Air conditioner (AC) buying guide in India
If you are a game of thrones fan - you may relate to “Summer is Coming”. My goal of these videos is to demystify your purchases of home automation products. Different criteria have different levels of importance for different people - it is up to you to decide which criteria is more important for you when you are making the purchase decision.
That said - today let’s talk about different specifications you have to consider when purchasing an AC. There are quite a few - I’m listing out the TOP ones that should help you narrow down your decision.
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WHAT AC CAPACITY TO BUY? 1 TON OR 1.5 TON OR 2 TON?
Today there are a lot of ACs available at various tonnages - 0.8 to above 2 tons as well. What does this mean and what is the right capacity for you? The AC capacity - measured in tonnage - is determined by a number of factors - primarily the room size. It is important to select the right tonnage - because if you buy an AC with lower than required capacity - it will consume a lot more energy to provide the needed cooling & reduce the life of your AC and if you buy an AC with higher than required capacity - you will get higher power bills and also pay more for the initial purchase. On the screen - you can see the AC capacity to the room size. Now - room size is just one of the parameters that determine the capacity. If you stay in the top floor or have a east / west facing wall or you stay in places where temperatures go above 40-45 degree centigrade - you may want to consider adding 0.5 ton to your calculated capacity.
ROOM SIZE | AC CAPACITY |
Up to 100 sq. ft | 0.8 ton |
Up to 150 sq. ft | 1 ton |
Upto 250 sq. ft | 1.5 ton |
Upto 400 sq. ft | 2 ton |
This is a general rule of thumb. However, If you want to do a more detailed analysis - you can search for AC tonnage calculator which will use various factors like wall exposure to sun, ceiling exposure to sun, number of people etc and determine what the right tonnage is for your usage. I’ve linked to a few in the description.
WHAT AC STAR RATING SHOULD I SELECT? 3 STAR OR 4 STAR OR 5 STAR?
Should you always go for a higher star rating AC? The answer is IT DEPENDS. Star rating determines the energy efficiency of an AC. Higher the star rating, lower power it consumes. Higher the star rating, higher the pricing as well. Typical star ratings are 3, 4, 5 - with 5 star being the best. However, you need not always go for a 5 star rated AC. Since higher star rating means the AC is more expensive - your usage of the AC will determine what star you need. If you are using the AC for less than 8 hours and only few months in a year - you can go for a 3 star rating AC - as the upfront additional cost of a 5 star rating does not justify the usage. If you are using AC continuously for over 8 hours or round the year - it makes sense to go for a 5 star rated AC as your power bills will be in control. A lower star AC also cools the room a lot faster.
SHOULD I BUY AN INVERTER OR NON-INVERTER AC?
Inverter ACs help to control the precise temperature that you need compared to the non-inverter ACs. They are always on and monitoring the ambient temperature and adjust the conditioning accordingly. Non inverter ACs turn on and off in cycles. When temperature goes beyond the set temperature, it will turn on and cool the room and then turn off till it requires to cool again. So your room goes through warm and cool cycles and not a consistent temperature.
Inverter ACs take longer time to cool but are more energy efficient than non-inverter ACs and also make a lot less noise.
SHOULD I BUY A WINDOW AC OR A SPLIT AC?
Window ACs are one single monolithic unit that will be put outside your door / window while a split AC is put on either side of a wall. Since it is one single unit, a window AC occupies much larger outside the wall and needs a very sturdy wall to mount it to hold its weight. Energy efficiency wise they are almost the same at the same tonnage and star rating - however, the options in window AC are much lower. Window ACs are also much louder than split ACs. However, window ACs are a lot cheaper than split ACs for the same tonnage and are typically ideal for smaller rooms. These days split ACs are the most preferred type of ACs.
IS AN AC TIMER USEFUL?
Timers - this will help you regulate how long you want the AC to run. For example, in a place like Bangalore - where night temperatures even in summer are relatively cooler - you may just want the AC to run for a few hours to cool the room and then turn off. Timers will help you do just that.
DO I NEED A SMART AC?
Smart AC - some ACs these days are Wifi enabled and you can control the AC through the App - you can remotely turn on/off, control temperature and so on. So if you are out on a hot day, you can set your AC turned on before coming home to come to a nice cool home.
IS AN AC AN AIR PURIFIER? DEHUMIDIFIER?
Other important but not so critical things you may want to consider are:
Anti bacteria filter and dust filter - some ACs now also do some jobs of the air purifier by removing bacteria, pollen, allergen and dust particles. Let me know if you want me to do a comparison between ACs with Anti Bacteria filters and dust filters and Air purifiers.
Dehumidifier - if you stay in a place that is fairly humid or has rain for a period of time in the year - you may want an AC with a dehumidifier - which helps to remove excess moisture and prevent fungus / mould
Auto cleaning - Some newer ACs help to remove the dirt and moisture that get into the AC unit and get stored in the air ducts / fans.
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