Buying AC for the first time. What things to keep in mind while buying one?
- Thread starter Mr.J
- Start date
blr_p
Skilled
Very open ended question, ok.
- Availability of service but I think you got that.
- Oversize it so it works in its sweet spot which is most economical and less stress-inducing for the compressor. Instead, people try to right size and 'save'. Also gives you some headroom in case you did not get your heat loads right. A 10x10 room isn't very big.
- Vacuum sealing of pipes during installation, this is a big one. Everything either goes well for the life of the unit or downhill if it isn't done or poorly done. They will tell you not needed. Your reply should be to either return with vacuum pumps or you will get someone else. AND MEAN IT. Really understand the installation process because you are in charge and they found the cheapest guy to give you a 'free' installation. GO through some of the older threads here and there are so many things that happen that should not happen.
- Is it possible to instal the external unit in a shaded place? You will need it at an accessible height where it is convenient to clean out dust yourself. Lack of maintenance equals shorter life.
- how humid is your room (do you have a hygrometer) as the unit will have to hoover that up? requiring maybe a larger unit than one thinks is needed for such a small room.
What I've noticed is the lack of user knowledge at installation that makes the innocent first time buyer an easy mark who then has to bear costs later.
- Figure out your reqs then find something to match them. Add budget as necessary. Do not as I see here so often, compromise reqs to fit into budget. That is getting the worst of both worlds. If what you buy does not delight you then you got the wrong product.
- Forget the deals, they always favour the seller and are the reason they are offered in the first place. If you think you can get a good deal then you'd have to have done your homework really well. It's really hard.
- Avoid pressure selling yourself. Don't impose time constraints or budget constraints for no reason. Take your time and learn the ins and outs of the product better than the person selling it to you.
- Availability of service but I think you got that.
- Oversize it so it works in its sweet spot which is most economical and less stress-inducing for the compressor. Instead, people try to right size and 'save'. Also gives you some headroom in case you did not get your heat loads right. A 10x10 room isn't very big.
- Vacuum sealing of pipes during installation, this is a big one. Everything either goes well for the life of the unit or downhill if it isn't done or poorly done. They will tell you not needed. Your reply should be to either return with vacuum pumps or you will get someone else. AND MEAN IT. Really understand the installation process because you are in charge and they found the cheapest guy to give you a 'free' installation. GO through some of the older threads here and there are so many things that happen that should not happen.
- Is it possible to instal the external unit in a shaded place? You will need it at an accessible height where it is convenient to clean out dust yourself. Lack of maintenance equals shorter life.
- how humid is your room (do you have a hygrometer) as the unit will have to hoover that up? requiring maybe a larger unit than one thinks is needed for such a small room.
What I've noticed is the lack of user knowledge at installation that makes the innocent first time buyer an easy mark who then has to bear costs later.
- Figure out your reqs then find something to match them. Add budget as necessary. Do not as I see here so often, compromise reqs to fit into budget. That is getting the worst of both worlds. If what you buy does not delight you then you got the wrong product.
- Forget the deals, they always favour the seller and are the reason they are offered in the first place. If you think you can get a good deal then you'd have to have done your homework really well. It's really hard.
- Avoid pressure selling yourself. Don't impose time constraints or budget constraints for no reason. Take your time and learn the ins and outs of the product better than the person selling it to you.
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ishanjain28
Disciple
Hey, I am in a similar situation. I’ll likely get 4/5 star 2023 daikin ACs.
My question is, I have a room 450sq in size. Its not in direct sunlight and roof gets sunlight in early morning to mid afternoon. There is a desk in the corner, some people use for work. Can I install a 1.5ton ac to cool the area around the desk? Dont see much point in cooling the whole room since only that small area is used
My question is, I have a room 450sq in size. Its not in direct sunlight and roof gets sunlight in early morning to mid afternoon. There is a desk in the corner, some people use for work. Can I install a 1.5ton ac to cool the area around the desk? Dont see much point in cooling the whole room since only that small area is used
blr_p
Skilled
A good place to start instead of 1T
The part you have to figure out is will this 1.5T reduce your present humidity into a comfortable 30-50% range and do so within a reasonable amount of time.
You should get a hygrometer to monitor and figure out your comfort zone
How many hours of the day do you plan to run it?
There was someone here earlier who runs his AC 24/7 and found inverter AC's were not so good at keeping humidity down compared to conventional ones. A bit counter-intuitive but he was adamant.
Horizontal and vertical swings are good features to have. Whether you need the heating is your call. Finer grain control is good especially at night where there are all sorts of hacks with timers and ceiling fans to reduce power consumption. A ceiling fan can help with reducing humidity too
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Decadent_Spectre
Adept
You might be talking about me, strangely I am looking for an AC right now. Current AC is having issues, time to replace it I think. Probably going with O General as it seems they have updated their models and now there is a window that is more of a regular size.
OP I recommend you get a window, if you just want some relief in the summers then the split will work. Note that sometimes not all splits can be installed in a given space, at least that is what I was told. I have 2 spaces in my living room where LG splits are installed when I went to replace them they told me Daikin can't be installed there. I have no idea if they are telling me the truth but best to check and make sure the AC your buying can be installed in your space. For splits in my experience you need to keep servicing them more regularly than windows to get decent cooling. Also don't buy splits if you want to use them 24/7. Splits are also less effective when the outer temperature is high. Basically the lighter your use the better splits are.
blr_p
Skilled
Yes, here you are
Where are you based and what is your humidity like ? ok, you're in Cal and that will be as humid as Bombay. Maybe more.
Need suggestions for purchasing a new AirCon.
But won't the clamp meter give me an idea as to what he has done. If he has used gas to purge the system, then the ampere would be less than the stated value and if he has left air in the system, the ampere rating would be higher. What would be the ampere value if there was no vacuuming at all...
techenclave.com
This a good thread for OP to go through
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Mr.J
Skilled
Unfortunately window AC is not an option.
Emperor
Skilled
nice to learn same
, most people install split for aesthetic look & near to ZERO vibration noise compare to Window ACDecadent_Spectre
Adept
Yes, here you are
Where are you based and what is your humidity like ? ok, you're in Cal and that will be as humid as Bombay. Maybe more.
Need suggestions for purchasing a new AirCon.
But won't the clamp meter give me an idea as to what he has done. If he has used gas to purge the system, then the ampere would be less than the stated value and if he has left air in the system, the ampere rating would be higher. What would be the ampere value if there was no vacuuming at all...
This a good thread for OP to go through
Don't know the humidity if you mean specific numbers. It is pretty humid and hot here and I dislike heat more than most.
Then I'd recommend going with Daikin.
nice to learn same
This is true, split has more visual appeal to people, I think people also find windows to be archaic. Splits do have noise, less so but they do. Splits also can more easily develop a water leaking issue. I'd be okay with all this if it was more effective at cooling.
Many houses built in recent years also don't have space for window AC. For instance, in my house in Mumbai, it's literally not possible to install a window AC even if I wanted to.
Decadent_Spectre
Adept
The thought had crossed my mind but I am not sure how prevalent this is. My current house was built about 15 years ago, it has space for window ACs. All the houses I've visited tend to have them but of course modern tendency is, like I said, to view the window as archaic. That is probably why many houses these days may not have the facilities to install one. I think people also view windows as power hungry, especially when compared against inverter splits.
Mr.J
Skilled
Any reason to prefer it over other brands?
Decadent_Spectre
Adept
Better cooling, more reliable, cools longer. Tried many brands but this seems to be the best. At the least have tried LG,Hitachi,Daikin,Mitsubishi,Carrier. Mitsubishi is also good.
Keep circulation in mind and not just cooling. Indian homes are not built for controlled intake and exhaust, most of our homes just have a window or exhaust for air exchange, which is inadequate when using AC for a long time. So if you intend to use AC for long periods of time, in an enclosed space, build active exchange.
blr_p
Skilled
Unless the unit can pull out enough moisture in a reasonable time you won't feel comfortable. From what you've said splits aren't built for that if used for as long you use them.
How to do that? this sounds like it will pull out moisture continously.
The same way we do it in a car, have a mechanism to intake fresh air periodically. It can be done via conduits or ducts.
Inadequate air circulation can cause brain damage pretty quickly. Especially in scenarios where there is a build up overnight of CO / CO2.