Which A/C – Air Conditioner to choose – Window or Split?

Seems like the heat has already caught up with Chennai. Chennai remains as hot hotter and hottest. Yes very much inseparable, Right?
The first things which comes to your mind on buying an A/C

1. Which brand ?
2. What capacity for my room?
3. What cost ?
4. Where to buy ?
5. What are the hidden charges during installation etc?
6. and the least thing which crops up in your mind is Window or the Split
7. and of course AMC

Sure I can help, just follow these tips and guide lines

Let me cover the basics on which A/C you should buy or me likely to favor
Split A/C

1. Pros:

1. Very stylish, good look & feel and mounts on the wall
2. Noise less, almost quiet, after years of service may start to sound like Window A/C a little bit

Buy a Split A/C unless you don’t have the provision for Window in that room.

Cons:

1. Electricity consumption is more when compared with the same ton capacity with Window A/C.
2. Power loss due to copper tubes, which connects the Outdoor unit with the indoor A/C panel, The more the Copper tubes used the more is the power loss. That is one reason, the manufacturer provides you with 3 meters free of cost and beyond 3 meters are charged as 450 INR/ meter approx
3. Cleaning or servicing involves 2 process

1. Cleaning the filter indoor unit, and cooling fins or coils
2. Cleaning the cooling coils outdoor unit

The out-door unit are placed usually on the parapet wall, not that great place for servicing guys to do the servicing, usually the outdoor unit is not properly cleaned or serviced. They just pour 1 or 2 cups of water on that outdoor unit and leave the place.

Servicing cost 450-500 INR per call basis or if you have not chosen AMC aka Annual Maintenance Charge
Window A/C

1. If you have the provision for Window A/C this is the best choice
2. Pros: Cleaning or servicing the Unit is straight forward

1. Clean the filter
2. Clean the cooling coils are very much on the backside of the filter, no concept of outdoor unit
3. less power consumption when compared with Split A/C of same ton capacity

Cons:

1. Tend to be noisy over a time. Well if you are 30 years and above, you could consume one shot of brandy which is good for health or a neat cutting of your choice and get back to sleep. Where is that sound, What sound huh?

Servicing cost: 350-400 INR per call basis.
P.S: I have used A/C for the past 9 years and have used 2 Window A/C and 1 Split, and had access to 3 more A/C again (2 Window and 1 Split) at native place which is at my in-laws and folks place.

AMC – Annual Maintenance Charge: It all sounds good for a year and all services are prompt, because the manufacturing company pays the servicing company, now the real story begins after the second year. Should you choose AMC, I have stepped away from AMC after seeing the way they service the A/C

How many times do they service the A/C?
3-4 times as per the contract.

How well they service the Window A/C?
3 stars

How about the Split in terms of servicing?
1 Star

How much you shell out for AMC?
? depends and varies from person to person

How much does per call cost?
again, depends

So you decide.

What brand?
Choice is let for yours, I will not name the brands, I will give you few pointers to decide

1. There are cheap A/C which use therm cool for insulation and costly ones use a different material
2. Some A/C work even under extreme temperatures, like the places in middle east, They do a better job and consume less energy and still cools your place, Some will work but will not cool the room.
3. Features etc is just an eye wash, choose wisely. Oh the SMS on A/C stuff, that is really interesting

Yes, we are cursed living in Chennai for the power problem, power cuts and beyond is the low voltage. Yes there is a Choice, but the survival or usage will not last long. You don’t get it right, I meant About the double booster, I should say you must be insane to use one, while your neighbors will be cursing for using one. Why, low voltage for your entire neighborhood while your A/C rocks. Yo dude, your other house hold electrical items would also curse you, because of low power

Didn’t think that it will be found out so soon?
You must be thinking I have double booster and I live happily ever after, They do understand that, some thing is under the hood. So what if, your neighbor also buys and his neighbor buys.
That is why I said it will not last long.

Now do you want to know where to buy and what are the hidden charges etc this is the link

Do share your valuable comments, and click “like” if you liked it.
Oh I forget, If you find your AMC servicing company a cheat, post their name and telephone numbers, that is best help you could do for your Chennai mates, If you would like to praise still works better.

know, Howto – about A/C servicing

Well buying an A/C is simple, it is about some thing like buying an Elephant, and worrying about maintaining it.

Here are few things about our A/C servicing guys in Chennai during AMC – Annual Maintanance Contract usually happens to be free for the 1st year when you buy an A/C. You need to renew the AMC periodically before it gets expired. It is good as the A/C compressor are costly to be replaced.

What covers in an AMC?
It varies from vendor to vendor. The common ones are listed below

1. 4 free regular check up of A/C and cleaning of the same.
2. Compressor gas filling comes under warranty, so filling charges are free
3. taking them to their service centers are usually free with in so many KMS radius, usually free if you have large number of A/C s under AMC.

Some offer more packages to attract customers, by bringing the compressor under warranty if the A/C are new, so replacement is free.

How to service the A/C the usual method?
The below points are going to referred for the Window A/C unit

1. Outside panel and controls to be wiped with mild detergent
2. Air filters to be washed with mild detergent and water
3. Hot coils the one at the back side of the A/C unit to be cleaned using mild detergent and brush to remove mud particles
4. Cool coils the one just behind the Air filter to be cleaned using mild detergent and brush to remove dust particles
5. water hose outlet to be cleaned, and the water outlet pipes to be cleaned with detergent, to remove of dust particles which have been duly collected over a period of time.
6. The last ones to check, is for the stabilizer to have the wires intact and to have proper conductivity. Usually these wires get in bad shape due to low voltage supply, when a surge of power is draw by these stabilizer to feed the A/C unit.

There are little variation as far as the split A/C is concerned. The outside unit has to be properly cleaned, which usually doesn’t happen as some one in your family needs to supervise the entire operations.

What is that they are supposed to offer during that 1 year?
4 free regular checkup and cleaning of the A/C machine. Yeah for name sake to get their charge sheet signed. Except for the Air filter, nothing else gets cleaned up. If you ask them they will insist, this is more than enough.

What happens when you don’t get the required output from the A/C?
They start cleaning the coils, NOW

My personal experience:
I have a 1 ton Window A/C unit of the make LG 6 yrs old and 2 ton split A/C of the make carrier 1 yr old

I would rate the LG better in terms of servicing they did some decent job, where as the Carrier guys where just behind the money. They would pour a bucket of water on the outside unit which was at the roof top and just cleaning the Air filters of the inside unit of the Split A/C.

Heard from my friends that Samsung is also good in terms of servicing.

The only problem I currently face with my 1 ton LG window A/C is for the loud noise.

Would be glad to hear some constructive comments and suggestions. If you need more info please let me know. If possible I will respond to the comments and suggestions.

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