[coolmel]

AWB: Mann, you are the first person whos brought down O general. Please elaborate, would love to hear your side of the story.

[amidoc]

Hi Just installed the daikin FTKD 50 FVM 1.5 ton for the bedroom. Paid Rs 42k for the same outside of installation/piping ect. Had a existing Toshiba daisikai ac which i used for last 4 years which had starred giving indifferent performance. In fact the compressor also had to be replaced last year.

Its my first experience with daikin ac/s and I agree that they are really at a higher level compared to the competition. I got it done from a good dealer based in kandiwali who retails lots of brands such as daikin/o general/Panasonic/Mitsubishi/LG/Samsung. The installation was also good and we managed to use the same piping which was there for the earlier ac.

[suzuki san]

Hi AWD,

I would agree with Frank. I have had a 2.0T OGeneral window unit in my hall for the last 15 years. Brought in from the Gulf. After a max half hour of running most guests ask me to turn it down or off as they are freezing!!!! I am really surprised at your comment. I have just bought a Videocon and a Electrolux 1.5T for the bedrooms as the old ones were well worn. They are not a patch on the 15 year old General.

Regards,

SS

[Bengal Bonding]

I presume Voltas can be a good consideration.I had purchased one last year and and have not done a single service for the same as there is no one in the house to take the responsibility.The performance is outstanding till date.

The only issue is they dont service A/C's on Sunday.

[coolmel]

Even I want Daikin but again it falls out of my budget. I SO wish Daikin would make window acs. sigh! And OG normally have a higher fan speed which is why they cool faster and the chill is more too because of the higher BTU.

[khoj]

Originally Posted by amidoc

Hi

Its my first experience with daikin ac/s and I agree that they are really at a higher level compared to the competition. I got it done from a good dealer based in kandiwali who retails lots of brands such as daikin/o general/Panasonic/Mitsubishi/LG/Samsung. The installation was also good and we managed to use the same piping which was there for the earlier ac.

@amidoc

Please share the dealer's name and contact details. These would come in handy for members currently looking at purchasing new air conditioners.

Originally Posted by Bengal Bonding

I presume Voltas can be a good consideration.I had purchased one last year and and have not done a single service for the same as there is no one in the house to take the responsibility.The performance is outstanding till date.

The only issue is they dont service A/C's on Sunday.

@Bengal Bonding

All the air conditioner needs is for the front filter to be washed under flowing tap water, dried under a fan or natural breeze (in shade) and installed back. Just this and your machine is good to go and it is fairly easy to do. Refer to the user manual for instructions on how to remove the filter from your specific unit. The design of air conditioners is very simple and therefore a very rugged one and as long as you have a clean front filter it will do what it is supposed to do without any fuss.

@coolmel

Trust your shopping trips are bearing fruit.

[Akshay1234]

Guys tell me one thing, if the ac outdoor unit is pretty far from the indoor unit, say about 15-20 feet is there a loss in cooling? Will it be a lot?

The reason I ask is because im going to move soon, the living room there is around 25'x20' and Im guessing ill need about 6 tons of AC. But the problem is the outdoor units will be between 15-20+ feet away.

Also will 6 tons be fine for 25x20' considering one wall is french windows.

[khoj]

^^ @akshay1234

Well all air conditioner manufacturers specify different maximum length/height difference that is allowable between their indoor and outdoor units. As I recall off hand, for the residential range General and Daikin allow for a maximum difference at approx 15 meters for the inverters and 20 meters for the regular machines. Best would be to refer to the product literature.

As for the tonnage at the outset 6 tons seems adequate for 500 sq foot but you can get a better idea from the following link
:: Welcome to Daikin Air Conditioners India Pvt. Ltd. ::

Also it would be better that this kind of requirement be handled professionally as this is suitable for a packaged system and even in the residential range this could be a job better suited for the wall ceiling mounted units or even the floor standing ones rather than the usual hi wall mounting units.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Guys tell me one thing, if the ac outdoor unit is pretty far from the indoor unit, say about 15-20 feet is there a loss in cooling? Will it be a lot?

The reason I ask is because im going to move soon, the living room there is around 25'x20' and Im guessing ill need about 6 tons of AC. But the problem is the outdoor units will be between 15-20+ feet away.

Also will 6 tons be fine for 25x20' considering one wall is french windows.

A rule of thumb calculation which has stood the test of time is as follows

1. 1 ton per 1000 cu.feet
2. 1 ton for every 4 persons
3. 1 ton for every 3KW of power consumed by appliances

Using this parameter you require

1. 5 tons for 5000 cu.feet of room space
2. At least 2 more tons for 10 persons. Note that is you plan to have more people, say 20+ size accordingly.

Regarding efficiency, as long as the maximum pipe length as specified by manufacturer is adhered to, there should be no loss in efficiency in a long pipe.

My personal view. If you want more than 4 tons, go for VRF (Variable refrigerant flow) system. These deliver as much as cooling as required between 10% and 100% of rated value. This ensures lower energy consumption and optimum cooling. VRF system is normally imported and costs at least twice as much per ton as a premium product, but it is worth it as the total cost of ownership is much lower. For more information on VRF see Hitach Set Free and other manufacturers, normally under industrial refrigeration product.

[Edsel Rulez!]

Alas, the famed Hitachi Quadricool that I eagerly bought (and proudly announced in post #405 on page 27 of this thread) seems to have given up the ghost in a year and a half. Over the past week the cooling seems to have drastically reduced and the chill factor is missing completely. I called in an 'authorised technician' today, who after a cursory inspection announced that the gas will need to be refilled. The cost? Over Rs 3000. is a gas recharge so expensive? The AC has been used moderately and the filter cleaned regularly (every month at least). I'm quite disappointed that a product with such premium pricing can't survive even two years in Mumbai climate.

[Thad E Ginathom]

That is very disapointing: I thought Hitachi was Rolls Royce of ACs. Certainly has a RR price tag!

after a cursory inspection announced that the gas will need to be refilled

Sounds like more than a cursory inspection is required: "gas needs to refilled" surely means "gas has leaked" --- in which case, finding and fixing the leak is of primary importance.

[khoj]

The Quadricool has a design flaw that leads to problems. The Quadricool TM on the other hand does not see these issues.

[Sheel]

Global warming pushed me into buying AC this summer, but now the weather is nippy.
Any precautions/advises as the AC won't be used till March15-20th at-least.
Thanks

^Have whirlpool 1.5T Chrome

[Thad E Ginathom]

Our AC mechanic recommended to run AC for an hour or two every week. Do not leave it completely unused for months.

[anupmathur]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Our AC mechanic recommended to run AC for an hour or two every week. Do not leave it completely unused for months.

This advice would be valid for ACs with compressors that are exposed to the atmosphere. The shaft seals tend to leak during long periods of disuse, since these seals rely on lube oil to form a seal. A dried out seal will leak gas from the crankcase.
The ACs we are looking at here are all hermetically sealed units and there is no need to run them every so often. Such ACs can be left idle for months with no adverse effects!