An air conditioner is as critical to our life as food or water. In 2019, India experienced one of its hottest summers with temperatures rising to 55°C in some parts during the summer months. Under such circumstances an air conditioner is essential to homes as well as commercial spaces. There are various types of air conditioners available in the market: window, split and portable. All the three types cater to different needs and requirements.
How to choose an air conditioner for your home
Most of the consumers purchasing an AC this summer would be first-time purchasers, and may not know how to choose an air conditioner that is best suited for their home. Thus, we have curated a list of top 3 things to keep in mind when choosing an air conditioner for your house:
- Tonnage
It is important to keep in mind the size of your air conditioner. For smaller rooms with an area of 130-170 sq. ft., a 1 ton AC shall suffice, while for bigger rooms, around 190-250 sq. ft., you would need to invest in a 1.5 ton AC. Choosing the right tonnage is important as an AC might not efficiently cool a larger space if it does not have adequate capacity, and would also consume more energy. This may lead to suboptimal cooling. Some of the best brands like Panasonic, Hitachi and Carrier have released 2 ton models to efficiently cool large spaces. The best models from the stated brands are as follows:
- Panasonic 2 Ton 5 Star Split AC (XU24WKYF)
- Panasonic 2 Ton 5 Star Split AC (CU-NU24WKYW)
- Hitachi 2 Ton 5 Star Split AC (RMOG524HCEA)
- Carrier 2 Ton 5 Star Split Austra Neo Plus AC (CAI24AS5R39F0)
- Energy Efficiency
While many do not pay attention to energy efficiency of the air conditioner, it plays a pivotal role in overall savings in the form of low monthly electricity bills. It is recommended to choose an AC with a higher star rating as given by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). One might wonder what is the 3 star and 5 star AC difference. Will it actually make a huge difference? The short answer is yes. According to some reports a 5-star AC consumes 3-5% less energy than a 3-star AC. When you compound it for all the summer months in a year, this amount becomes significant. Thus, one must always go for a higher star rated air conditioner.
- Inverter Technology
There are 2 types of ACs- inverter and non inverter ACs. These days, inverter ACs are the most popular as they consume less energy, produce less noise and overall provide a better cooling experience. Daikin estimates over 58% energy savings when you use its inverter models as compared to its non-inverter models. The way it works is that the motor speed remains constant in non-inverter ACs, whereas in inverter ACs the motor needn’t be turned on and off to adjust the temperature, nor does it have to be manually regulated, thus reducing the stress on the compressor.
Keeping these points in mind, you can choose an AC from the myriad of options available in the market today, and make the right choice according to your needs and requirements.
