1 tonne split airconditioner - need suggestions

[BLASTO]

let me know:
1. the room dimensions
2. where is the room located .... ground floor or top floors
3. whats on top of the room .... another built up room or plain terrace
4. how many windows .... doors ...
5. where is the sun facing area ....

Most split units are made in China, no matter which brand you buy. Not that the Chinese quality is bad, it is near excellent provided the kit is manufactured
by Midea /Haier/ another co. whose name I am missing out.

You could look at Electrolux, LG, Samsung, Kelvinator for the mid level and Toshiba, Hitachi, O General, Skoda .... for the high end.

The trick in air conditioning fundamental is that you MUST select the A/C capacity 'slightly' less than what is required. It is a complex set of calculations. The idea is that the compressor (most likely rotary type in 1 and 1.5 TR) should operate continuously and NOT on-off. Some high end machines are equipped with DC inverter drive which controls the speed of the compressor depending on the room load. That caters to close to 50% of the power savings even if a higher capacity machine is selected for a specific room. So, in case, you do not want to pay double for this feature, you must select a slightly lower capacity A/C for a given room. The on-off operation consumes hell lot of power to operate. This is something the retailers do not know as manufacturers find it very difficult to make them understand technically.

This is a complex thing to explain here. My rooms are 15' x 11' x 10' and both are equipped with 1 TR split machines without inverter drives. The retailer was hell bent to supply at least 1.5 TR machines which would have been a mess. The compressors run continuously during afternoons in peak summers and on-off (say, after every 60 minutes) during nights.

Hey Avid, Thanks for the above post.

I live in Hyderabad and my room is 14 * 11 * 10. Has 2 windows, one facing the west and has a single door.
The house is in 4th floor and there is a complete house in the 5th floor too (total 5 floors)

Iam wondering if the Hitachi 1.2Ton A/C is sufficient for this purpose. The model is "ACE Follow me" which is the highest end Hitachi model retailing for ~30k for 1.2Ton. (1.5 Ton is out of budget).

The above model is 5* rated and costs almost same as other 1.5Ton 5* A/C from LG Samung etc and I thought I would pick this. The dealer is hell bent in selling me one of the 1.5 Tons as Iam willing to pay "this much". He also says that he is not responsible if the 1.2Ton fails to cool which makes me wary. I don't understand the logic here.

Can you please help?
1.5Ton 5* Samsung A/C or 1.2Ton 5* Hitachi A/C for the same price for the above room. The Hitachi model is also inverter type which IMO leads to more savings.

Be noted that Hyderabad temperatures cross 45" this summer frequently.. :sad:

 

[BLASTO]

DO NOT BUY the 2010 hitachi 5star rated models - they're a rip off! the 2009 hitachi 5star rated models are probably the best ac's one can get.

Which Year model is the Hitachi ACE Follow me?
Is the 1.2Ton ok for 30k? Going through the features, I thought it is a good price compared to others?
If not this, Which one do you suggest? How will I identify if a model is 2009 or 2010?

 

[BLASTO]

------------- Ignore

 

[BLASTO]

hi S_W,

I was following this thread quietly.

I am also in the search for a 1.5 ton split for my 15x13 size bedroom..the room doesn't get any sunlight and there are 4 floors above it.. on other forums I was suggested to look for 1 ton or 1.2 ton splits for my room..

Take a look at hitachi ACE cutout series...
ACE Cutout: Hitachi Home & Life Solutions (India) Ltd.

.9 ton (RAU010HQDP) mrp 26490/-
1.2 ton (RAU014HQDP) mrp 32250/-

you get some discount over MRP.. so price should come down around 24K for .9 ton and 30K for 1.2 ton.. This is 5 star model and I found very good reviews on internet.. Now looking for a shop where I can get the same model and lowest quote..

Wow.. So Alok, We meet again.. hyeah:
Iam in the same boat as you in the same place..

Are the hitachis installed? Did you go for 0.9 or the 1.2?
Do you find it sufficient for the Hyderabad summer or you rather thought you'd have selected a 1.5Ton instead?

What do you suggest? Looks like we two land up in same models whether it is TV or A/C.

 

[BLASTO]

Its does not, however it will take several days before you start feeling dizzy and breathless. Carbon dioxide is around 0.039% of the air and it should rise to 7.5% to get you feeling uncomfortable. All offices have a fresh air induction system. At home we should open all windows to allow fresh air to circulate on a daily basis.

This is a news to me..
Bluestar advertises with a "fresh air" tag line.. Does it come with the fresh air induction system inbuilt?

It is scary to think that I will be sleeping in a room breathing the stale air I breathe out..

 

[marsilians]

There is a scientific way to choosing the right air conditioner irrespective of the brand. It all boils down to the capacity or drive of the compressor which is calculated in terms of British Thermal Units (BTU). Also like every scientific method, there is an approximate way to calculate it which gives a close enough value. This is important because if you buy one that has lot more BTUs than your requirements, the AC will swtich on/off very quickly, in other words its overkill for your requirements. ON the other hand if the BTUs is less than your dimensions, the units will run for a long time and will waste electricity as well as reduce its life while not cooling well.

The rule of thumb is:

calculate the volume of your room - lenght * width * height
Assign values to walls that are most exposed to the outside area of your building by
E = 17
W = 19
N = 16
S = 18

Now BTU = (volume * the most exposed walls value)/5.

Every brand of AC has a BTU value associated with it - whether the retail shops want to advertise or not. Also note a value few hundred above/below is OK but the same variance in 1000s is not recommended.

This is from a person who does AC installation for a living.

 

[santhosh]

I live in Hyderabad and my room is 14 * 11 * 10. Has 2 windows, one facing the west and has a single door.
The house is in 4th floor and there is a complete house in the 5th floor too (total 5 floors)

Iam wondering if the Hitachi 1.2Ton A/C is sufficient for this purpose. The model is "ACE Follow me" which is the highest end Hitachi model retailing for ~30k for 1.2Ton. (1.5 Ton is out of budget).

Blasto, I can very confidently say that the Hitachi 1.2T will be sufficient for a room of 14 * 11 * 10. Any other brand, you may require a 1.5T to cool the same. This is purely by my experience, not based on any calculations. Am using the same in my Home Theater and am very happy with its performance.

 

[ajay124]

bought two one tonners last year-samsung 21 K and whirlpool 23 K with stabiliser.both very good.anything priced beyond this is a rip off.avoid brands like voltas,videocon and bluestar.

 

[vinay]

Hello Blasto,

I too am very happy with the Hitachi, details of which i have written in the earlier posts of this thread.

V.

Blasto, I can very confidently say that the Hitachi 1.2T will be sufficient for a room of 14 * 11 * 10. Any other brand, you may require a 1.5T to cool the same. This is purely by my experience, not based on any calculations. Am using the same in my Home Theater and am very happy with its performance.

 

[BLASTO]

Blasto, I can very confidently say that the Hitachi 1.2T will be sufficient for a room of 14 * 11 * 10. Any other brand, you may require a 1.5T to cool the same. This is purely by my experience, not based on any calculations. Am using the same in my Home Theater and am very happy with its performance.

Hi Santhosh, Thats encouraging.. I already read your comments about your HT room. If I were in Bangalore, I would not have had any doubts..

Hyderabad is not as good as Bangalore (where I stayed 3 years ago) when it comes to temperatures in summer. (I am hearing a different story about the current day Bangalore though ) Adding to that there are 2 windows.. This year the temperatures are touching 45" consistantly..

If anyone in hyderabad can also confirm, I'll go and book it right away.. Looks more like this one is for me.

Also what about the "2010 models" being not so good. How do I select the 2009 model?

 

[avidyarthy]

Disagree with your first part .....

If and only if the AC runs on-off frequently, the life of the compressor, contactors, condensor comes down. If one sizes the AC slightly (only slightly) less than the load existing, then the AC runs continuously ie. heat in = cool in. This balance makes the AC run continuous.

I had already taken up this subject in sufficient detail in another thread for 1.5 TR AC. All rotary compressors are designed to operate for very long stretches and do not require 'rest'. There is something on the starting current and running current explained in the other thread.

Giving a layman's example here, my neighbour used to get a monthly electricity bill of Rs.4750/month for a family of 4, same as mine. He operated a 1.5 TR machine for @ 8 hours daily for a room of 14' x 10' on the GF, while I do with a 1 TR machine for a 15' x 11' GF room. I get bills ranging from Rs.1800 to Rs.2200/month. He was agast with his bills and had shared with me the usage patterns, which were quite similar. Two months ago he replaced the 1.5 TR window with a 1 TR split and lo ........... he got a Rs.2400 bill last month. This is proof enough......

BTW, 1 TR = 12000 BTU

This is important because if you buy one that has lot more BTUs than your requirements, the AC will swtich on/off very quickly, in other words its overkill for your requirements. ON the other hand if the BTUs is less than your dimensions, the units will run for a long time and will waste electricity as well as reduce its life while not cooling well.

The rule of thumb is:

calculate the volume of your room - lenght * width * height
Assign values to walls that are most exposed to the outside area of your building by
E = 17
W = 19
N = 16
S = 18

Now BTU = (volume * the most exposed walls value)/5.

Every brand of AC has a BTU value associated with it - whether the retail shops want to advertise or not. Also note a value few hundred above/below is OK but the same variance in 1000s is not recommended.

This is from a person who does AC installation for a living.

 

[alokbharti]

Wow.. So Alok, We meet again.. hyeah:
Iam in the same boat as you in the same place..

Are the hitachis installed? Did you go for 0.9 or the 1.2?
Do you find it sufficient for the Hyderabad summer or you rather thought you'd have selected a 1.5Ton instead?

What do you suggest? Looks like we two land up in same models whether it is TV or A/C.

could not make the final decision...
shortlisted hitachi 1.2Ton only..
Not looking for any other brand/model..only hitachi cut-out or follow-me..

I read some negative comments about 2010 hitachi models..
Also I am not getting a better deal than 32K (including stabilizer and installation).. it was bajaj electronics LKP.. Please share if you found better deal..

right now trying to cool myself with my symphony kiezen ..

 

[avidyarthy]

Hey BLASTO,

This ain't AV Gear that yearly models are graded time and again. Profit margins for the manufacturers are far too less here than Panasonic/Samsung 42-50 inchers, so they can't play too much to change specs drastically on a year to year basis.

Do not settle for 'bells and whistles' in ACs too. They should just be meant for cooling, and cooling only. The simpler method, the better. Hardly anyone fiddles around with the remote buttons when a desired condition is achieved.

So, sizing the AC is the most important deal for a true VFM ... in operation. The operation costs much more than the capital cost here!!!!!!!

For your 14' x 11' room, the 1.2 TR is ideal. The window is on the 'west', so no direct sun, and a floor is there on top of your room. So, no sweat ... rush to procure the 1.2 TR. Finally, take the necessary care for installing the same. Check for the directions, either in this thread or the other 1.5 TR AC thread.

Cheers

Also what about the "2010 models" being not so good. How do I select the 2009 model?

 

[BLASTO]

Hey BLASTO,

This ain't AV Gear that yearly models are graded time and again. Profit margins for the manufacturers are far too less here than Panasonic/Samsung 42-50 inchers, so they can't play too much to change specs drastically on a year to year basis.

The below is the quote from CoreElement I was referring.. sounds like an insider info??

the 2009 model was superb, the 2010 models have shitty gas and constantly stinks and dosnt cool nearly as much at the same temp the 2009 model does. We deeply regret getting it. We thought the 2010 upgrade would better than the 2009 model we have but we were badly mistaken. It would pass for any lg or samsung, definitely not hitachi grade!

If this is not an issue, I'd go with the Hitachi 1.2. Looks like an ideal one for my room. am surprised that other companies do not build 1.2Ton Units which fits normal Indian bed rooms well.

 

[avidyarthy]

Blasto,

Go for the model with minimum features ...... it is the compressor, the evaporator / condensor cooling coils that are most important in any AC.

 

[BLASTO]

Blasto,

Go for the model with minimum features ...... it is the compressor, the evaporator / condensor cooling coils that are most important in any AC.

Point taken.
But invariably 5* A/C come with a host of features which we cannot dismiss.

Tell me which one you'd rather go for from Split Air Conditioners : Hitachi Home & Life Solutions (India) Ltd.

 

[avidyarthy]

Ace Cut Out.

BTW, the 0.9 TR can also serve your purpose .... you might not need the 1.2 TR too.

 

[BLASTO]

Ace Cut Out.

BTW, the 0.9 TR can also serve your purpose .... you might not need the 1.2 TR too.

One last question..

The ACE cutout and ACE Follow Me are just Rs. 500/- apart 31k vs 31.5k including installation.

All features are same and "Follow ME" is for supposedly focussing the air flow based on human movement in room. It can be switched off (at which time it acts like ACE Cut Out).

I thought it is a Rs 500/- well spent. What do you think?

BTW, Thanks for all your inputs. Really appreciate.

 

[avidyarthy]

No need for this additional feature.

Air Conditioning stands for space cooling and not spot cooling. Moreover, it is always advisable to keep on a ceiling fan even when an AC is operational. It leads to even cooling with no hot spots. Of course, the fan needs to be on in the minimum position ie. the slowest.

 

[gvenu]

Hi,

Just bought a 2 ton ** star Samsung AC for my hall which is 25 X 13 with sun light coming from west and doors opening to kitchen, bedroom and outside. The complete west boundary is windows and one door opening to the balcony. There is also a staircase to to the upper floor being a duplex flat.

Pid 25.4k including installation (after Samsung employee discount) and a v-guard stabilizer 5kva for 3.5k

I will be using average 3 hours/day. I don't know how much bill will get added.

rgds,
venu