Air Conditioner (AC) Buying Guide (with Recommendations)
Hi,
I live in Northern part of India, where yearly temperature variation ranges from 45-48degrees in Summers to 2-4degrees in Winters. In one season we are laden with sweat all the time and in other season layers of warm clothes occupy us. On one hand we seek Air Conditioners in summers on other hand we seek Heaters and Geysers in winters.
In NCR, summers occupies most of the calendar, as we have 8 months of summers here. And with start of summer there starts the search for Air Conditioners. So, I was also looking for an AC, but didn't got a good guide to know in-out of it. So from whole of my research from online stores to blogs and finally visits to brick and mortar shop i felt I can help others to find an AC for their use and budget. I will pool my whole research here in this blog post. This is a must read blog post before you buy an AC.
We will start with the basic of Air Conditioners, about how its works, different technologies and form factors available, then will help you to select an AC fit for your room. Finally I have added some links to amazon and flipkart for the models which I found promising. I will keep updating those links as and when I get a promising model. We will also look at how brands manipulates their prices by providing inferior quality products to provide you an AC which may fit in your budget but leave long term pain with you in terms of power consumption, and post sales services.
Lest start..
How AC works:
AC works on the principle of thermodynamics, where the liquid is converted into gases on heating. The process of conversion of state from liquid to gaseous form and vica-versa is termed as Phase Conversion Process.
Air Conditioner unit comprises of following parts:
- Evaporator
- Compressor
- Condenser
- Expansion Device
In the first step, the hot air from the room is sucked in by the AC grille mounted inside the room. This hot air is accepted by the evaporator, which heats and converts liquid refrigerant contained in evaporator into gaseous form. The hot gas travels to the outer/outdoor unit through insulated pipes and is received by compressor.
The compressor compresses the gases into state of high temperature and high pressure. The highly pressurized gas is now passed through condenser which cools the gas rapidly and converts it into liquid state. Now the cooled liquid refrigerant is flown inside the room, where it is circulated by expansion device inside the room.
This process is repeated again and again to cool the room quickly. There is another device called a thermostat. It keeps a check on room temperature. When room temperature reaches desired temperature thermostat stops the air conditioning process, and when room temperature increases, the thermostat starts the air conditioning process again.
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| Air Conditioner Working |
Now we have gone through how AC works, next step is to have a look at prototypes of different kinds of AC's along with usage.
Question: Where is all the heat gone in this process.
Answer: The room's heat is dissipated from the fins present in the outer part of window AC or Outdoor Unit of Split AC.
Different variants of AC's available for Home users are:
- Window AC-Normal and Inverter
- Split AC-Normal and Inverter
Difference between Normal and Inverter AC Compressor Technology:
Normal AC Compressor Technology:
In normal AC's the compressor motor goes off once the desired room temperature is reached and is restarted when room temperature is increased. i.e. it works at single speed and that too in ON-OFF mode only. Just like vehicles consume more fuel in stopping and starting the engines again and again, in the same manner normal AC's consume more power when compressor switched ON again and again. This reduces compressors life also.
Inverter AC Compressor Technology:
Inverter AC compressors do not goes off to sleep when desired room temperature is reached, infact they keep running at lower speed to maintain that temperature. Inverter AC compressors work on variable speed and always ON condition. This helps in better cooling and maintaining room temperature to almost unchanged. Thus consumes less energy and increases compressor life also. That is the reason Split AC with Inveter Technology are coming with more that 8 years warranty.
Decide Budget:
Before going to online e-commerce site or market to buy anything, its better to have an idea of depth of your pocket and moreover how much you are willing to shell out to purchase an AC. One obvious case is, if you compromise on technology and quality, in long term you may end up shelling off more from your pocket in terms of service and energy consumption.
In general, for same tonnage you will find Window Normal AC as the cheapest followed by Window Inverter AC, Normal Split AC and most expensive is Inverter Split AC in increasing order of prices.
Window AC vs Split AC
Window AC:
Comes as a single integrated unit with evaporator, compressor, condenser and expansion device all inside a single body.
Thumps Up:
Window AC:
Comes as a single integrated unit with evaporator, compressor, condenser and expansion device all inside a single body.
Thumps Up:
- Cost: Window AC's are more economical than Split AC.
- Energy Consumption: Less than Split AC as they are targeted to cool small and single room.
- Installation: Easy to install. It just requires a window to fit it. If window is there and you have tools to drill, you can install it by yourself. It also does not occupies inner wall space.
- Additional: Some models come with heaters also which can be used in winter.
Thumps Down:
- Noise: Window AC makes noticeable noise, compressor makes noise at start, during compressing process and stopping of compressor.
- Heterogeneous Cooling: Window AC preferably should be installed at ventilation window. Otherwise, if installed at lower level it wont be able to circulate air above its height.
- Fitting: Panels which come with window AC are not perfect fit, and allows hot air to come in.
Split AC:
Split AC comes in 2 parts. One part has Evaporator and Expanding Device which together is known as Indoor Unit and other is the Outdoor Unit which comprises of Compressor and Condenser.
Thumbs Up:
Thumbs Down:
Capacity or Tonnage:
Pick an AC with right capacity for your room. Less capacity may not cool your room properly. An AC with more capacity may be an overdo on your bills and budget needlessly. Here is a table having room size and AC capacity recommended.
More factors to keep in mind while deciding tonnage:
Floor No: The higher the floor number, more will be the cooling required. So you may have to go for higher tonnage even for smaller room size.
No. of Windows in Room: If there are too many windows in the room or the windows are large and not covered properly, it will affect AC's performance and cooling time.
Power Consumption:
Bureau of Energy Efficiency is the body which assigns star rating to electric appliances in India, based on their consumption. For AC's, till Dec 2017, BEE used to assign ratings to Window AC's and Normal Split AC's and not to Inverter Split AC's.
Since, January 2018, BEE has come out with new rating known as ISEER (Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ration) for Air Conditioners. This methodology factors in high temperature variance in Indian Climatic conditions and rates air conditioners accordingly. Higher the rating, lesser will be the power consumption.
Difference between 2017 and 2018 methodology:
There is a 2 point drop in rating of 2017 air conditioners. Normal Split AC which was rated 5 star in 2017 rating system is now 3 star as per new ISEER rating system.
Aluminium vs Copper Condenser:
Cost of copper condenser is more as compared to Aluminium condenser, so do the durability. If a copper condenser serves you for 5 years, Aluminium may serve you for just 3 years. So better prefer copper condensers, specially you are living in areas where pollution is high or there is a nearby drain.
Manufactures Playing Field:
With rising middle class, and quest for comfort, and neighborhood competitiveness, people seek more in less price. There is nothing wrong in doing so, one thing you should keep in mind is, if you got choice between quality and price, better go for quality, although you may end up getting less features but you will shed off your headache in long run.
In AC, the cost of condenser is typically 60% of the total cost. This allows manufactures the scope to cut prices by compromising on condenser quality. It may happen, that you save some bugs by buying inferior condenser, and spend more than that on electricity.
Personal Opinion: Go for a 3 star AC as the extra cost you pay for 5 star wont be recovered in 3 years of operation also.
Here are some of my recommendations for a wise consumer.
1. Window AC:
2. Split AC Normal
3. Inverter Split AC
Its all from my side. You can use comment section if you have any further doubt in deciding which AC is suitable for you.
Some models and links mentioned above may become invalid over the coarse of time. In that case please mention the same on my comments section so I can suggest you alternate models/links.
Thanks
Prateek
Disclaimer:
prateeksb.blogspot.com participates in the Amazon Associates and Flipkart Associates Program, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for blog/site to earn commissions by linking to Amazon and Flipkart. This means that whenever you buy a product on Amazon or Flipkart from a link on here, we get a small percentage of its price. That helps support the blog/site with some money and motivation to update the site, and is very much appreciated. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
Split AC comes in 2 parts. One part has Evaporator and Expanding Device which together is known as Indoor Unit and other is the Outdoor Unit which comprises of Compressor and Condenser.
Thumbs Up:
- More Cooling: The indoor unit expansion device has wider area to circulate air. Thus, more and faster will be the cooling. They can cool larger area i.e. can cover more cubic area.
- Silent Cooling: Since, compressor and condenser are present in outdoor unit which is installed quite away from indoor unit, the effective noise to the user is quite less. Some good models are there which operate so silently that makes hard to determine if AC is running or not (based on noise only).
- Liberty of Installation: They can be installed on any wall. There is no restriction of window on the wall. It just needs a housing pipe to be taken out of room by drilling the wall to outdoor unit.
- Energy Efficiency: They are more energy efficient as they come in perfect fit assembly leaving no space for outside hot air to come inside through AC fittings. Thus, maintains more or less constant room temperature.
Thumbs Down:
- Cost: The initial cost for buying split AC is more than Window AC and if you are going for Inverter Split AC, be ready shell much more. The price difference between Normal Split AC and Inverter Split AC is approx 5-6k.
- Installation: You can't install a split AC by yourself. As it requires to drill hole on the wall and also the hose pipes come along with it have fixed length typically 10 feet, more often it has to be increased (extra cost) to reach outdoor unit. Even if you install by your self, the company may devoid you of warranty. Better to get it installed by company engineer only. For installing outdoor unit at a height it requires outdoor unit stand also which adds on the cost also.
- Re-installation Cost: If you are living in rented house, than you have to re-install whole assembly every time you shift to new location, during which hose pipes may not be reused.
Capacity or Tonnage:
Pick an AC with right capacity for your room. Less capacity may not cool your room properly. An AC with more capacity may be an overdo on your bills and budget needlessly. Here is a table having room size and AC capacity recommended.
| Dimenssion | Feet | Tonnage/Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Small Room | Up to 120 sqft | 1 ton |
| Mid Sized Room | 121sqft to 150sqft | 1.5 ton |
| Large Rooms | 151sqft to 180sqft and above | 2 ton |
More factors to keep in mind while deciding tonnage:
Floor No: The higher the floor number, more will be the cooling required. So you may have to go for higher tonnage even for smaller room size.
No. of Windows in Room: If there are too many windows in the room or the windows are large and not covered properly, it will affect AC's performance and cooling time.
Power Consumption:
Bureau of Energy Efficiency is the body which assigns star rating to electric appliances in India, based on their consumption. For AC's, till Dec 2017, BEE used to assign ratings to Window AC's and Normal Split AC's and not to Inverter Split AC's.
Since, January 2018, BEE has come out with new rating known as ISEER (Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ration) for Air Conditioners. This methodology factors in high temperature variance in Indian Climatic conditions and rates air conditioners accordingly. Higher the rating, lesser will be the power consumption.
Difference between 2017 and 2018 methodology:
There is a 2 point drop in rating of 2017 air conditioners. Normal Split AC which was rated 5 star in 2017 rating system is now 3 star as per new ISEER rating system.
Aluminium vs Copper Condenser:
Cost of copper condenser is more as compared to Aluminium condenser, so do the durability. If a copper condenser serves you for 5 years, Aluminium may serve you for just 3 years. So better prefer copper condensers, specially you are living in areas where pollution is high or there is a nearby drain.
Manufactures Playing Field:
With rising middle class, and quest for comfort, and neighborhood competitiveness, people seek more in less price. There is nothing wrong in doing so, one thing you should keep in mind is, if you got choice between quality and price, better go for quality, although you may end up getting less features but you will shed off your headache in long run.
In AC, the cost of condenser is typically 60% of the total cost. This allows manufactures the scope to cut prices by compromising on condenser quality. It may happen, that you save some bugs by buying inferior condenser, and spend more than that on electricity.
Personal Opinion: Go for a 3 star AC as the extra cost you pay for 5 star wont be recovered in 3 years of operation also.
1. Window AC:
| Model | Flipkart | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Voltas 1 ton 3 star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/2CKdHKNNNN | Not Available |
| Voltas 1.5 ton 3 star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/26CmqKNNNN | https://amzn.to/2rqj2Ef |
2. Split AC Normal
| Model | Flipkart | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Godrej 1.5 Ton 3 Star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/2E3!DKNNNN | https://amzn.to/2rrR6ze |
| Hitachi 1.5 Ton 3 Star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/L9NNonuuuN | https://amzn.to/2rqKyAU |
| Voltas 1.5 Ton 3 Star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/2xxbnKNNNN | https://amzn.to/2JYD53A |
| Carrier 1.5 Ton 3 Star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/Lz7avnuuuN | https://amzn.to/2KJlNZB |
| Voltas 2 Ton 3 Star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/3hLNvKNNNN | Not Available |
| Carrier 2 Ton 3 Star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/p00rqnuuuN | https://amzn.to/2FU9Qwj |
| Carrier 1 ton 3star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/265XyKNNNN | https://amzn.to/2whul6s |
| Voltas 1 ton 3star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/2XtPmKNNNN | https://amzn.to/2KJi1PV |
| Godrej 1 ton 3star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/214w0KNNNN | https://amzn.to/2FSnC2C |
3. Inverter Split AC
| Model | Flipkart | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| LG 1.5 Ton 3 Star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/34F5cKNNNN | https://amzn.to/2rrcXXm |
| Godrej 1.5 Ton 3 Star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/p~Z5vnuuuN | https://amzn.to/2K34iSG |
| Voltas 1.5 Ton 3 Star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/pq8qqnuuuN | https://amzn.to/2FUQW8C |
| Carrier 1.5 Ton 3 Star 2018 | http://fkrt.it/3ZkE~KNNNN | https://amzn.to/2FSvK2V |
| Hitachi 1.5 Ton 3 | http://fkrt.it/3XVBoKNNNN | https://amzn.to/2HY2bD5 |
| Godrej 1 ton 3star 2018 | https://amzn.to/2KJia5V |
Its all from my side. You can use comment section if you have any further doubt in deciding which AC is suitable for you.
Some models and links mentioned above may become invalid over the coarse of time. In that case please mention the same on my comments section so I can suggest you alternate models/links.
Thanks
Prateek
Disclaimer:
prateeksb.blogspot.com participates in the Amazon Associates and Flipkart Associates Program, affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for blog/site to earn commissions by linking to Amazon and Flipkart. This means that whenever you buy a product on Amazon or Flipkart from a link on here, we get a small percentage of its price. That helps support the blog/site with some money and motivation to update the site, and is very much appreciated. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
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