Best AC (Air Conditioner) – Buying Guide
The summer season always feels fresh and lively; however, it is the scorching heat that may bother you at some point during these sunny days. It calls for the need of keeping your surroundings cool, and nothing fulfills your purpose better than the best air conditioner.
Air conditioners have become the need of the hour in Indian houses, and the popularity of this electrical appliance is increasing each day. Today, many air conditioner brands have released some of the most promising and efficient models that you can buy for your room of any size and enjoy the cool breeze that this appliance emits.
Air conditioners are available in different shapes, sizes, features, specifications, brands, and whatnot!
Types of Air Conditioners
An air conditioner can be categorized into the following types:
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Window Air Conditioner:
It is the best budget AC for Indian homes, suitable for all sizes of rooms. A window air conditioner is mounted on the window area of the room. The AC machine faces the room while the compressor is placed outside. It is a very nominal option and doesn’t require frequent servicing. All you need to do is to clean your air conditioner from time to time.
A window air conditioner is easy to install and is available in varied sizes. The only drawback is that you may find this AC very noisy when compared to other types.
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Split Air Conditioner:
As opposed to the window AC, a split air conditioner doesn’t produce noise at all. It may be considered an improvement over the windows AC. The compressor is separated from the internal unit. This type of air conditioner is considered more powerful and efficient, and delivers and outstanding performance.
A split air conditioner comprises various features that make this device more luxurious for you. It may be a little expensive on your budget, but worth every single penny. We recommend you to buy this appliance from the best AC brand to avail an excellent after-sales service.
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Portable Air Conditioner:
It is the latest air conditioner type in India, the popularity of which is increasing each day. A portable air conditioner can be shifted from one room to another, just like an air cooler. This type of air conditioner is the best buying option for all those individuals who face difficulties in getting the AC mounted on the surface of the wall.
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Inverter Air Conditioner:
This type of air conditioner makes the use of inverter technology that converts AC (current) to DC (current). Such technology helps to regulate the running speed of the compressor. The difference between a standard AC and inverter AC is that while the compressor of the former keeps switching between on and off, the compressor in the latter always remains on.
The advantage of buying an inverter air conditioner is that it may help you save a lot of electricity.
Listed below are some necessary factors to consider while buying an air conditioner for your living space:
Check the size of the room
Always buy an air conditioner fitting your room size, or you wouldn’t be able to enjoy the cool breeze that it emits. Calculating the size of the room helps you to pick the air conditioner in the right tonnage:
If the size of your room is big, do not go with a small-sized air conditioner. The standard size of any air conditioner is 1 ton respectively. If your room is too small, go with the option of a smaller-sized AC or 0.8-ton AC. If the size of your room is big, you may add a 1.5-ton of AC to your shopping cart.
But for a larger room measuring 20×20 feet or more, only a 2-ton AC would deliver an efficient performance.
Aluminium Coil or Copper Coil – Which one to choose?
Coils constitute an integral part of an air conditioner that covert the gas refrigerant into a liquid refrigerant. This procedure helps to cool the room in no time. While buying an air conditioner, you may come across two types of the coil – aluminum, and copper.
While an air conditioner having an aluminum coil may cost you a little cheaper, buying one with a copper coil is highly recommended. This is because the copper coil comes with a high heat transfer rate that cools your room seconds after switching on the AC. Furthermore, copper coils have high coil strength and are less corrosive when compared to aluminum.
Pay attention to power consumption:
An air conditioner is a high-power electronic appliance that consumes a lot of energy to perform well. The regular use of an air conditioner in your home or office may raise your electricity bill tremendously. An increased electricity bill may become a pain in your neck.
To cut down the high consumption of electricity and manage your monthly bills, we advise you to pay attention to the power consumption of the appliance. Air conditioners and other heavy electronics are provided by an energy rating known as the BEE star rating.
The star rating suggests how efficiently the device uses electrical power in your home. The more the rating, the lesser the power consumption of the device. The best-rated ACs are given a 3 or 4-star BEE rating, and buying them is highly recommended.
Select the right kind of compressor
A compressor is the most important part of an air conditioner. It is concerned with the task of compressing the refrigerant gas to high pressure and then converting it into high-pressure and high-temperature liquid. This liquid then passes through the coils after which cool air releases throughout the surroundings.
AC compressors could be categorized into two types – reciprocating compressors and rotary compressors.
The former is easy to maintain and delivers optimum performance even in high pressure, and the latter entertains a quicker cooling capacity. We suggest you go with a reciprocating compressor for your home. If you are installing an air conditioner into your office or a large commercial area, choose an air conditioner with a rotary compressor.
Cross-check the noise level
Another important factor not to overlook while buying the best air conditioner in India is the noise level, especially when you are installing a window AC in your home. Always buy a device with a minimum noise level if you are a light sleeper. A noise-level of 44dB is considered an ideal choice. If you don’t want to deal with the problem of noise at all, buy a split air conditioner.
Check for the modes of operation
The best AC would feature the following modes of operation for efficient use:
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Cool Mode:
You may term this mode as the standard mode of any air conditioner. This mode is available in both windows as well as split ACs. A cool-mode of any air conditioner works at an ideal 25 degrees Celsius.
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Fan Mode:
You can turn off the compressor of the unit after switching on the fan mode in your AC. It is usually done to save your AC unit from extreme consumption of energy. However, we do not recommend you to set your air conditioner on this mode.
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Dry Mode:
Dry mode is an ideal AC mode for all the places that face extreme humid climatic conditions. This mode removes all the moisture and humidity from the air, hence, cooling the room efficiently without making you feel humid or sticky. Under the dry mode of an AC, the fan runs at a lower temperature.
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Energy Power Saver Mode:
As the name suggests, this mode helps to save you the extra consumption of energy. When you switch on this mode, the compressor of the appliance shuts down upon reaching the desired temperature, and the fan keeps running to maintain the coolness in the room. When the temperature in the room begins to rise again, the compressor turns on automatically.
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Turbo Cooling Mode:
This mode cools the surroundings very quickly when compared to the other modes present in your air conditioner. It is the best feature to utilize when the heat is extreme.
Some additional features that you may consider:
- Some air conditioners come with anti-bacterial protection. These units work by removing the micro-organisms and harmful bacteria, thereby ensuring healthy air in your surroundings.
- The auto-off timer in an air conditioner is another feature that may help you save extra consumption of power.
- Some air conditioners also include a dehumidification feature. This feature helps to dehumidify the surroundings and make the air drier and more suitable. However, you don’t need this feature if your AC includes dry mode.
- The best AC brands have also added a Wi-Fi control feature in their latest models. This feature lets you operate the air conditioner from any part of the home. All you are expected to do is to connect your appliance to the Wi-Fi.
Besides this, your air conditioner must be accompanied by a warranty of a minimum of 2-3 years so that you could get its parts replaced in case of any defect or damage. We suggest you buy from a reputed brand so that you may make the most of the factors like warranty, after-sales service, additional features, and undisputed performance.
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