AC Buying Guide in English

Is the ceiling fan in the house only throwing hot air at you and your cooler has failed?

Due to this restlessness of heat and humidity, you are not able to find comfort in your own home and due to this, you cannot sleep properly?

If something similar is happening to you then you need the best AC.

Air conditioners were once used by the rich and people living in big cities but now it is not so. ACs with good features and low power consumption are now on the market at reasonable prices and are easily available online (like Amazon, Flipkart, etc.) with the best deals.

So friends, here we are going to tell you how to choose the best AC for you which:

• have maximum features
• be of reasonable price
• And do not give you the shock of electricity bill every month, only give coolness, give peace in your life.

How to choose the best AC for you.

Step 1: Decide which AC to install: Split AC, Windows AC, Portable AC

There are three types of AC: Split AC, Windows AC, Portable AC

Each of these has its own advantages and disadvantages, and you should decide which of these ACs to install according to your needs.

Split AC

• Split AC consists of two units: Indoor Unit and Outdoor Unit.
• The indoor unit consists of a blower and an evaporator (cooling coil), while the outdoor unit consists of a compressor and condenser.
• Both the units are connected through a pipe.
• The indoor unit and outdoor unit have to be kept at a certain distance from each other, if they are too far then the room will not be able to cool down soon.

Windows AC

It is also called as monoblock AC.

If you live in a rented house and frequently shift your house, then window AC will be fine.

Portable AC

As the name suggests, they are easy to move from one room to another. These are like window ACs, in that they have a hose, one end of which is connected to the AC unit, while the other has to be placed outside the window.

Step 2: Decide the cooling capacity of the AC: That is, how many tons of AC you should buy

Calculate the size of the room in which you want to fit the AC so that you can figure out the cooling capacity AC you need to buy.

The cooling capacity of AC is stated in tons. The bigger your room, the more tons of AC it needs to cool it.

By looking at this table, you can find out how many tons of AC you should install for your room:

Room Size	The cooling capacity of AC
100-120 sq. ft	0.5 Ton
120-150 sq. ft	0.75 Ton
150-180 sq. ft.	1.00 Ton
180-250 sq. ft.	1.50 Ton
300-350 sq. ft.	2.00 Ton
350-500 sq. ft	3.00 Ton

• If you have too many windows in your room
• In this room more and more of the sun is shining on the walls
• This room should be at the top (and the ceiling/ceiling gets sunlight)

So this room remains very hot, so you should take a little more ton of AC.

Step 3: Decide whether to buy Inverter AC or Non-Inverter AC

There is a common misconception that Inverter AC is meant to run on Power Inverter (Power Backup), but this is absolutely wrong.

In fact, there are two types of ACs: Inverter and Non-Inverter.

The compressor of Non-Inverter AC, working at full power cools the room and then turns off. As the room temperature rises, the compressor restarts and cools the room while working at its full potential. In this way, frequent switching on and off of the compressor leads to increased power consumption and higher electricity bills.

Inverter AC has an inverter that gives the compressor as much power as it needs. That is, in the beginning, more electricity is needed to cool the room, then this inverter gives more power to the compressor and when the room has cooled down, this inverter gives less power to the compressor because during this time only cooling in the room. needs to be maintained. In this way, there is no frequent switching on and off of the compressor, as well as the use of electricity in a controlled manner, so the electricity bill comes to a minimum.

This technology is currently available only in split air conditioners.

Non Inverter AC	Inverter AC
The speed of the compressor motor is fixed. This means that the motor runs at full speed to cool the room and when a certain temperature is reached, it shuts down completely.	Inverter ACs have variable speed compressor motors. The speed of the motor decreases as the room cools. However, an inverter AC compressor runs all the time and continuously adjusts the power consumption as per the requirement.
The process of turning on the AC not only puts a sudden load on the power supply but also consumes more power. Frequent switching on and off of the compressor increases power consumption.	Since the motor is not running at full blast all the time, less power is used.
The compressor keeps turning on and off. Because of this, more sound comes out from them.	The compressor does not turn on and off but keeps running on low power all the time. Because of this, these ACs make less noise
low prices	comparatively high prices

What is Dual Inverter AC

While normal inverter ACs use a single-cylinder, single rotary compressor with varying speeds, dual-inverter ACs use the more advanced technology of BLDC motors that have twin rotators.

Due to the twin-rotator design, it produces a phase difference of 180 degrees, making it easy to operate over a wider frequency range.

Step 4: Decide how many stars rated AC to get

The Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) of an AC is calculated by the BEE (Bureau Of Energy Efficiency) in India. The rating agency has made it mandatory for heavy electrical equipment like ACs to have an energy efficiency rating. The higher the rating, the higher the power efficiency, which means less power consumption to cool the room. However, ACs with higher ISEER ratings also tend to cost more.

ISEER rating is different for Split AC and Window AC. In addition, ISEER rating values ​​may change from time to time.

Here are the current ISEER ratings and values:

Window ACs		Split ACs
ISEER Star Level	Minimum ISEER	Maximum ISEER	Minimum ISEER	Maximum ISEER
1	2.5	2.69	3.1	3.29
2	2.7	2.89	3.3	3.49
3	2.9	3.09	3.5	3.99
4	3.1	3.29	4	4.49
5	3.3		4.5

Step 5: Decide whether to install a voltage stabilizer for AC

Almost all new ACs from most brands come with a built-in voltage stabilizer for protection against high and low voltages. However, such ACs also have operational limits on how much difference they can handle, and you need to check those ratings.

If your area typically experiences extreme voltage fluctuations, you may need to purchase a more powerful voltage stabilizer.

Step 6: Check AC Warranty and Service

The warranty period and service quality are important for any valuables. This is also true for AC. Most ACs have a 1-year brand warranty and the compressor has a longer warranty period. Since the compressor is the most important part of any AC, it costs a lot of money to get it repaired.

You should go for that brand of AC which is giving a longer warranty on its compressor.

Some brands offer a three-year warranty for their AC compressor, while premium brands offer a ten-year warranty. The longer the warranty period, the better.

An AC also requires regular maintenance to function efficiently, so an Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) plan from a reliable service provider should be taken.

To know the service quality and customer experiences of a brand, you should read customer reviews on online stores, forums, social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, the YouTube comment section of the brand, and even websites like Quora.

Also, you should discuss with your friends and acquaintances their experience with their brand of AC.

Step 7: Check Other Features

Auto Start

Some ACs do not turn on automatically when there is a power failure and come back on. The AC with the auto start feature can restart itself after power is back on, and set the temperature to the level you set before the power outage.

Dehumidification

While all ACs regulate the humidity level while cooling the room, some ACs come with additional dehumidification feature which reduces the humidity in the room. This feature is important if you live in an area with excessive atmospheric humidity.

Four-Way Swing For Better Airflow Across The Room

Most ACs come with a two-way swing to circulate the air in the room. While it comes to the ability of an AC to cool a room, it certainly improves cooling as the air passes through you every few seconds. Some ACs come with a four-way swing, which means they can spin the air in different directions, making it easier to more accurately adjust the airflow of the AC. This is a special feature if cold air has to be delivered to any part of the room.

Sleep Timer

The Sleep Timer feature can be used to switch off the AC after a certain time, thereby reducing the electricity bill. It definitely reduces the hassle of turning off the AC after waking up at night.

Smart Features, App Control, and Wi-Fi Connectivity

Some premium ACs these days have smart features including Wi-Fi (or Bluetooth) connectivity.

When you’re not in the room or home, these features connect the AC to your smartphone or online service, which can be used to control the AC. You can also control the AC using voice commands through your smartphone or smart speaker’s voice assistant (Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri).

You can also set the AC to turn on automatically. For example, you can set the AC to turn on when you get home so that by the time you get home, the room is already cold enough for you to need. However, such features vary depending on the brand and price category.

If you want your new AC to have such smart features, choose models that can connect to Alexa, Google Assistant, or HomeKit, and they should have a smartphone app for both Android and iOS.

Turbo Mode

Most brands have a separate marketing name for this feature. By turning on this feature, the AC runs at full power, due to which the room cools down quickly, but it also consumes more power. However, you may need to use it occasionally.

Step 8: Stay away from these features

Mosquito Repellent Feature

Some brands market their ACs to have a mosquito repellent feature. In markets like India, where mosquitoes are high, you may be attracted to this feature. However, this feature has proved to be ineffective, so don’t buy an AC just because it is claimed to have a mosquito repellent feature.

Triple Inverter AC

Dual inverter ACs have 180-degree phase-shift compressors, which operate them at wider frequencies and make them work in a more balanced manner. Similarly, you might think that triple inverter AC would be better than dual inverter AC, but triple makes the rotary compressor relatively unbalanced.

Anti-Bacteria or COVID-19 Virus Filtration Claims

Some brands claim that the filters used in their ACs remove harmful bacteria. During this pandemic, some companies may even claim that AC filters are capable of filtering out the COVID-19 virus. However, it is difficult to judge the effectiveness of such features as it is not possible for most consumers to practically test them. So, don’t choose AC on the basis of this achievement.

Conclusion

So, these are all important features that you should consider. When you plan to buy a new AC this time, make sure you choose an AC that suits your needs and budget.