Air Conditioning

[moonoi]

Hi

I just bought a new townhouse in one of the Plus CityPark developments built by Sansiri.

The house doesn't come with any aircon installed, although they have buried all the pipes that are needed into the walls etc.

Now I know nothing about aircon units and would appreciate some advice. I would like to know if there is any real differance between the brands. I want to buy LG Neo Plasma (the black cool looking very slim unit), but it seems my collegues in the office and my gfs' father don't rate them (Korean crap was one phrase that was used). So are they really that bad, or is it better to go for Panasonic, Daikin or Mitsubishi....there all in the same price range, just personally I think the LG unit looks better.

Thanks in advance

mn

[Rinrada]

Mitsubishi seems to be the bees knees in LOS

[Heng]

Mitsubishi. Although I have plenty of 5-8 year old Saijo Denki units as well that have been trouble free since installment (with regular cleanings of course).

[Erwin1011]

My Saijo Denki is still up and running after 5 years... My Mitsubishi cracked after 2 years and is ready for the scrap heap.

But it is probably the same as with the famous Friday/Monday car...

[scotsman]

I have mitsubishi air con in my bedroom and its over 6 years old still going strong but must keep it serviced. I have a mix in my livingroom mitsubishi compressor outside and pana inside works great and its 3 years old.

[pnustedt]

Just equipped our house with Toshiba units. They work well. Did look at Mitsubishi - they were considerably more expensive and we preferred the design, filter accessibility, etc. of our units. I wouldn't buy stuff made by LG, had bad experiences in the past with their electronic stuff.

[Gary A]

I wouldn't be afraid of any of the bigger names. The last one I bought was a Samsung. The quality of Korean products has been very good the past few years. I bought the Samsung because it was the most efficient one available at that time. LG has a huge dealer network in Thailand and factory service centers are scattered all around the country. I have a number of LG appliances.

[Tywais]

I'm looking at installing an air conditioner in my computer room and talked with a technician at the university that does this for a living. He said Mitsubishi definitely. I have an LG and it broke down after one year. 5000B to replace the compressor. Oh, and he replaced it with a Mitsubishi compressor.

Edited April 18, 2006 by tywais

[lopburi3]

I also have had very bad luck with LG. 18k unit compressor very loud/unit full of rattles. Added full sound padding and replaced compressor (not LG).

Inside unit fan never had speed control, lost settings any power glitch, bearings failed, remote worked half the time, computer chip failed, useless filters, spit water, temp start relay froze and noisy as hel_l. Had all I could take and replaced that with a Fuji last month.

[moonoi]

Hmmm so sounds like LG isn't a good bet then.

I think maybe I will pop down the local shop and take a look at Toshiba as well.

My current rented property has a Saijo Denki unit which I despise, noisy and not very efficient even after being serviced and cleaned.

Thanks for the comments so far....still have to work out how many BTU unit I need for my rooms.....one of them is huge with 3 meter + ceilings so guess I'll need a big one for that

[Tywais]

Thanks for the comments so far....still have to work out how many BTU unit I need for my rooms.....one of them is huge with 3 meter + ceilings so guess I'll need a big one for that

If you give me the exact dimensions of your room I can ask my technician what his recommended BTU is.

You can estimate the size here: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/equipment/english/page83.cfm?attr=4

"A general rule is that 5,000 to 6,000 Btu/hr. models cool rooms 100 to 300 square feet; 7,000 to 8,200 Btu/hr. models cool rooms 250 to 550 square feet; and 9,800 to 12,500 Btu/hr. models cool rooms 350 to 950 square feet. Room construction, climate, and other factors also affect your choice."

[moonoi]

Thanks for the comments so far....still have to work out how many BTU unit I need for my rooms.....one of them is huge with 3 meter + ceilings so guess I'll need a big one for that

If you give me the exact dimensions of your room I can ask my technician what his recommended BTU is.

You can estimate the size here: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/equipment/english/page83.cfm?attr=4

"A general rule is that 5,000 to 6,000 Btu/hr. models cool rooms 100 to 300 square feet; 7,000 to 8,200 Btu/hr. models cool rooms 250 to 550 square feet; and 9,800 to 12,500 Btu/hr. models cool rooms 350 to 950 square feet. Room construction, climate, and other factors also affect your choice."

Cheers Tywais, I'll check the plans when I get home tonight and give you the dimensions then

[Erwin1011]

Thanks for the comments so far....still have to work out how many BTU unit I need for my rooms.....one of them is huge with 3 meter + ceilings so guess I'll need a big one for that

If you give me the exact dimensions of your room I can ask my technician what his recommended BTU is.

You can estimate the size here: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/equipment/english/page83.cfm?attr=4

"A general rule is that 5,000 to 6,000 Btu/hr. models cool rooms 100 to 300 square feet; 7,000 to 8,200 Btu/hr. models cool rooms 250 to 550 square feet; and 9,800 to 12,500 Btu/hr. models cool rooms 350 to 950 square feet. Room construction, climate, and other factors also affect your choice."

Cheers Tywais, I'll check the plans when I get home tonight and give you the dimensions then

I use a simple rule of thumb : square meterage of the room * 800 = BTU requirements.

[moonoi]

Thanks for the comments so far....still have to work out how many BTU unit I need for my rooms.....one of them is huge with 3 meter + ceilings so guess I'll need a big one for that

If you give me the exact dimensions of your room I can ask my technician what his recommended BTU is.

You can estimate the size here: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/equipment/english/page83.cfm?attr=4

"A general rule is that 5,000 to 6,000 Btu/hr. models cool rooms 100 to 300 square feet; 7,000 to 8,200 Btu/hr. models cool rooms 250 to 550 square feet; and 9,800 to 12,500 Btu/hr. models cool rooms 350 to 950 square feet. Room construction, climate, and other factors also affect your choice."

Cheers Tywais, I'll check the plans when I get home tonight and give you the dimensions then

Hi Tywais, sorry for the delay getting the infomation....had a few internet connectivity issues!!

The areas of my rooms are as follows:

Family Area - 14.4 sq m

Bedroom 1 - 15.3 sq m

Bedroom 2 - 13.8 sq m

Bedroom 3 - 20 sq m

Living Area - 14.4 sq m

Dining Area - 14.4 sq m

The living and dining areas have no partition but the dining area is higher up (4 stairs), there is also an opening to the 2nd floor (so you can look from the family area down to the dining ares) so not sure how this affects the unit power.

BTW Erwin1011 using your method seems to give units that are too powerful I think....16000 BTU unit for a 20 sq m room sounds over the top to me!

Edited April 24, 2006 by moonoi

[Tywais]

Hi Tywais, sorry for the delay getting the infomation....had a few internet connectivity issues!!

BTW Erwin1011 using your method seems to give units that are too powerful I think....16000 BTU unit for a 20 sq m room sounds over the top to me!

I'll check when I get to work tomorrow. Just had my air conditioner installed in my computer room yesterday which is about 16sqm. I got lucky and my friend at the uni found a 2nd hand one that has been sitting idle for a long time and the owner no longer wanted it. 12,000 BTU for 5,000 Baht plus 2500 Baht for installation. It is definitely overkill for that small room but I figure for that price why not. Plus I can just open the computer room door and cool down the living room also. I can only run it on about 2 out of 10 on the knob before it becomes a refrigerator in there.

[Kruang]

I bought a couple of Amena units for our townhouse -- big mistake. I had trouble with both units within 4 months and had to replace the control unit in one of them.

I just built a new house and bought Mitsubishi units this time. We've just installed them, so no useful comments yet.

One bit of advice though -- the shop you buy your aircon from is probably as important as the brand you buy. Buy from someone who will be there to give you service when you need it. When it's 40 degrees outside and the aircon goes on the fritz, I want to be able to call someone who will come out and fix it or replace it ... today.

[Tywais]

One bit of advice though -- the shop you buy your aircon from is probably as important as the brand you buy. Buy from someone who will be there to give you service when you need it. When it's 40 degrees outside and the aircon goes on the fritz, I want to be able to call someone who will come out and fix it or replace it ... today.

That is excellant advice from Kruang plus verify the warranty. Actually if you can get recommendations from others regarding shops then go to the shop, they can come out to your place and evaluate the unit sizing.

[Erwin1011]

BTW Erwin1011 using your method seems to give units that are too powerful I think....16000 BTU unit for a 20 sq m room sounds over the top to me!

It may be a bit higher than you would need, but it has the advantage that your compressor is not running constantly to keep the temp. Your compressor life will be extended. Since I applied that number i've had no compressor issues with any of the AC I bought.

[lopburi3]

Unfortunately in the humidity of Thailand it is not advisable to use an oversize unit or you will not be able to obtain dehumidification.

[chuchok]

Unfortunately in the humidity of Thailand it is not advisable to use an oversize unit or you will not be able to obtain dehumidification.

Why is that lop?

[Jai Dee]

Unfortunately in the humidity of Thailand it is not advisable to use an oversize unit or you will not be able to obtain dehumidification.

Why is that lop?

If the compressor unit is oversized, it will not cycle once the desired temperature has been reached.

No cycling = no dehumidification = sticky air.

[Tywais]

Unfortunately in the humidity of Thailand it is not advisable to use an oversize unit or you will not be able to obtain dehumidification.

This is one reason why, source DOE.

"Proper sizing is very important for efficient air conditioning. A bigger unit is not necessarily better because a unit that is too large will not cool an area uniformly. A small unit running for an extended period operates more efficiently and is more effective at dehumidifying than a large unit that cycles on and off too frequently. Based on size alone, an air conditioner generally needs 20 Btu for each square foot of living space. Other important factors to consider when selecting an air conditioner are room height, local climate, shading, and window size."

[Erwin1011]

how many square feet to a square m

[Tywais]

how many square feet to a square m

1 square foot (ft2) = 0.0929 square meter

1 square meter (m2) = 10.764 square feet

Calculator

Calculator2

Edited April 26, 2006 by tywais

[simcity]

really go for a Mitsubishi electric ! they are expensive but very good and save money on power too , i use to have a Mitsubishi compressor in one of my unit , was not happy with it ( unit )

Careful they sell to Mitsubishi heavy duty in department store! not same as Mitsubishi electric, they are good .

[h90]

a few adds:

try to get a good installation: Mitsubishi does not help if a couple of monkeys install it wrong.

if it is your house, try to get a smaller aircon, but have a look at the insulation of the house. You might be able to safe the costs of insulation with the reduced electricity bill/smaller aircon pretty fast.

[raro]

I used to have in my old office two no-name a/cs which were underdimentioned so the compressors were running constantly. No problems whatsoever, the units were running without any maintenance (other than cleaning) two, resp. one year.

I just told the a/c guy that I don't believe in brand names and rather invest my money in quality. He stopped his sales talk and pointed to the besaid no-name units somewhere in the back of his shop.

[LindsayBKK]

Choice Australia

1. DAIKIN FTXD60BVMA8 / RXD60BVMA9

2. PANASONIC CS-E21DKRS / CU-E21DKR

These 2 brands rated 1 & 2 For Best Cooling , Performance, and reliability.

I have the full report if you want it just let me know. On the Choice website it's $13.95 to buy.

Yes free.

AIRWELL XLLDCI24RC / GCLDCI24RC

BLUEWAY AS-24VR

CARRIER H53 PQV080X

DAIKIN FTXD60BVMA8 / RXD60BVMA9

ELECTROLUX ESG21HRIA

MITSUBISHI MSZ-A24YV / MUZ-A24YV

PANASONIC CS-E21DKRS / CU-E21DKR

SANYO SAP-KRV243GJH / SAP-CRV243GJH

TECO LS2504V / LT2504V

TOSHIBA RAV-SM801KRT-E / SM800AT-E

[moonoi]

Thanks for all this info guys. Its been very helpful.

I'm probably going to choose between Panasonic and Daikin for my place (nothing to do with LindsayBKK btw although I find it amusing that the decision I came to myself is the same )

My gf mum works for Trend and her dad used to be a aircon engineer so in terms of fitting I think I can find good people

Thanks again!!!!

[lopburi3]

Having had two National units in the distant past that rusted out in record time I hope they make them of higher quality materials than they used to do. Name has only changed to Panasonic in last year here in Thailand.