Buying An Air-Con: Clueless

[bud7]

I want to buy two new air-con units for my home. I have done the math and consulted with the A/C folks and 18,000 BTUs fits the bill. People seem to favor Mitsubishi. What about others like Samsung, LG, or Sanyo? Also, I have a vague idea that inverter types seem to be better, use less energy, etc; but the A/C folks were extremely discouraging - "We cannot repair, you will have to call the company. The company is very slow and expensive. If it is not cold enough it does not use 'naam yaa' so we cannot help you, etc. BUT, if you really want it we will put it in for you!"

I would really appreciate hearing other peoples' advice and experiences. Is it really worth it to spend the extra money for the big brand name and the inverter? Is it true that they are expensive to repair and that ordinary local companies cannot handle them?

Many thanks in advance!

Bud

[Ticketmaster]

Mitsibishi has the best reviews. I did a lot of research before buying several aircons for the home I'm building I wouldn't touch Samsung with a 10 foot pole. Like with everything else they make, I here a lot of hard luck stories. Hitachi would be a better choice than Samsung.

As for the inverter, consider that it costs around 30-50% more to purchase it. You may save money if you run the aircon all the time. But if you do not run it constantly, the question becomes, will you ever save enough on electricity to even break even on the extra cost for the inverter?

Since refrigerators post an energy consumption notice on them, I was able to look at the energy consumption of two big Hitachi refrigerators, the ONLY difference being that one was the inverter model. I looked at the energy savings, the cost of electricity (today), the price differential and and did the math. It would have taken me 15 years just to break even on the extra cost of the inverter, and that was with no allowance for the time value of money. Most modern refrigerators don't even last 15 years anymore. It became a no brainer that the inverter was not worth the extra cost.

[rickb]

From my experience over the years buying and using A/C units, I think Mitsubishi Mr. Slim units are the best. They perform well, are quiet and normally last the longest. I've used Samsung, Central, Seiko Denki (sp ?) and they just don't seem to perform as well as the Mr. Slim models. I've even tried Mitsubishi's Heavy Duty models and don't like them as much as the Mr. Slim. I would also recommend going with the "Econo Air" design, rather than the newer Inverter design. I think the locals telling you they don't know how to fix the newer Inverter technology is correct. Most shops that I've dealt with when cleaning/repairing A/C units use young boys who don't look like they've had much training other than OJT. It may take a few years before they are capable of fixing the Inverter models. It is also a question of how much you use your A/C units. I only use mine when sleeping, not all day long. So it would take me a lot longer to save in electricity costs with the Inverter model to overcome the significant additional cost over the Econo Air model.

[Fgis]

The best and most renowned brand is Japanese Daikin.

Mitsubishi is just a challlenger and for the same price I always prefer DAIKIN.

I guess that a company specialized in aircon and doing only air condition must be better than a company that is also selling washing machines.