Ok - the best time to buy an AC is in the offpeak season. But we only remember when it starts getting hot. So let’s figure out what to look for in an AC and which one gives you the best value for your money.
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There are TONs of different models, pun intended. I’m comparing 26 models launched in 2021 and 2022 across the following top brands - Blue Star, Panasonic, LG, Voltas, Godrej and Samsung.
All the models compared are inverter ACs - as that’s what manufacturers are going towards and they are more energy efficient in the long run.
I’m comparing ACs of 1 and 1.5 Ton only as they are the essential ones for home use. I’m including 3, 4 and 5 star rating ACs.
Let’s start with the pricing. As you can see - pricing increases as the tonnage and the star rating of the AC increases. A 1 ton, 3 star AC will be the lowest price and a 1.5 Ton 5 star AC will be highest price. But remember - the lowest price does not imply it is the most energy efficient - more often than not, they are not and your monthly electricity costs will turn out to be higher. Also remember you will incur approximately 1500 + tax in installation charges, need to ensure your house has a duct to run the AC pipe outside (the installation engineers will not do it) and will also incur a periodic maintenance charge for optimum running of the AC.
Talking about the warranty - in general PCBs are the ones that tend to require repairs more frequently than other parts. LG and Panasonic are the only brands that offer a 5 year warranty on the PCB in addition to 1 year warranty on the product and 10 years on the inverter compressor which is offered by all the brands. So for this reason, I have a special preference for these two brands.
An important criteria to consider is the ISEER rating which stands for Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. Higher the ISEER rating, better - as it will consume lesser electricity. But the mandate is also to publish the electricity consumption per annum. Ofcourse - this is under test conditions and for 1600 hours which comes to little over 4 hours per day - which in most cases is not the ideal running time. So to make it easier - I tried to showcase what your electricity bill will be if you run it for 8 hours per day and you have a Rs. 8/kwh as electricity charges. Again as I mentioned earlier, a 5 star with the same tonnage will consume less electricity compared to a 3 star with the same tonnage. But that does not mean you have to buy a 5 star AC. Watch this other video where I tried to explain the right scenarios when a 5 star AC makes sense and when a 3 star AC is sufficient.
The next key criteria is noise it makes - LG Acs in general are the least noisy while Godrej ACs are generally more noisy in the segment they operate.
Next is auto clean - a number of ACs are coming up with this to prevent the collection of fungus or mold in the AC. It cleans and dries the ACs indoor unit to eliminate moisture that is the key source of fungus / mold. All models compared do have auto clean.
Wifi, Alexa, Google home - Many LG, Panasonic models offer this capability. You can start, stop remotely, do smart diagnosis on the app itself.
Dehumidifier - if you stay in a place with very high humidity, then you need a dedicated dehumidifier. Higher humidity means lower energy efficiency - as the moisture can make the room hotter. So having a dehumidifier helps to make the room cooler, faster and also maintain the set temperature with lower power consumption. Almost all models compared have a dehumidifier - they call it different names - dry mode, monsoon mode, dehumidifier.
Dust filters / PM2.5 filters - not an absolute requirement as if your air quality level is bad, you need a dedicated air purifier. Almost all models compared have some form of filter. Again they call it by different names, but like I said, if air quality is bad, you need an air purifier. An AC cannot work as an air purifier.
So based on all of these parameters - I’m going to give you my recommendations for 1 ton and 1.5 ton for the 3 and 5 star variants.
Best air conditioners 1 ton AC with 3 star:
Ideal for rooms of size less than 150sq ft
LG 1 Ton 3 star Ac - At a price of Rs. 34490 and the lowest noise level of 21db in this segment, my first recommendation is the LG 1 Ton 3 Star AC (model number listed on the screen). It includes many additional features like smart app diagnosis, auto clean, variable fan speed that make this a fully loaded AC in this segment. Highly recommend.
Panasonic 1 ton, 3 star AC - At a price of Rs. 32,990, the highest ISEER of 3.95 in this segment, this one has one of the lowest annual electricity consumption of 676.37 for 1600 hours. Including a PM 2.5 filter and a dry mode - this is one of the best AC in this segment.
Both these models also offer a 5 year warranty on the PCB - which is definitely attractive. While Godrej has the lowest price in this segment, it does have the highest energy consumption and loudest noise - hence not included in this recommendation.
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Best air conditioners for rooms of size less than 150sq ft - 1 ton AC with 5 star:
Again in this segment LG and Panasonic are start.
LG 1 Ton, 5 Star - my top recommendation again is the LG 5 star AC at Rs. 37490. It has the least energy consumption in this segment at 571.99 with the least sound of 21db, the highest ISEER, auto clean function, smart diagnosis, variable fan speed - highly recommend.
Panasonic 1 Ton, 5 Star - like the 3 star, my second recommendation here is the panasonic 5 star. At a price of Rs. 37990, this model comes with Wifi connectivity, Alexa, Google Assistant interaction, Smart App Diagnosis, PM2.5 filter and a dehumidifier.
Both these models also offer a 5 year warranty on the PCB - which is definitely attractive.
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Now let’s cover best air conditioners for larger rooms - rooms between 150 and 250 sq ft. You will require a 1.5 Ton AC in this scenario.
The best air conditioners in the 3 star segment for larger rooms are:
LG 1.5 Ton, 3 Star - LG is turning out to be an overall winner in all segments. At Rs. 37,390, it offers auto clean, smart self diagnosis, a 6 step variable fan speed and a super silent operation at 26db. Having a comprehensive warranty on the PCB, this makes it the best option in this segment. The power consumption is higher than my next recommendation however.
Godrej 1.5 Ton, 3 Star - Bringing in our very own Made in India brand in this segment at Rs. 33410. With the highest ISEER rating and lowest power consumption of 998.43, this is a great Air conditioner for large rooms. Only catch is it is louder than most other ACs in this segment at 46db. This is also the only 2021 model on my recommendation list.
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The best air conditioners in the 5 star segment for larger rooms are:
Samsung 1.5 Ton, 5 Star - I’m super surprised Samsung only features in this segment of 1.5T, 5 Star but I think that’s also because their latest 3 star models were not available at the time of this review. It has the Highest ISEER rating and lowest power consumption. At a price of Rs. 44990 with auto-clean and anti bacterial filter, this is a great model in this segment.
LG 1.5 Ton, 5 Star - Again LG comes in here at the same price of Samsung at Rs. 44990. With an additional 5 year warranty on the PCB, this can be more attractive than Samsung as PCB is the one that gets damaged frequently and can cost upto 1500 - 2000 rupees for replacement.
Buy now!
If you are still confused which star rating is ideal for you - watch this video where I simplify it for you. Thank you for watching and see you in the next video.
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