Air Conditioner For House Buying Advice

[Jimmyd]

What's a good shop to buy an air conditioner for a house? Are the big guys--Lotus, Big C best?

Should I buy a particular brand?

Thanks in advance for any wisdom.

jimmyd

[CGW]

Nom Chai (spelt wrong!) Sukhumvit, opposite Klang, after Siam country club road coming from that direction - Mitsubishi brand - would be my rec!

Cheers

[Ungabunga]

There are a few similar threads in the Real Estate Forum you might want to check what people have said there too.

Meanwhile, if budget isn't an issue, go with Daikin or Mitsubishi as they are regarded as the most reliable.

Samsung units are cheaper and are also regarded as good quality.

Beware of units operating on 'R22' gas because this is being phased out soon.

Prices all around Pattaya are very competitive (I must have went around them all a couple of months ago).

[bannerman]

without a doubt in my mind ,

a company called A1 Aircon are offering the best value on supply /installation of aircon units in Pattaya at the moment

they offer LG with a full 5 year manufacturers warranty . i paid around 17,000 baht for a 13,000 BTU unit. FITTED !!

turns out a few of the other companys supply non branded models with brand name stickers on them !!

i asked the English owners how could they be so cheap compared to other similar firms .. they simply explained they work on low low margins and that is the reason they are always busy . 6 months later and i havent had a single problem with my aircon unit .

there contact info is on a big Sukumvit Road billboard opposite Index , near central Pattaya junction

deffo gets my thumbs up .

Bannerman

[stevemiddie]

AS above. Recommend A1.

They fitted my units and that was after i went to pretty much ALL the air-con places. Definately the best value and fast fitting too. Great job.

The guys name is Will. From Bristol i believe.

They are on Soi 17 between 3rd road and soi theprrasit

Edited August 9, 2007 by stevemiddie

[Jimmyd]

Thanks for the information guys, I'll check them out. Soi 17 is called Soi Kopai I believe?

[Gary A]

I have a Samsung. I chose that one because it was the most efficient energy user. The remote sucks but other than that the unit is very quiet and has had no problems for two years.

[canopus1969]

Thanks for the information guys, I'll check them out. Soi 17 is called Soi Kopai I believe?

And if you are still too hot there's the Lion bar and the Harley Bar just up the road  

[kdf]

Hi,

Will from A1 Aircon here, well thanks for the positive reply's regarding our services, makes it worth while when you read comments like i've just recieved.

Yes we're on Soi 17 just off 3rd Road (not far from Tony's Gym & Business Complex) we're here for the long run and we make an extra effort to look after our customer's, I believe in giving a good service, and along with that I make sure our prices are the best around.

Please dont hesitate to drop by and i'll do my best to help.

thanks

Will

Well,

I have had max trouble and max electricity cost from my 2 LG units. I have tried several (3) folks w/o much success. Called up A-1, liked what I heard, made an appointment.

I WILL post follow up report on service/repair.

kdf

[elkangorito]

There are a few similar threads in the Real Estate Forum you might want to check what people have said there too.

Meanwhile, if budget isn't an issue, go with Daikin or Mitsubishi as they are regarded as the most reliable.

Samsung units are cheaper and are also regarded as good quality.

Beware of units operating on 'R22' gas because this is being phased out soon.

Prices all around Pattaya are very competitive (I must have went around them all a couple of months ago).

R22 will be phased out totally in about 5 years. I believe that most R22 a/c units can accept the replacement gas (134A?) but Will from A1 should be able to verify this.

[kdf]

Hello all,

Just had my 2 air con serviced by A1. This is a quick preliminary note which I will follow with detail once the further work I need is done. Will and his team showed up on time and did an EXTREMELY thorough job. More yuck came out than in several previous cleanings. My air is cool, dry and sweet smelling. More details in follow up.

kdf

[NanLaew]

Numchai electric have been around for over 25 years with their original location in Naklua and the newer showroom up on Sukhumvit. They do a wide range of brand-name domestic appliances apart from airconditioners and honor their warranties. I have found their repair guys to be timely and proficient so would definitely include them on your list if you are comparing products, service and prices. I would steer clear of the supermarket type outlets.... would you buy an airconditioner from Sainsbury's ?

[ronigere]

Hi,

Will from A1 Aircon here, well thanks for the positive reply's regarding our services, makes it worth while when you read comments like i've just recieved.

Yes we're on Soi 17 just off 3rd Road (not far from Tony's Gym & Business Complex) we're here for the long run and we make an extra effort to look after our customer's, I believe in giving a good service, and along with that I make sure our prices are the best around.

Please dont hesitate to drop by and i'll do my best to help.

thanks

Will

I NEED A NEW AIRCON ROOM SIZE 4X 3 METRES I THINK ABOUT 9000 BTH ? HOW MUCH FITTED LOCAL SOI 12 PATTAYA THAI

[JimmyTheMook]

A1 please post your phone number for those of us who wish to contact you!

Just to answer a previous question with regards to whether the older units can operate with the new gas regulations etc

All the brand names ie LG, Mitsubishi, Daikin, Panasonic, Samsung, will be fine.

Its only the thai branded aircons which will as we're told not be able to operate on the new gas.

Hope this helps

[Humphrey Bear]

If you check earlier posts - TV will not allow direct contact by URL or phone number.

PM the poster to get these - i.e. click on his/her name and send 'personal message' (PM).

I have had a dozen or more messages in the past 24 hours regarding Mercy Mission contributions. I am sure Will from Bristol will gey the same or more.

[tropo]

My landlord has purchased a lot of York Aircon units (he used to work for the company in England) and he's having a lot of trouble with them and their back up service.

[Jai Dee]

For anyone considering a Mitsubishi air conditioner, you can buy either Mitsubishi Electic or Mitsubishi Heavy Industries models... Mitsubishi Electric models are better.

[kdf]

Well I haven't had time to upload pictures and the like, but I feel compelled to say more about A-1.

Will came out with his crew, listened to my concerns and proceeded to do a cleaning FAR beyond the several I have had. I am not associated with A-1, matter of fact I'm way retired. Indoors, they removed all the housing (more than in my 3 previous cleanings with other companies) and after protecting everything with a blue tarp formed into a funnel started to pressure clean all the guts. The collected water was black as, ... well black. They continued until the water was clear. This was NOT the spray some foam around kind of cleaning, they used several 5 gallon buckets of pressurized water on each unit inside alone. These units were subject to the normal cleaning from another company about 1 month prior. Outside they pressure washed everything, housing, filters, compressor, etc. They checked the pressure in my compressors and after showing me the results refilled them to the required pressures. All this for about the same price as the feeble ineffective cleanings I have bought before.

I have had many Thai workers in to do everything from installing locks, fixing microwaves, and cleaning air con. A-1 is the first that not only did a great job the first time, but get this....they cleaned up after themselves!

I give them my best recommendation, I will keep using them.

Also she who runs with scissors says Wowee Wow Wow!

kdf

[barryofthailand]

Well I haven't had time to upload pictures and the like, but I feel compelled to say more about A-1.

Will came out with his crew, listened to my concerns and proceeded to do a cleaning FAR beyond the several I have had. I am not associated with A-1, matter of fact I'm way retired. Indoors, they removed all the housing (more than in my 3 previous cleanings with other companies) and after protecting everything with a blue tarp formed into a funnel started to pressure clean all the guts. The collected water was black as, ... well black. They continued until the water was clear. This was NOT the spray some foam around kind of cleaning, they used several 5 gallon buckets of pressurized water on each unit inside alone. These units were subject to the normal cleaning from another company about 1 month prior. Outside they pressure washed everything, housing, filters, compressor, etc. They checked the pressure in my compressors and after showing me the results refilled them to the required pressures. All this for about the same price as the feeble ineffective cleanings I have bought before.

I have had many Thai workers in to do everything from installing locks, fixing microwaves, and cleaning air con. A-1 is the first that not only did a great job the first time, but get this....they cleaned up after themselves!

I give them my best recommendation, I will keep using them.

Also she who runs with scissors says Wowee Wow Wow!

kdf

For the past three years i've been using Chai air for service. They basically do the same thing, take everything apart take it outside and steam clean and take the covers off of the ubits outside and cleand and reload with freon as needed. I have three aircons and been having them serviced every six months and I clean the filters myself about once every month and a half. They charge 450 baht per unit. How much does A-1 charge?

Barry

[Khun ?]

I have some LG 18K BTU split and would not own another, and not what I requested to start with. Due to rush the Mitsubishi was not installed that I requested and paid high price for. I have a full service done every 6 months and they still end up needing

more service and seems like the welds do not hold up once a couple years old if used often.

3 Different aircon companies said same thing LG cheap charlie stuff.

Carrier and Trane seem to hold out better and have cooler running compressors ( Tecumseh).

You get what you pay for and I guess that is why everyone around here uses one of the two models above.

[Humphrey Bear]

I am having some air-cons installed by A1 at this time - I will let you know in October, after six weeks running, what I think.

Previous poster was mentioning Carrier and Trane. My only experience of these companies (and Yorke) is for central systems, with chillers, air-handling units, ductwork and outlets. Carrier are expensive when compared with the others, even though most of what I buy for the Middle East comes from Malaysia. Trane have good service facilities and Yorke are cheap. My clients usually specify Carrier and I usually persuade them to save money and install Trane (or Zamil in Saudi). For domestic use I cannot comment.

[N47HAN]

theres a link with one of the sponsers on the real estate forum for air con units and info.

[KhonJaiYen]

Artic Air in soi nern plub wann very professional and resonable price.

[babar33]

What's a good shop to buy an air conditioner for a house? Are the big guys--Lotus, Big C best?

Should I buy a particular brand?

Thanks in advance for any wisdom.

jimmyd

Hi I have had a good experience (professional skill) and price (LG13000 BTU fitted for 16900Bth) with PK AIR SERVICE on Theprasit road 143/66-67 tel 038 300913

Hope this will be helpful.

Babar

[grahamhc]

From Gas Guzzler to Lean Green Cooling Machine

I had been thinking of changing my bedroom Air Conditioner for some time, as I was convinced that the old floor standing Fuji unit was throwing up dust from the floor and aggravating both my asthma and me eczema. With building works round the corner, floor dust is a big problem. Also, with no real temperature control, it meant jumping in and out of bed to pull down the on/off switch on the far wall when the temperature dropped too much.

Having this thread pointed out to me by a friend, I decided to go and see Will and get a quote. I wanted the top of the range unit with Bio filters and the rest. When I explained my reasons for filters, he recommended the LG Neo Plasma Plus Ion. A1Aircon is a registered agent for LG, but can get any brand you want.

He quoted 19,000 Baht including wall bracket. I opted for plastic wall trunking to hide the pipes, which was 1,000 Baht extra, but makes the job look so neat. I later found out that HomePro want 21,900 Baht for the same unit plus extra charges for bracket, etc. Tesco Pattaya Nua wanted even more. So without shopping around, I had already got the best price.

I was told they would fit the unit the day after tomorrow at 10:00am. True to their word, they not only arrived when promised, they were 10 minutes earlier. Will was there to agree wall unit location and pipe runs. He then explained to his staff what to do. They were polite and efficient. They took a couple of hours to do the work, removing the old unit, fitting the new, making good the holes and clearing up after themselves. When the job was finished, Will returned to ensure I was happy with the work, which I was.

Now I get a good night's sleep in a controlled environment, with the remote control close at hand.

Would I recommend them? Definitely YES and in fact have already done so.

MY SECRET BONUS: Will saw the publicity material for the 4th Cross Bay Charity Swim, which I am organising for the Rotary Club of Jomtien-Pattaya. He thought it sounded fun, and has offered to be one of the swimmers. The money raised will to provide Clean Filtered Water in some of Pattaya's countryside schools. If you like Will's work, or just willing to help the local community, please Sponsor him.

(For more details about the swim, PM me for a Swim Leaflet or RCJP website URL)

[SidFernwilter]

I have a Samsung. I chose that one because it was the most efficient energy user. The remote sucks but other than that the unit is very quiet and has had no problems for two years.

checked a whole bunch of AC's and LG are by far the most energy efficient.....

[Naam]

I have a Samsung. I chose that one because it was the most efficient energy user. The remote sucks but other than that the unit is very quiet and has had no problems for two years.

checked a whole bunch of AC's and LG are by far the most energy efficient.....

the difference in energy efficiency is impossible to measure (except in a laboratory) as the same influencing factors do not exist. period.

[Solosiam]

I have a Samsung. I chose that one because it was the most efficient energy user. The remote sucks but other than that the unit is very quiet and has had no problems for two years.

checked a whole bunch of AC's and LG are by far the most energy efficient.....

the difference in energy efficiency is impossible to measure (except in a laboratory) as the same influencing factors do not exist. period.

They are measured in a labratory aren't they? I thought all air-cons had to have the energy/efficiency figures displayed.

[SidFernwilter]

I have a Samsung. I chose that one because it was the most efficient energy user. The remote sucks but other than that the unit is very quiet and has had no problems for two years.

checked a whole bunch of AC's and LG are by far the most energy efficient.....

the difference in energy efficiency is impossible to measure (except in a laboratory) as the same influencing factors do not exist. period.

Well I think it would be the right thing to look at how many watt the compressor and the fan use. Period.

[Naam]

I have a Samsung. I chose that one because it was the most efficient energy user. The remote sucks but other than that the unit is very quiet and has had no problems for two years.

checked a whole bunch of AC's and LG are by far the most energy efficient.....

the difference in energy efficiency is impossible to measure (except in a laboratory) as the same influencing factors do not exist. period.

They are measured in a labratory aren't they? I thought all air-cons had to have the energy/efficiency figures displayed.

efficiency figure (e.g. SEER) can be quite misleading although they are objective based on the measuring method. these methods are different and no international standard has been set (to the best of my knowledge). main criteria are several factors

-ambient outside temperature

-relative humidity outside (where compressor/condenser is located)

-inside temperature

-inside relative humidity

most companies play with these factors. adding power consumption of both fans and compressors does not give a clear picture if the rated cooling capacity is "tweaked".