AC Buying Guide
All of us wish that the expenditure for anything lasts for a long time. You will always want an air conditioner that lasts longer.
Choosing the Best Air Conditioner (AC) in India for home or office use can be tedious. To get an ideal cooling appliance, you should know the features and functions very well because only on this basis will you make a correct decision.
Below we have shown some functions that you should look for when buying an air conditioner.
Types of Air Conditioners
There are three types of Air Conditioners that you can see. To purchase an Air Conditioner, you have to choose what kind of Air Conditioner unit you want to install in your house.
Split AC: Split AC arrives with two units. This Air Conditioner needs to install one unit mounted outside of the room on the wall and the other unit mounted inside the room. In the outer unit, you can see a compressor and a condenser. The inside group consists of a blower. The Compressor gets connected to the fan with a linking pipe. It brings air from outside and makes itself cool. Then the air is passed to the fan, and it throws the cold air into the room.
In contrast with other AC units, split AC is more pleasing in appearance. These systems are suitable for large bedrooms and large areas like commercial places.
Window AC: Window Air Conditioners come with one part with a compressor and blower combination. It needs to be installed only in the window frames. The fan present in the group faces the inside walls of the place. The other side faces the outward open air.
These units are the lightest, smallest and least expensive. They can’t adequately cool a room that has more than 300 square feet of area
Portable AC: Portable Air Conditioner is a very new concept. These ACs look like air coolers, and you can move this best Air Conditioner from one room to another room. For shifting, these AC units are known as Portable AC.
The Portable Air Conditioner fits those homes, particularly where you can’t mount a window AC or a split AC. Moreover, masses who live on rent can use this portable AC and relocate it from one place to another.
These units are intended for homes where window configurations or building regulations limit the installation of window units.
Cooling Capacity
Selecting the right size of AC is a tricky job. This factor plays a vital role in purchasing an AC. The physical size of the AC affects its cooling capacity.
Cooling capacity is the ability of a cooling system to dissipate heat. If you compare an AC to a car, the cooling capacity is the same as the unit’s horsepower. The cooling capacity is measured in British thermal units (BTUs) or tonnes. A ton here is equal to 12,000 Btu. One-on-one 288,000 / 24 = 12,000 BTU is needed to remove heat from your room for one hour. For a 2-ton model, this doubles to 24000 BTU an hour.
| Area | Capacity (BTU’s/hr) | Tonnage |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 90 sq. ft. | 5,000 | 1 |
| 0 to 90 sq. ft. | 5,000 | 1 |
| 120 to 150 sq. ft. | 18,000 | 1.5 |
| 150 to 200 sq. ft. | 24,000 | 2 |
There are some other several factors too that affect the performance of AC and its ability to cool the space. It will help if you add these factors to your list while buying. They help you to pick the best product for your specific demands. Here are some of them –
Exposure to the Sunlight: Try to avoid exposure to the sun. If your room gets direct sunlight, make sure to cover the windows with curtains, so that sunlight can’t enter the room and help your AC to cool the room quickly. Identical with your office in case if it receives a large amount of light. Otherwise, it will lead to having a heavy Ton of capacity.
Roof Height: If the ceiling’s height is high, then the heating expert recommends choosing the upper range of BTU for your room. A smaller range of BTU value is suitable for the cabin with a low ceiling limit.
Suppose the room or small cabin has 80 sq. feet size, then 0.75 tons cooling capacity is enough. Moving towards the ample space like 120 sq.-feet then 1 Ton cooling capacity suits the room. For 190 sq. Feet room size, the 1.5 tons capacity Inverter AC is ideal.
Number of Occupants: If you and your family share evening and mealtime in that place, you need to install high capacity AC.
Different Modes
All air conditioners have their different modes with which you can control the temperature. If we talk about some common or standard modes that almost all air conditioner manufacturers provide, then the main ones are Cool, Fan, Dry, Heat, Auto, Eco and Turbo Mode.
Power Cool / Chill Mode: The quick cool or power chill function works by starting the air conditioner at the temperature level of 16-18°C. Since it consumes more electricity by powering up the aircon unit at this temperature level, the machine also works overtime to cool a room in no time quickly.
Power Save Mode: In the Power saver method, the fan gets switched off for a few minutes, and thus the Compressor does not start till the fan switches on again to notice that the temperature has increased. It increases the time between compressor cycles, thereby making it run less and thus saving electricity.
Quick Cool Mode: This is not an energy-saving mode option. But for faster cooling, check this Mode in any AC unit. The count starts at 16 or 18 degrees instead of 25 degrees in the usual way.
Sleep Mode: The ‘Sleep Function’ on your air conditioner will automatically regulate the air around you throughout the night and increase the temperature by 0.5 to 1 degree per hour, up to a maximum of +3 degrees.
This factor declines the noise of operating by the production unit that less often uses. It aids to keep the constant temperature when occupants are sleeping.
Dry Mode: Air Conditioners remove excess humidity with dry Mode. On monsoon days, this feature is beneficial. The Compressor works for short bursts, and the fan runs at a constant low speed.
Useful Features
Timer Function: A programable timer allows you to set the timer for On/ Off on a specific period. It helps in reducing power wastage by running the AC when it is required.
Controls: The mechanical controls let you control the fan’s speed and adjust the level of cooling. These two settings are easy to operate. Electronic Control gives you more flexibility that permits you to set the temperature at a specific value.
Venting: It all depends on the temperature and humidity range of the room. It requires the outside air that sends towards the room and expels the inner hot air outdoor. The optimum operation achieves through circulating the air and pulling the outside air into the office or exhausting the room air.
Dehumidifier Mode: Seldom climate conditions may be colder than the other days. But due to the humidity, it can be uncomfortable as a hot day. This Mode can remove the moisture and make the room dry along with the release of cold air.
Directionality: This system seems to be an outdated and unwanted feature. But in some places, you need direct air in a particular area of the room. Hence, after looking at the room’s layout design, you consider the Window AC that has direct airflow.
Smart Features: The term Internet of things become popular in this modern era. This term has extreme quick properties that allow accessing the cooling unit from your smartphones. You can control the Window AC features by the third-party that works on Alexa or Siri.
Ergonomics Design
1. Condenser
This is an essential element that runs the entire machine unit. If the makers use suitable material for the coils and tubes, then the lifespan of the condenser unit increases. For the better efficiency, you must consider the copper condenser coils that fights against the rust, salty, sand and moisture contents as it has anti-corrosive properties.
You may find aluminium material in many of the ACs for the production of tubes. These coils are less expensive but deteriorate fast comparative to coils of copper. But if you consider the alloy coils, then don’t install them on seasides. It requires colossal maintenance.
2. Compressor
We can understand the Compressor as the engine of the air conditioner because it plays an important role. The Compressor is placed within the condenser unit, and the Refrigerant cools the component that initiates the chain reaction.
In technical terms, Compressor used in AC to compress the refrigerant into a hot, high-pressure gas. Then this gas moves through the coils of the Condensor, where it turned into liquid, after condensing into a liquid state sent via an expansion valve across the evaporator coil to absorb heat and cool down. Warm air is drained out into the back of the air conditioner. The part faces the outside while frozen air is blown into your room using the air return grille placed on the front of the unit.
The Compressor acts as the heart of the air conditioner. There are essentially 4 different types of Split AC compressors that work in a slightly different way.
- Reciprocating: It is the most commonly used versatile Compressor, which uses a piston and cylinder design to compress the refrigerant. Powered by a motor and crankshaft, the piston moves up and down inside the cylinder. Rotating compressors are very efficient, and you can get Split AC units that have 2 or 4 cylinders in the Compressor.
- Scroll: Scroll compressors are more popular for HVAC systems because they are more reliable and efficient than reciprocal types. They have fewer moving parts than rotating compressors. It consists of a fixed scroll (it looks like a coil) that remains fixed and another moving or orbiting scroll that rotates using a swing link.
- Screw: When it comes to industrial use and is mainly used for large office buildings, factories, or other areas, large amounts of air are required for continuous cooling. This type uses two helical rotors that rotate the air from the compressor intake and move toward the ends of the screws. As air moves from one end to the other, space becomes increasingly smaller; thus, the refrigerant is compressed.
- Rotary: They are usually tiny and quiet. It is made up of one or more blades that are connected to the cylinder shaft. The shaft is located off-centre inside a cylinder. As the shaft rotates, the blades rotate around the cylinder.
Inverter or Non-Inverter: The main difference between an inverter and a non-inverter air conditioner is that an inverter ac can regulate its compressor motor’s speed. In comparison, non-inverter motors only run at full speed or stop. The motor runs at full speed but turns off once the average temperature drops to the desired level.
3. Refrigerants
The coolant is an original part of the Air Conditioning system. It is responsible for absorbing heat from the inside and sending it outside. The process of Liquefaction happens with the Compressor and losses the heat in the Condenser coils. Afterwards, it releases to the evaporator coil by the expansion valve.
The above process happens 100 times in an hour. So, the nature of gas and its ability to exchange heat both are important. There are different Refrigerant uses in distinct models.
4. Coil Material
In an Air conditioner, coils are used to convert gas refrigerant to liquid Refrigerant and vice versa, which is used to cool the room temperature further. However, copper coil or aluminium coil does the same job, but there is a specific difference in their heat transmission capability, durability, and corrosion resistance. Copper provides not only better heat trade-off but more resistant to corrosion.
Another is the aluminium coils that require maintenance and don’t work for an extended period. Aluminium can’t defend against rust that creates fatigue and wear at the site. But these coils are less expensive. Due to its malleable property, it can get any desired shape.
In addition, the Golden fin condenser is better than the bluefin condenser. It is capable of improving the heating efficiency of AC. The bluefin technique provides resistant to corrosion on the condenser.
Star Ratings
Don’t get confused about the tricks of a salesman. You should always check the BEE rating of the product. The essential number to look at is the annual units used. It is best to pay high Star ratings for the current model. EER, SEER or Star Rating signify the device’s energy efficiency but can’t declare the absolute terms.
Almost all electrical appliances have an EER (Energy Efficiency Rating). This thing is valid for the planet as it helps to save more resources. Without rejecting this, you should look for a machine that meets the energy standards. The majority of Best Air conditioners ensures to have excellent ratings. So, the higher the energy star rating score, the more efficient your Air Conditioners will be and save bills too.
Great post!! Thanks for sharing this with us. Keep up!