How to select the right air conditioner?
“How much tonnage is required for air conditioner?“
” Which air conditioner is better inverter or non-inverter?”
We will come across all these questions while planning for the purchase of a new air conditioner. Relax!!! Don’t worry. You are in the right place. We will help you to make the best buying decision within the next couple of minutes.
So let’s start with the basic question “How to select the right air conditioner?”
The main factors which needs to be considered for selecting the air conditioners are as follows:
- Tonnage of the air conditioner;
- Type of the air conditioner : inverter or non-inverter;
- Star rating of the air conditioner;
- Additional features provided by the brand;
- After sales service;
- Warranty provided by the brand; and
- The price.
Let’s go one by one.
1. Tonnage of the air conditioner
If we buy an air conditioner with a lower than required tonnage, it will consume a lot more electricity to provide the requisite cooling. Lower tonnage units may be available for a lower cost but it will increase the electricity consumption and will also decrease the life span of the air conditioner. And if we buy an air conditioner with a higher than required tonnage, we will end up in paying more for the purchase along with increased electricity bills. So getting the tonnage right is the key in the purchase of the air conditioner.
As per experts, to find out the required tonnage, we need to follow the below steps. First of all, we should find out the area of the room. For this we need to multiply the length (in feet) with the breadth (in feet) of the room. Once this calculation is done, we can refer to the table below for identifying the “average required tonnage”. We have intentionally used the term “average required tonnage” as several other factors as mentioned in the next table has to be considered for calculating the final tonnage. Also there will be slight variations from brand to brand. It is highly advised to double check the brand website before purchasing.
|
Room Size |
AC Capacity |
|
Up to 100 sq. ft |
0.8 Ton |
|
> 100 sq. ft to 150 sq. ft |
1.0 Ton |
|
> 150 sq. ft to 250 sq. ft |
1.5 Ton |
|
> 250 sq. ft to 400 sq. ft |
2.0 Ton |
Factors | Additional Tonnage |
Extremely hot weather (~>45 degrees) | Add extra 0.5 Ton |
Rooms having high sun exposure | Add extra 0.5 Ton |
Height of the room excessively > 12 feet | Add extra 0.5 Ton |
Rooms stuffed with too much furniture & books | Add extra 0.5 Ton |
Factors | Additional Tonnage |
Extremely hot weather (~>45 degrees) | Add extra 0.5 Ton |
Rooms having high sun exposure | Add extra 0.5 Ton |
Height of the room excessively > 12 feet | Add extra 0.5 Ton |
Rooms stuffed with too much furniture & books | Add extra 0.5 Ton |
2.Type of the air conditioner : inverter or non-inverter
Lets understand the working of both inverter or non-inverter air conditioners. Once the desired temperature is reached, the motor in the inverter air conditioner adjusts its speed to maintain the temperature. This eventually results in minor temperature fluctuations and lesser power consumption. On the other hand, once the desired temperature is reached, the motor in the non- inverter air conditioner shuts off and is restarted once the temperature drops below the set value. This results in more temperature fluctuations and more power consumptions. Inverter air conditioners typically cost higher than non-inverter air conditioners. However, the long term savings which the inverter air conditioners provide owing to the fact that they consume less electricity ensures that they compensate for their comparatively higher initial cost, making them a more value for money choice.
3.Star rating of the air conditioner
The higher the star rating, the more energy efficient the air conditioner will be. However, air conditioners with a higher star rating are usually more expensive than the ones with a lower star rating. Here we need to consider our intended yearly usage to arrive at the value for money choice.
4.Additional features provided by the brand
Brands offers additional features for extra convenience. This includes, turbo modes – which helps to achieve the desired temperature in the shortest time possible; smart connectivity and controls – controlling your air conditioner with just your voice or even controlling the same with the help of your smartphone irrespective of whether you are near the air conditioner or miles away; and so on. This varies from brand to brand.
5.After sales service
This is something very crucial from a customer satisfaction point of view. Even though the product is best in the industry but if the company fails to provide a quality after sales service, the customer will go for another brand next time when they purchase an air conditioner. For this we can’t completely rely on the customer review section in amazon product page. We are not saying that whatever is written there is completely wrong but it may be the case only for that particular region. So it will be better to ask your friends/family residing near to your location regarding the after sales service.
6.Warranty provided by the brand
Most companies provide 1 year comprehensive warranty on air conditioner, 5 years warranty on the components and 10 years warranty on compressor. This could vary from brand to brand
7.The price
Price is an important factor which needs to be considered while purchasing any product. Currently amazon.in is offering major discounts along with bank offers for air conditioners.
So, go ahead and use these pointers while selecting the air conditioners. You’re sure to make the right purchase decision.