Suggest me an A/C urgen

V

vijaycool

Adept
I am planning to buy another A/C. This time i will be getting a cheaper one. Hence my eyes fixed on Onida, Videocon. Onida has better reputation here in TE but anyone used Videocon? how is the quality and performance? I saw 1.5 ton onida icool 5 star model for Rs 25990 with stabilizer and installation. The IDU is much bigger than our beloved Carrier Estrella. Checked in the net revealed Onida has another model called Ultra Slim Mirror. The only difference between both the models is it has Ionizer. Earlier i was looking for ionizer model from Daisekai and Panasonic hence i am more interested on this model. But I could not able to see in the shops and not sure about the price too.
I am going to buy in a day or two, its very urgent for me to decide between the two Onida vs Videocon. If onida which model similarly if videocon which model or A/C of you choice within 25K budget?
 
Within 25K, you can also have a look at the Samsung or LG 2 star models, if your usage isn't going to be much. I recently purchased a Samsung 2 star 1.5 T split for 22.6K + 1.2K installation.
 
What I have found out was Whirlpool Aviator model 3 star is also good in this budget range, Also you get Voltas vertis and Onida. The only difference in the Onida is they are giving 5 * rated A/C for 26k while others are giving 3* rated. The difference is 175 watts. I am not sure how this 175 watts will affect the savings. I will be purchasing whirlpool or onida tomorrow.
 
i wud suggest the voltas vertis models its 3 star rated i guess , they r tried and tested

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

and even in that budget of 25-28k , u can get the o general , they have the best cooling , wats d power consumption - i dont know , i have it in my room :p
 
I went to Rathna Cools in Chennai with my wife and she likes OG's split a lot more but its costing 40K. The no nonsense machine was Carrier Durakool 4* costing 29k odd. We checked the Voltas Vertis range and the price is some what costlier wrt to star rating though I like Voltas vertis elite. Finally checked Onida and the airflow is really really good. You dont need a fan, finally I have decided i-cool 5* for Rs 26K with free installation and (Premier brand)stabilizer along with free Onida Dual sim mobile :bleh: . Then i asked for the icool sensor which will be attached to the ceiling fan and the ceiling fan can be operated with the A/C remote. The sensor cost additional Rs.1000 and my home minister insisted to buy the sensor. The A/C is delivered just now and the installation will be done tomorrow.
Wish me best luck.
Regards,
Vijay
 
vijaycool said:
I went to Rathna Cools in Chennai with my wife and she likes OG's split a lot more but its costing 40K. The no nonsense machine was Carrier Durakool 4* costing 29k odd. We checked the Voltas Vertis range and the price is some what costlier wrt to star rating though I like Voltas vertis elite. Finally checked Onida and the airflow is really really good. You dont need a fan, finally I have decided i-cool 5* for Rs 26K with free installation and (Premier brand)stabilizer along with free Onida Dual sim mobile :bleh: . Then i asked for the icool sensor which will be attached to the ceiling fan and the ceiling fan can be operated with the A/C remote. The sensor cost additional Rs.1000 and my home minister insisted to buy the sensor. The A/C is delivered just now and the installation will be done tomorrow.

Wish me best luck.

Regards,

Vijay
Click to expand...
Congrats Vijay!

Now for an OT, What is this iCool Sensor? is it available only for onida AC or for all brands?
 
MaRKiV said:
Congrats Vijay!

Now for an OT, What is this iCool Sensor? is it available only for onida AC or for all brands?
Click to expand...
iCool sensor is nothing but 5 step electronic speed regulator attaches with the fan power supply. According to the sales rep there is a mode named 'iCool'. when this mode is being used AC + ceiling fan runs at full speed to cool the room temperature as quick as possible. The factory preset temperature is 20C. Once the temperature reaches the preset the fan + blower speed is automatically regulated. If the iCool mode is not used by the A/C there is separate control buttons to control the fan. If you are a lazy bugger like me, in the middle of the night you want to turn off the A/C and turn on the fan you can do it in touch of the remote ;)

One thing which I really would like to have is on-timer for the fan control. So you can set the off timer for the A/C say 4 hrs and set On timer for the fan 4hrs you really dont need to fiddle the remote in the wee hours.

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

A/C got installed today :D... I am very much happy to see such a professional installation done. I really mean it . I was surprised with the accessories provided by Onida. There is no chance of going wrong if the installer follows as per the instruction. 4 years before I need to run pillar to post for buying miscellaneous items during Carrier installation that too 34k for 1 ton and they provided nothing. What Onida have provided

1. 4 meters copper pipe with threaded nuts (Used full 4 meters though 0.5 meter is needed)

2. High quality pipe insulator with vinyl tape.

3. Hole brackets (not used)

4. 5nos SS screws with plugs to secure IDU

5. 2 nos pipe clamp to secure the copper tube on the wall(not used).

6. 4 meters high quality 2.5 Sq.mm wire.

7. 10 meters drain tube

8. Rubber feet for the ODU (I purchased for the estrella)

Positives:

1. Cools really fast

2. iCool control is uber cool

3. Personalized 4 sleep modes

4. High air throw

5. Silent ODU (It will be checked after 1 month of usage)

6. Nice display

7. Very High moisture removal rate

8. Thick sheet metal used for ODU

9. Good EER 3.21 for the price. Power consmption is 1625 Watts.

Negatives:

1. Noisy IDU even in sleep mode (Carrier estrella will not make even a hum. Highest fan speed in estrella is still lower than the lowest speed in Onida)

2. Though it shows 5 steps fan adjustment but in reality it has only 3 levels. perhaps in auto it may go to 5 levels.

3. Very big IDU but rated only 18000 btu. I think estrella has 13800 but labelled as 1T and damn compact.

4. very flimsy plastic. The plastic is pearl coated that looks like Dove or Sunsilk shampoo bottle. very easily scratched. Did i say about the sides louver? better not to adjust so often.

5. Coil quality is OK. Removal of filter is bit difficult.

6. Most importantly cant adjust the horizontal louver to 90 deg(vertical). The lowest louver setting is still 15 deg. You need to move away 6 feet to get the air throw.

7. iCool speed setting from 1-4 creates buzzing noise in the fan just like dimmer control. I will try removing the installed fan regulator. The cool point is now i have 25 steps to control the fan speed.

8. I would be happy if they would have incorporated on-timer for the ceiling fan control. This will save huge chunk electricity bills.

Installation:

As I have mentioned earlier Installation is perfect. Technician took his own sweet time for the installation. He mentioned Off season are the best time to install A/C as they have less target so every install is perfect. He removed the residual air in the pipes and evaporator. This is a must, Air should not be mixed with the refrigerant. This will cause poor heat exchange. After releasing the air the next step was a soap water test to detect any leaks in the joints. The total time taken to complete the installation is 2 hrs.

Performance:

The system is tested at 1:30PM scorching heat. It took its own sweet time of 30 mins to get the temperature of 25C. Not bad for the first run. When I checked the drain pipe a pool of water got accumulated. In the Turbo mode it chills really fast. I can feel the coldness while touching the door handle. I have noticed the top portion of the A/c is close to the ceiling perhaps 1/2 feet lower. As we have open terrace the heat waves from the ceiling can really affect A/c performance. I will be sticking thin thermocole sheet on the ceiling to reduce the radiant heat entering into the A/C coil during suction. There is no compressor noise inside the room :) . The air throw is God send 650 cfm which is ideal for chennai heat.

Conclusion:

Now I come to know what seperates between budget brand vs semi premium brand. If money is not an issue I would have closed my eyes and bought Panasonic, Toshiba or OG. If anyone wants in the range of 30K for 1.5 tonne I will recommend Carrier Durakool 4*. If you are running in shoe string budget like me then Onida is the best choice for Rs 25990. I came to know from the technician that if you are not opting for the mobile 1K will be reduced so the price will come to 25K including installation, Stabilizer, delivery. If I know that I would not opted for the movile. The only negative point which I am trying to digest is the blower noise. Overall money well spent on a good A/c with 5* rated and VFM product. I am happy with my purchase decision.

Cheers,

Vijay
 
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