Air Conditioner Buying Guide

ए. सी. किन्दा ध्यान दिनुर्पने कुराहरू

Air Conditioner is an inherent part of an household with summers getting hotter. You should consider your needs and do your research before finalizing the one you want to buy.

AIR CONDITIONER FEATURES

SIZE and CAPACITY

The size of your air conditioner is very important. You need to think about whether you are cooling a single room, a selection of rooms or the entire house. If the air conditioner is too small you won’t cool down and you’ll waste electricity running it on high all the time. If, on the other hand, you choose an air conditioner that’s too large for your needs you’ll have to switch it off regularly when you become too cold. Switching it on and off all the time will also waste energy.

Capacity

The Ton of air conditioning indicates the cooling capacity of the air conditioner.

One ton of air conditioning is 12,000 British Thermal Unit or BTU. It is the amount of heat that raises or lowers the temperature of one pound of water by 10 degree Fahreheit. The actual capacity is not fixed and changes based on outdoor or indoor temperature.

For a 12-14 feet high room based on the size of the room you should decide the capacity or tonnange of the air conditioner generally in hot climate is

We can increase the area coverage by AC by 1.5 to 2 times if their is less than 9.5 feet and the temperature is moderate like in Kathmandu and other similar areas.

For Kathmandu and mid hill Areas for wall mount

Area in square feet                Tonnage of AC

up to 200                                        0.75 Ton

up to 225                          1 Ton

225 to 350                        1.5 Ton

350to 450                                        2 Ton

Generally Wall Mount 1 Ton AC covers up to 200 – 225 Sq. Ft. Area

If you are using Ceiling Cassette 1 Ton Covers up to 250 to 275 depending upon Floor to Ceiling height, Ideal Height 9 ft or less

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Check the energy rating of the air conditioner you are considering. All air conditioners should have an energy-rating label which uses stars to rate the efficiency. The more stars the better. Also on the label will be an energy consumption box. The lower the number, the less it will cost to run.

AIR FLOW

The air conditioner should circulate the cool air around the room instead of one place. The AC now come with many options in airflow settings and swing as well.

NOISE LEVEL

Noise is a very important point to consider when buying an AC. An AC with a lot of noise can ruin your sleep as well as your neighbors’ sleep.

TIMER

A timer lets you switch your air conditioner at certain times even when you are not at home. This works well to cool the house down an hour or so before you arrive home.

IONIZERS

Ionizers’ can emit a stream of clean, fresh, negatively charged air. This reduces airborne odors by producing traces of ozone that can re-energize the environment.

SENSORS

Sensors which can monitor room temperature can be located in the air conditioner unit and also the remote

control unit.

AESTHETICS

You should consider what the air conditioner will look like attached to your wall. Try to choose one that blends in with your decor.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF AIR CONDITIONERS

FLOOR / FREE STANDING AND PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONERS

Portable air conditioners can be moved from room to room and use the same heat-exchange principles as built-in models. This means they can cool and dehumidify the air.

Pros

• Can be moved from room to room
• Can be plugged into a normal power point – no need for professional installation

Cons

• Some are only suitable as personal coolers rather than room coolers

WINDOW/WALL MODEL AIR CONDITIONERS

Wall or window models can be installed in a window or an external wall.

Pros

• Can cool single rooms well
• Smaller units can be plugged into existing power points
• Single Unit
• Require lesser upfront cost as installation is simple

Cons

• Noisy from the outside
• Not suitable for larger rooms
• Aesthetically not as impressive as Split ACs

SPLIT SYSTEM AIR CONDITIONERS

Split systems are generally used to cool one or more rooms, or an open-plan area. A compressor unit is installed outside and then one or two outlets are positioned indoors.

WALL MOUNT

CEILING CASSETTE

Pros

• Offers more flexibility on where to locate the outside component than wall models
• Can cool open-plan areas well
• Very quiet operation
• Attractive and aesthetic designs
• Good air distribution for ACs of same size

Cons

• Won’t cool more than a couple of rooms or a single open-plan area
• More expensive than portable or window units.
• Has separate internal and external units which need to be joined, this requires drilling and permanent fixing.

DUCTED AIR CONDITIONERS

Ducted air conditioners can be installed in the roof or on the ground outside. The air is then ducted through the house via various outlets.

Pros

• Can be designed with multiple zones so you can cool all of the home or just specific areas
• Energy efficient
• Offers flexibility as to where noise-generating equipment is located

Cons

• Must be professionally installed.
• Can’t be bought ‘off the shelf’ – the air conditioner must be custom-made to the house.
• Doesn’t work as well in very humid areas
• More expensive than split systems and wall systems

REVERSE-CYCLE AIR CONDITIONERS

Reverse-cycle air-conditioners are available in any of the above types.

Pros

• One system for heating and cooling
• Cheapest form of heating system
• Creates the least amount of carbon dioxide

Cons

• More expensive than cooling-only models

AC PRICE AND BUDGET

You should take care to narrow down on the appropriate AC by looking at the product design, quality and its performance. Also, consider the installation cost, running costs like power and maintenance while buying your AC.

Split ACs cost more than Window ACs and might use slightly less power than Window ACs.

You can check the price and feature comparison and AC brands websites listed above for an idea of the price and features of various ACs available.

VOLTAGE STABILIZER FOR AC

These are related to starting voltage of

stabilizer and can be used as an indicative of the voltage stabilizer to be used:

INVERTER BASED TECHNOLOGY IN AC

In new trend, Inverter based air conditioners offer considerable reduction in power consumption by adjusting compressor’s running speed and controlling voltage and current frequency. These are catching up in the AC market and it uses less energy during operation.

REFRIGERANTS IN AC

In modern trend, the use of refrigerent is shifting from R-22 refrigerant to others like R-410a, R-290 with use of micro channel PFC. This is coming as demand for energy-efficient, environment friendly ACs are on rise.

For Price Comparison, Please visit:

http://www.nepalconstructionmart.com/product-category/home-appliances/air-conditioner/

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