[sgiitk]

We also get similar advice - more about fan motors and the rest. Very difficult to follow when the temperature is in single digits for over 16 hours a day! Even car A/Cs are not switched on for a few months.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Edsel Rulez!

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.

Gas leak in any window air conditioner is extremely rare. In case yours is a genuine gas leak, please take it up with the manufacturer as it points to either a manufacturing defect, or damage to the sealed system during installation.

We do not realise that an AC is a heat exchanger and that the rear heat exchanger becomes inefficient if it is clogged. Of the three Hitachi AC's I have, the one in my bedroom requires cleaning practically three times a season, as its fins become clogged fast (you have to see it to believe the amount of dirt which comes out during servicing). The others are cleaned only once a year.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Recently we noticed clicking noises coming from one of our AC units. After a couple of days of this, I took off the cover and saw that there was ice on the cooling coil!

The filters were clean, but I still noticed that there was hardly any airflow. The engineer found that the fan itself was covered in dirt and was not blowing air. All it took was a clean up, and now our AC is fine again.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Recently we noticed clicking noises coming from one of our AC units. After a couple of days of this, I took off the cover and saw that there was ice on the cooling coil!

I too have faced similar icing. It happens in two cases
1. When the filter is clogged
2. When the fan goes kaput
In either case when there is no air flowing, ice forms. There fore I constantly check the air flow from the AC and if it is low I check the filter. In my house in Delhi there is a lot of dust and my Ac filter clogs within three or four days.
Another side effect of the dust is that the rear heat exchanger gets clogged, so we have to clean it at least three times a season.

[ghodlur]

Guys,

How good is Lloyds 1T Split AC? There is a good offer going on in Vijay Sales Thane and would cost me 17K with 1.5K for installation?

Are the brands like Videocon, Voltas bad in performance, I dont see anyone buying these brands, maybe thats the reason max discounts are available on them.

[khoj]

Good deal on Whirlpool 1.5 ton window ac check it out
www.futurebazaar.com : Buy Whirlpool Sac 1.5T Aviator III Pearl White Air Conditioner and get Wirlpool Gift Voucher - Reebok Shoes free : Home Appliances

[sgiitk]

I have three Videocons (two window + 1 split) bought in 2000-2001. The window units have proved to be very reliable. The split needed a new compressor after 3 years. The another four years, and we started having problems with the electronics. Finally, two years ago, on the advice of a mechanic, I got the indoor unit changed t(Voltas Vertis). The split is also fine since then.

[ghodlur]

Brought a Samsung AS123TGA split AC 3 star rated this Diwali for a price of 19K - killer deal with standard installation free. This was brought from Samsung exclusive shop in Thane.

The only gouse was the indoor unit does not come with a 3 pin plug, the drain pipe offered was a mere 1 mtr (a big joke). Had to buy them from outside. The installation was done in 2 hrs and next day of purchasing.

[GTO]

Just a note of advice to others : You get what you pay for. LG air conditioners may be priced cheap, but they are also built cheap!! I've had innumerable problems with a LG unit from the 1.5 - 4th year. Everything that could possibly fail has. Thumbs down.

[drmohitg]

Hey guys need some help with this. we are shifting to a new place and need to buy 4 1.5 ton splits. Till now we have used only general window acs. The doubt i have is right now every company in the market including hitachi comes with these star ratings. Only O general still lacks them. So does this mean that O General consumes more power? My dad is convinced that general is the best but this rating issue is holding us back. Can you please throw some light on this issue? Our usual usage in summers exceeds 8 hours easily.
Otherwise we will buy a mix of samsung and hitachi.

[khoj]

White goods cannot be sold without a star rating, there are no exceptions to the rule. It is only that some brands need to tom tom it more than others.

Those who know a good thing when they see one (like your Dad) stand firm on their convictions. So listen to your Papa.

As for power consumptions etc enough data is there on the previous pages, spend some time there if you still have to.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Hey guys need some help with this. we are shifting to a new place and need to buy 4 1.5 ton splits. Till now we have used only general window acs. The doubt i have is right now every company in the market including hitachi comes with these star ratings. Only O general still lacks them. So does this mean that O General consumes more power? My dad is convinced that general is the best but this rating issue is holding us back. Can you please throw some light on this issue? Our usual usage in summers exceeds 8 hours easily.
Otherwise we will buy a mix of samsung and hitachi.

If you want low power consumption, excellent cooling and long life, consider package unit of say 4-6 tons with VRF (variable refrigerant flow) compressor. These units are robust industrial grade, and you can connect multiple indoor units to a single out door unit. The only down side is the initial capital cost which is easily twice that of a normal high end split. To get an idea of what this is http://www.hitachi-hli.com/pdfs/Hitachi-PDF/setfree.pdf. All major manufacturers have similar offerings.

[sgiitk]

My son faced an interesting problem with his 1.5TR Samsung Split. It lost R22, after about a year and a half. Refilled. Lost R22 again. This time the chap took the exterior unit apart, and on testing found the condenser with a few pinholes. Said that in coastal areas (Manipal) the aluminium condensers tend to pack up in 2-3 years.

Any experience, is this normal? Then the better option may be to try and find a copper condenser!

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

My son faced an interesting problem with his 1.5TR Samsung Split. It lost R22, after about a year and a half. Refilled. Lost R22 again. This time the chap took the exterior unit apart, and on testing found the condenser with a few pinholes. Said that in coastal areas (Manipal) the aluminium condensers tend to pack up in 2-3 years.

Any experience, is this normal? Then the better option may be to try and find a copper condenser!

I had bought a Whirpool 2 Ton AC for my living room just before this summer and i had exactly the same problem. Switch on AC, no cooling even after 10 minutes. Problem identified as gas leaking (twice) before the technicians could fix the problem permanently.

It was the piping which was not fixed properly the end of hose where the nut has to be tightened.

[Edsel Rulez!]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Switch on AC, no cooling even after 10 minutes. Problem identified as gas leaking (twice) before the technicians could fix the problem permanently.

I sure hope it's permanent! I've heard that gas leaks are notoriously hard to pinpoint and fix. My Hitachi window AC went belly-up a month ago with the same problem but I haven't got it fixed yet. It's winter, so I hardly use it these days. I figured it's better to get the gas refilled in February along with a thorough 'wet' service so that the AC is ready to take on the summer, rather than fix it now and have it sit idle for 3-4 months.

How much did the gas refill cost, by the way? I got a quote of Rs 3000+ for my one-tonne window AC.