is more important than extra features.
2. The technology of inverter AC is much better than the older ones.
3. Wide voltage range (170-270) is now incorporated in most of the inverter AC.
4. Failure rates of the MB is the most frequent occurrence, so any insurance/assurance/warranty against that is worth the cost. LG charges around 16K for its extended warranty which includes parts, labour and two services per year. That is a fair price to pay for peace of mind.
5. Japanese brands have their heads in air still and do not provide comprehensive cover for extended period. So even though they are much superior in performance, one major fault will wipe out all that you saved in running costs. Once they follow Koreans in their support philosophy, I would consider them.

I will caution those who go for Inverter AC solely for their lower power consumption. One fault will wipe out all the savings you make in a five year horizon. That is besides their cost premium of 10K or more.
6. The older mechanical AC - reciprocating compressors, no MB and manual temperature and louver controls are still the most bullet proof machines which will last for decades without any major fault. Their only down side is that they consume more electricity and all controls are manual. For larger systems , say 5T onwards I would always go for these systems.