[zehhatter]

Originally Posted by Aroy

VRF is just an exotic split AC, just that it has a single ODU and multiple IDU. The installation hassles are similar to split AC and the VRF systems cost at least twice that of comparable individual splits.

Also get a written warrant/assurance for free gas and labour in case of leaks in the first two years.

The only advantage VRF has over the mainstream units is that it gives a cleaner look as everything is directed to one outdoor unit. But do remember that the longer your piping runs, you lose a bit of efficiency there. The second biggest issue, if your outdoor unit fails, your entire house's air conditioning goes for a toss and VRF units take much longer to repair due to lack of parts usually.

[CowlFlap]

Originally Posted by Aroy

We had two Hitachi window AC, one was a 5* six years ago. The AC are excellent, but our 5* suffered fan problems. Unlike the regular AC this one had a DC fan which cost 6K+. We replaced it once and when it was on its way out replaced the window AC with LG dual inverter split. As long as they are taken care of properly, Hitachi AC are excellent, but their official service people are quite bad in Delhi and are responsible for breaking most of the plastic parts and ruining the fans while washing. On the whole I strongly recommend LG dual split as they have an all inclusive 5 years extended warranty, so you have a lot of peace of mind.

The extended warranty is coming to be of no use, @Aroy. A friend (Mumbai based) who purchased the extended warranty for a dual inverter LG said it was a complete waste. Either they need begging to visit, or they visit and say it'll need another visit! So, either they don't have the staff, or the staff is not well-trained enough. I'm in the market for a split AC myself, and it's fast boiling down to 'good service network' is as good as 'no service network'.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by CowlFlap

The extended warranty is coming to be of no use, @Aroy. A friend (Mumbai based) who purchased the extended warranty for a dual inverter LG said it was a complete waste. Either they need begging to visit, or they visit and say it'll need another visit! So, either they don't have the staff, or the staff is not well-trained enough. I'm in the market for a split AC myself, and it's fast boiling down to 'good service network' is as good as 'no service network'.

What I wanted is the peace of mind. With the AMC all inclusive I am not bothered by why it goes wrong. They will replace every thing - MB, motors, heat exchangers and gas at their cost. On top of that the AMC includes two services every year free, that itself comes to more than 7K for four years.

Well in Delhi I have been getting excellent service from LG both for my Washing Machine and for two AC's. You have to register the purchases. I did so online and then just contact them on their support - 1800 315 9999 helpline.

Yes their default is not to visit, but once I contact them they are very prompt. Last year I had cooling problem and they diagnosed it to clogged IDU. One set came and diagnosed it and then the next day another set came, dismantled the IDU, thoroughly washed it clean and assembled it back again.

[CowlFlap]

Originally Posted by Aroy

What I wanted is the peace of mind. With the AMC all inclusive I am not bothered by why it goes wrong. They will replace every thing - MB, motors, heat exchangers and gas at their cost. On top of that the AMC includes two services every year free, that itself comes to more than 7K for four years.

You're quite right it gets you peace of mind, though I wish they would make their equipment robust enough to avoid most of those nasty issues.

Having said that, would it in any way be more advantageous to go with a brand/manufacturer that deals exclusively with air-conditioning? Diakin or oGeneral, for instance?

Thanks for your inputs, @Aroy.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by CowlFlap

You're quite right it gets you peace of mind, though I wish they would make their equipment robust enough to avoid most of those nasty issues.

Having said that, would it in any way be more advantageous to go with a brand/manufacturer that deals exclusively with air-conditioning? Diakin or oGeneral, for instance?

Thanks for your inputs, @Aroy.

Daikin and General are excellent AC but their service is not upto the mark. As long as they run they are fine. My son has two General splits in Mumbai and he has perennial problem with service there. As far as Daikin is concerned they have no warranty post repairs. That is why I prefer companies that are serious about service and customer support.

[CowlFlap]

Originally Posted by Aroy

Daikin and General are excellent AC but their service is not upto the mark. As long as they run they are fine. My son has two General splits in Mumbai and he has perennial problem with service there. As far as Daikin is concerned they have no warranty post repairs. That is why I prefer companies that are serious about service and customer support.

Thanks. Is this because they outsource their service and repairs (perhaps installation too) as opposed to say an LG or Samsung that takes care of these issues with their own personnel?

[Fordlover88]

Hello everyone, we need to buy a 1.5 ton split ac for domestic purpose. We are a bit confused between 5 Star non inverter & 3 star inverter ac. The ac will be running for 10 to 12 hours a day on an average. Which amongst the above two will be more energy efficient?

[adityarobb]

Originally Posted by Fordlover88

Hello everyone, we need to buy a 1.5 ton split ac for domestic purpose. We are a bit confused between 5 Star non inverter & 3 star inverter ac. The ac will be running for 10 to 12 hours a day on an average. Which amongst the above two will be more energy efficient?

Hey Fordlover88,

After using a LG 5 star normal ac and a Daikin 4 star inverter ac, I would recommend a 3 star inverter ac over the normal 5 star ac as it is slightly more efficient than the 5 star, makes less noise, better life span and the most important thing is, in my LG the compressor used to turn off automatically after reaching the set temperature and as soon as the compressor turns off, I could feel the change in the atmosphere and the rise in temperature (especially in summer) which was unpleasant until the ac compressor turns back on.

[deky]

If the AC usage is continuous for 6+ hours then inverter AC's make more sense as their running cost will be lower. But if the usage is staggered over, say running for couple of hours and turning them off and again starting after few hours then non inverter AC's are the best.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Fordlover88

Hello everyone, we need to buy a 1.5 ton split ac for domestic purpose. We are a bit confused between 5 Star non inverter & 3 star inverter ac. The ac will be running for 10 to 12 hours a day on an average. Which amongst the above two will be more energy efficient?

The star rating for Inverter and Non Inverter is different and Inverter AC are more efficient if used for longer duration. If you run for 10 to 12 hours dally then a 5 star Inverter AC is the best bet. With the current downturn in economy and the summer coming, you will get lucrative deals for 5 star Inverter AC soon. I got very good deals on LG Inverter AC. Just keep checking the e-commerce sites as well as Paytm and by March end you should find great deals.

[civic-sense]

Originally Posted by civic-sense

My AC buying ended up in an kind of anticlimax, finally buying something that was never in my list. Flipkart had the Carrier Superia 4i 1.5T ...

2 years and 8 months later the gas drained out completely, apparently due to a leak in one of the joints. It was evident that there was some leak as the cooling has reduced in the last six months or so.

The Carrier service guy, after the diagnosis, promised to come back after 2 days with the gas. But after he postponed his appointment twice and still didn't turn up, I called a local AC service guy I googled up.

He fixed the leak and filled the gas and charged 3K for it. I did not know how much it would cost so I just paid up. Is the cost fine by today's standards?

[harry10]

Originally Posted by civic-sense

He fixed the leak and filled the gas and charged 3K for it. I did not know how much it would cost so I just paid up. Is the cost fine by today's standards?

Cost is fine. I paid the same amount for my carrier superia AC gas fill few months back. I have noticed this with carrier. In all 3 carrier AC we have the gas leaked once they crossed 2 years period. Strange.

[civic-sense]

Originally Posted by harry10

Cost is fine. I paid the same amount for my carrier superia AC gas fill few months back. I have noticed this with carrier. In all 3 carrier AC we have the gas leaked once they crossed 2 years period. Strange.

Thanks for the reply.

Since you said that you too have a Superia AC, I have another question for you. Are you able to sleep all night after setting the AC at a particular temp? I have always struggled with that. Yesterday, I slept with the AC set at 25 degrees, only to wake up at 2AM feeling cold like hell. I had to switch it off. Even if I set 28 degrees, it gets cold after a couple of hours.

At my FIL's place with a prehistoric TCL AC, I can set the temp to 25 degrees and not touch it for the whole night. I wonder if there is something wrong with my unit.

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by civic-sense

Thanks for the reply.

I slept with the AC set at 25 degrees, only to wake up at 2AM feeling cold like hell. I had to switch it off. Even if I set 28 degrees, it gets cold after a couple of hours.

There should be something wrong with the AC thermostat, 25 degrees is a comfortable temperature for most

[superbhikari]

Need an advice - I am in need of around 9 split ACs for my new house. There is a strange problem of chemical fumes from the drain near to the colony which eventually causes gas leaks over a period of 2 or 3 years. One of the vendor highly suggesting to for regular ACs than Inverter due to this issue + high maintenance cost of inverter + intitial price diff. I have solar electricity plant with net metering, hence electricity consumption is not the issue but choosing the brand of AC to go for is. He is recommending Hitachi or Carrier since they have exclusive service centers. Advised against Bluestar due to bad service, against Daikin due to low air circulation (smaller IDU). O general is expensive and since there is probability of occurrence of fault due to fumes, it is nit recommended. Kindly help to choose from Hitachi, Carrier, LG, Voltas or any other brand of regular Split AC.