[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Edsel Rulez!

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.

Whew!!! thats ripping you again and then some. I think the refill should be under 1K and not more, especially for 1.0 tonne window AC.

My 2.0 Ton is a split ac and this issue happened within first month of buying ( sometime in Feb'10) and fixed the same month. I paid "zilch" both times when the gas was refilled. Subsequently, it was used through out summer and almost until July'10 and it performed without any hiccups.

After July'10, its been on once a month kind of usage and still seems alright.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by mobike008

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

Before I bought my first split unit (three years ago), I did a survey with the different installers on reliability of the split AC installation. What came out was

1. Do not hurry the installation. Try to get it started in morning rather than in the afternoon.
2. Get a reliable mechanic to do it, one who has installed a lot, rather than a new guy.
3. Ensure that the pipes are new and the pipe cutting is done properly. Further insist on Teflon tape for all joint seals.
4. Before they fill the gas let them conduct a pressure test for at least half an hour. A lot of loose joints show up at this stage, and you have not wasted gas.
5. If possible insist on insulation tube to cover the pipe rather than a strip wound. The strip would peal in a couple of years, while a tube would remain for a long time.
6. Finally insist that the gas pressure is checked a week after installation (keep some payment pending if possible!).

[nd81]

Can somebody suggest which split AC one should buy ? I need 1.5T split AC.
There are so many brands....don't know which one to buy.

[thangu]

Can someone share their experience with Daikin split AC's. They seem to be priced a lot higher than other brands, so was wondering if they are worth the extra cost upfront. We are looking at a split AC for our home in Chennai.

I'd prefer to spend some extra money while buying rather getting a cheaper one and then spending later on maintenance a couple of years down the line.

[devarshi84]

Originally Posted by nd81

Can somebody suggest which split AC one should buy ? I need 1.5T split AC.
There are so many brands....don't know which one to buy.

depends on your budget and brand preference.

Hitachi, mitsubishi and Daikin are on the higher range

Voltas, LG and Onida are in the main range.

go for one with a 5 star rating though.

Originally Posted by thangu

Can someone share their experience with Daikin split AC's. They seem to be priced a lot higher than other brands, so was wondering if they are worth the extra cost upfront. We are looking at a split AC for our home in Chennai.

I'd prefer to spend some extra money while buying rather getting a cheaper one and then spending later on maintenance a couple of years down the line.

Daikin is a premium brand so you do pay more price for the unit. But they are reliable too. I personally think Hitachi and Mitsubishi are better built.

[sgiitk]

I agree with the brand preferences. However, sometimes the difference between a 4* and a 5* may be only 50W or so and the price advantage substantial. So check out.

[frankmehta]

I have done EXTENSIVE research over a few months before buying my Daikin Inverters. They are called the Rolls Royce of Air Conditioners.
And trust me, NOW I know why!!!
Super silent, super efficient and MAN, this inverter technology is WILD. My bills with 4 split AC's are (not exaggerating at all) almost 60% lesser than what I used to get with 2 window ACs put together. Not joking. My Dad says it's the best investment we made among the other stuff we bought for the new house.
They cool the room in seconds. Trust me, they are just fabulous. Before buying those I thought I was just going in for a uselessly expensive luxury product because I had the resources, but I now deem it quite necessary to use the words Daikin and Airconditioner in one line.
Once Daikin, ALWAYS Daikin (well, almost, unless they mess up the quality like lots of companies have already)

Here, since this thread is huge, I'll link you to my earlier post.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadget...ml#post2026762

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/gadget...ml#post2045993

Edit: Check both links

[Thad E Ginathom]

My wife got a call from the sales guy who sold us our Samsung ACs about four years ago. She told him we had to replace a compressor, for 8,000 (or something, I forget the amount, but it was a lot).

We're silly.

He told us the compressor has a five year warranty: if we had contacted him it would have cost us nothing

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

My wife got a call from the sales guy who sold us our Samsung ACs about four years ago. She told him we had to replace a compressor, for 8,000 (or something, I forget the amount, but it was a lot).

We're silly.

He told us the compressor has a five year warranty: if we had contacted him it would have cost us nothing

Or was it possibly the condensor? Because that has gone bad twice on my Samsung ac.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Nope. They're relatively cheap (but not that cheap!), and yes, we've had several failures. The compressor is the heart of the machine

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

My wife got a call from the sales guy who sold us our Samsung ACs about four years ago. She told him we had to replace a compressor, for 8,000 (or something, I forget the amount, but it was a lot).

We're silly.

He told us the compressor has a five year warranty: if we had contacted him it would have cost us nothing

Yes the scam is that the compressor has a 5 year guarantee, but nothing else. We had a Samsung for 3 years and then gave it away! Reason - the compressor relay gave way. The relay is inside the sealed system. So thought the compressor was under warranty, the relay, gas and labour was not, and there was a hefty bill (disproportionate to the repair in my opinion). I gave it away in disgust. Now I am very happy with my Hitachi, all three of them.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Curious. But given that it is a sealed system, what would they do? Take it apart to discover why it had failed?

Hitachi: very nice, but twice the price? Of course, if it lasts twice as long, then that is easily justified!

[devarshi84]

from my experience Samsung and LG are not good at a/c. Even Onida and Videocon fare better.

Voltas is the best value for money bet. They are cheap and last long, very long.

General and Daikin usually sell by brand name and quality. They are good, yes.

I think Mitsubishi Heavy (not MItsu electricals) and Hitachi are some of the most advanced machines.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Curious. But given that it is a sealed system, what would they do? Take it apart to discover why it had failed?

Hitachi: very nice, but twice the price? Of course, if it lasts twice as long, then that is easily justified!

Well if you want real cheap get LG. It is half the price of Hitachi, though lower star rating. At that price it is a real VFM.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Well, we did get Samsung, and three of them, thinking it was the best compromise value-for-money choice. Next time, I'd try to finance the more upmarket choice.