buying an air conditioner - advice please

[weescotsguy66]

Daiken is by far the best brand for Air Con they don't do anything else and all the competition follow them yes they are more expensive but you get what you pay for, now as for Invertor you should get one this is the modern technology and as for size just the smallest you can get, but also just get a fan they are just as good and alot cheaper lol

I have had several AC over the years in Thailand Hitachi and Daiken

[BlueSkyCowboy]

yes Daikin inverter is great!

Get a Carrier with inverter or a portable

[gamba]

I bought many A/C and different brands of A/C and 4 month ago I got a Daikin inverter A/C. This Daikin inverter have problems all the time. The company says this model are too sensible to electric fluctuation on the grid. The normal Daikin are OK.

Edited February 10, 2014 by gamba

[JHenry]

Almost all brands are ok. The difference is the subcontractors who install and maintain the a/c unit.

[thailand49]

Whaever the Brand make sure the unit or BTU, is more than the room needs this will allow the unit not to work so hard less of a Bill.

there is no such thing like an aircon "working hard". in fact wear and tear is reduced when working continuously.

Call what you want working hard or wear and tear! Mr. Tech! When the unit is too small for the room the unit has to stay on longer which translate the unit will wear and tear to get to that point the unit has to work harder? Correct give me at less that buddy!

I personally don't care too much about the science.. from my experience it the guy comes in and says to me you need a 9,000 BTU for this room I tell him o.k. give me a 11,000 or 13,000 one the next step up and it goes on and on for each room. Call what you want overkill I don't really care!

I like everyone read all the stuff and the science as to what is being given to me or as they call it features! but the most important thing is if it breaks down how easy is it to fix and are the parts available quickly and not have to order? .Like consumer reports reported a few years back in one of their studies everything is marked energy savings like 5 stars, has anyone seen anything being sold less than 5 stars here? I could put a sticker and there is not one person here would ask any questions about the sticker.

Everyone and everything needs a rest.. next time put your hands on the motor and keep it there after it has been working continuously? good luck!

Edited February 10, 2014 by thailand49

[Naam]

I bought a samsung 12,000 btu for 15,000 installed, it only uses around 800-1000 baht per month with 8-12 hour per day usage and cools a decent size bedroom ok, alot quieter than the LG units i have had before.

another comment without actual facts because "usage" , "cools" and "decent room size" are not facts but individual perceptions.

here's a backward calculation based on averaging 8-12 run hours/day and 800-1000 baht per month.

-900 Baht = 200kWh

-12k btu/h = 1.15kWh consumption (cooling cycle)

-200kWh = ~174 cooling cycle run hours = 5.8 cooling cycle run hours per day

summary:

"perceived usage of 10-12hrs" differs considerably from "5.8hrs actual usage".

note: the laws of physics cannot be bent!

The cycle time will change with heat load, a fact that seems to have been left out of your equation, AC units do not turn on and off at fixed intervals making your calculation somewhat misleading or am i wrong?

i hate to say it, but unfortunately you are wrong. i used in my calculation given fixed (submitted) factors

-cost of electricity,

-consumption of a 12k btu/h unit.

any regular or irregular cycling is therefore totally irrelevant and the 5.8 cooling cycle run hours per day is the result.

[JesseFrank]

I bought a samsung 12,000 btu for 15,000 installed, it only uses around 800-1000 baht per month with 8-12 hour per day usage and cools a decent size bedroom ok, alot quieter than the LG units i have had before.

another comment without actual facts because "usage" , "cools" and "decent room size" are not facts but individual perceptions.

here's a backward calculation based on averaging 8-12 run hours/day and 800-1000 baht per month.

-900 Baht = 200kWh

-12k btu/h = 1.15kWh consumption (cooling cycle)

-200kWh = ~174 cooling cycle run hours = 5.8 cooling cycle run hours per day

summary:

"perceived usage of 10-12hrs" differs considerably from "5.8hrs actual usage".

note: the laws of physics cannot be bent!

In that case Bazmlb's figures seem to be correct. An aircon on average " used " 8 - 12 hours , will have the outdoor unit running for probably 5.8 hours a day on average.

[Naam]

Call what you want working hard or wear and tear! Mr. Tech! When the unit is too small for the room the unit has to stay on longer which translate the unit will wear and tear to get to that point the unit has to work harder? Correct give me at less that buddy!

at first glance a logical conclusion Khun Thailand. however, empirical research rendered the result that based on identical demand of cooling capacity a smaller unit that closely matches that demand lasts mechanically considerably longer than a unit that exceeds that demand. these studies have been slightly revised when doing research on the nowadays dominating rotary compressors as opposed to the "old" piston compressors.

[wileycoyote]

Dakin gets my vote

[Naam]

I bought a samsung 12,000 btu for 15,000 installed, it only uses around 800-1000 baht per month with 8-12 hour per day usage and cools a decent size bedroom ok, alot quieter than the LG units i have had before.

another comment without actual facts because "usage" , "cools" and "decent room size" are not facts but individual perceptions.

here's a backward calculation based on averaging 8-12 run hours/day and 800-1000 baht per month.

-900 Baht = 200kWh

-12k btu/h = 1.15kWh consumption (cooling cycle)

-200kWh = ~174 cooling cycle run hours = 5.8 cooling cycle run hours per day

summary:

"perceived usage of 10-12hrs" differs considerably from "5.8hrs actual usage".

note: the laws of physics cannot be bent!

In that case Bazmlb's figures seem to be correct. An aircon on average " used " 8 - 12 hours , will have the outdoor unit running for probably 5.8 hours a day on average.

yeah right! soon people will come up with the claim "we use our aircon 24 hours a day and it consumes only 5% what my neighbour's unit consumes".

reason: because the thermostat is set at 34ºC using only 45-60 Watts to drive the fan of the inside unit.

[JesseFrank]

I bought a samsung 12,000 btu for 15,000 installed, it only uses around 800-1000 baht per month with 8-12 hour per day usage and cools a decent size bedroom ok, alot quieter than the LG units i have had before.

another comment without actual facts because "usage" , "cools" and "decent room size" are not facts but individual perceptions.

here's a backward calculation based on averaging 8-12 run hours/day and 800-1000 baht per month.

-900 Baht = 200kWh

-12k btu/h = 1.15kWh consumption (cooling cycle)

-200kWh = ~174 cooling cycle run hours = 5.8 cooling cycle run hours per day

summary:

"perceived usage of 10-12hrs" differs considerably from "5.8hrs actual usage".

note: the laws of physics cannot be bent!

In that case Bazmlb's figures seem to be correct. An aircon on average " used " 8 - 12 hours , will have the outdoor unit running for probably 5.8 hours a day on average.

yeah right! soon people will come up with the claim "we use our aircon 24 hours a day and it consumes only 5% what my neighbour's unit consumes".

reason: because the thermostat is set at 34ºC using only 45-60 Watts to drive the fan of the inside unit.

To my knowledge, people who prefer freezing temperatures don't decide to come live in a tropical country .

[holeyman1]

after reading this thread, i went to look at some online shops for pricing..

powerbuy, homepro etc all prices are for single split units? (one compressor, 1 bedroom)

i tired navigating to ac units mainly system 3 (one compressor, 3 bedrooms)

but no joy...!

Guess i'll have to physically haul myself into their warehouse to make a sound comparison.

by any chance, do any of you know the pricing for a daikin and/or mitsubushi inverter system 3?

thanks

[Naam]

Everyone and everything needs a rest.. next time put your hands on the motor and keep it there after it has been working continuously? good luck!

let me tell you a secret Khun Thailand. it doesn't make any difference if you put your hand on an aircon compressor that has run for 30 minutes or for 30 hours. in both cases you will suffer bad burns whereas the temperature (85-90ºC) will be same.

[Naam]

In that case Bazmlb's figures seem to be correct. An aircon on average " used " 8 - 12 hours , will have the outdoor unit running for probably 5.8 hours a day on average.

yeah right! soon people will come up with the claim "we use our aircon 24 hours a day and it consumes only 5% what my neighbour's unit consumes".

reason: because the thermostat is set at 34ºC using only 45-60 Watts to drive the fan of the inside unit.

To my knowledge, people who prefer freezing temperatures don't decide to come live in a tropical country .

you must be an American and are therefore excused not knowing that the rest of the world is using "ºC" also known as "centigrades".

here's a free lesson: 34ºC equal ~94ºF which is not exactly near "freezing"

[JesseFrank]

In that case Bazmlb's figures seem to be correct. An aircon on average " used " 8 - 12 hours , will have the outdoor unit running for probably 5.8 hours a day on average.

yeah right! soon people will come up with the claim "we use our aircon 24 hours a day and it consumes only 5% what my neighbour's unit consumes".

reason: because the thermostat is set at 34ºC using only 45-60 Watts to drive the fan of the inside unit.

To my knowledge, people who prefer freezing temperatures don't decide to come live in a tropical country .

you must be an American and are therefore excused not knowing that the rest of the world is using "ºC" also known as "centigrades".

here's a free lesson: 34ºC equal ~94ºF which is not exactly near "freezing"

You must be a German, and therefore excused not knowing, that with my post explaining that a 8 - 12 hour usage would require an average 5.8 hour outdoor unit running, I had temperatures of 26 - 27°c in mind and not 21°c.

Edited February 10, 2014 by JesseFrank

[bazmlb]

Daiken is by far the best brand for Air Con they don't do anything else and all the competition follow them yes they are more expensive but you get what you pay for, now as for Invertor you should get one this is the modern technology and as for size just the smallest you can get, but also just get a fan they are just as good and alot cheaper lol

I have had several AC over the years in Thailand Hitachi and Daiken

They use to be the best, their build quality has dropped a lot of recent and their price, they are no where near the unit they use to be

[JetCruza]

You should only consider a Daikin or Mitsubishi inverter unit - the rest are impostors who promise a lot but deliver little. I'm not going to substantiate this advice - it is just the way it is!

[bazmlb]

You should only consider a Daikin or Mitsubishi inverter unit - the rest are impostors who promise a lot but deliver little. I'm not going to substantiate this advice - it is just the way it is!

All the inverter units are, they try to fix a gas flow problem with 100 baht worth of electronics, if it was done properly there would be a lot more savings, but the cost of such modifications is near 30-40% the price of a unit, it is however returned with an ROI of 12 months or less and the unit lasts a lot longer.

[belg]

no wife or girlfriend that wants the AC on all night and then covers up to her neck and then complains she still feels hots, while steeling the covers and let you butnaked to the air so you feel the chill ?

[TravelerEastWest]

You should only consider a Daikin or Mitsubishi inverter unit - the rest are impostors who promise a lot but deliver little. I'm not going to substantiate this advice - it is just the way it is!

Carrier invented air conditioning so you may also consider them to be real, 7-11 also seems to think they are real.

When I was shopping in Bangkok for inverter air conditioners with the then new 410 environmentally friendly freeon, Carrier was the only brand I could find and they had 7 year warranties also - longer than the competition...

Over the last few years I had one problem and Carrier fixed it for free.

Last week I bought two Daiken inverter air conditioners as some say they are very quiet and I like that feature.

Lets see how they last.

[Naam]

Daiken is by far the best brand for Air Con they don't do anything else and all the competition follow them yes they are more expensive but you get what you pay for, now as for Invertor you should get one this is the modern technology and as for size just the smallest you can get, but also just get a fan they are just as good and alot cheaper lol

I have had several AC over the years in Thailand Hitachi and Daiken

i wonder why people who rave about Daikin can't spell the brandname. half a dozen postings are "Daiken".

[Naam]

Almost all brands are ok. The difference is the subcontractors who install and maintain the a/c unit.

yes. you da man!

all the rest is nothing but bla-bla.

[thailand49]

Everyone and everything needs a rest.. next time put your hands on the motor and keep it there after it has been working continuously? good luck!

let me tell you a secret Khun Thailand. it doesn't make any difference if you put your hand on an aircon compressor that has run for 30 minutes or for 30 hours. in both cases you will suffer bad burns whereas the temperature (85-90ºC) will be same.

Khun Naam, if all this technical stuff makes a difference to you knock yourself out and continue to up your post count. To the 99% we couldn't care less. What we all want is to go over to the remote and it turns on and work when we need it! What I do know is a undersize unit has to be on more at a lower temperature which means more money to keep it running even if it doesn't get hot or has anymore wear and tear?

I go by my rule of thumb go one unit higher and maybe the use of the word was improper " harder " that is the why I call it when it stays on forever at 18 trying to cool the room. Without the science the longer it is on the money baht out of my pocket.

[Naam]

Everyone and everything needs a rest.. next time put your hands on the motor and keep it there after it has been working continuously? good luck!

let me tell you a secret Khun Thailand. it doesn't make any difference if you put your hand on an aircon compressor that has run for 30 minutes or for 30 hours. in both cases you will suffer bad burns whereas the temperature (85-90ºC) will be same.

Khun Naam, if all this technical stuff makes a difference to you knock yourself out and continue to up your post count. To the 99% we couldn't care less. What we all want is to go over to the remote and it turns on and work when we need it! What I do know is a undersize unit has to be on more at a lower temperature which means more money to keep it running even if it doesn't get hot or has anymore wear and tear?

I go by my rule of thumb go one unit higher and maybe the use of the word was improper " harder " that is the why I call it when it stays on forever at 18 trying to cool the room. Without the science the longer it is on the money baht out of my pocket.

because of due respect Khun Thailand i will very politely point out the latest flaws in your comment.

-99% of TVmembers who are reading or commenting on "aircon" threads are interested in saving energy and therefore cost. numerous postings mention "no need for a/c, get used to the heat, buy a fan, just sweat, low electricity bill means more money for beer!"

-a unit should be sized to cope with the potential maximum heat load. nobody has suggested installing an "undersized" unit.

-it does not matter on what settings you put the thermostat (a typical mistake technical ignorants laymen make). if a given unit can cool a room to only 26ºC and you desire 25ºC any lower setting, e.g. 18º will not add additional cooling capacity and no matter how long the unit runs it won't cool to 25º. there is no Baht saving when using a bigger unit needing less run time! you pay Baht for capacity used. "no less money out of your pocket" for "more beer" period!

-the wear and tear of moving parts is influenced by various factors. compressors and aircons in general and their peripheral parts (relays, capacitors, electronic switchgear, rectifiers and inverters) are concerned "off/on cycling" will add more wear and tear than a continous run.

worthwhile to mention is that, though i'm addressing you, i write my comments for those who seek advice and information in the tech sections of Thaivisa.

off topic note which might be interesting for potential buyers:

all aircons in my home are Daikin. i got a "special deal" when i built it. now, seven years later my "special" judgment is... "crap²"! 6 out of 19 units fan motor of indoor units replaced (worn out bearings), fan noise much too loud on speed setting 5 and 6, a dozen or so starting capacitors burned out inspite of an installed hi/lo voltage protection for my home, drain pans not sloped = condense water never drains completely if unit is not mounted crooked, etc., etc. etc.

when my Daikins are due for replacement (another 2-3 years) they will be replaced by Panasonic. several Panasonic units in another home are working without any problems since 1997. it goes of course without saying that they are by far not as energy efficient than modern units.

[thailand49]

Everyone and everything needs a rest.. next time put your hands on the motor and keep it there after it has been working continuously? good luck!

let me tell you a secret Khun Thailand. it doesn't make any difference if you put your hand on an aircon compressor that has run for 30 minutes or for 30 hours. in both cases you will suffer bad burns whereas the temperature (85-90ºC) will be

Khun Naam, if all this technical stuff makes a difference to you knock yourself out and continue to up your post count. To the 99% we couldn't care less. What we all want is to go over to the remote and it turns on and work when we need it! What I do know is a undersize unit has to be on more at a lower temperature which means more money to keep it running even if it doesn't get hot or has anymore wear and tear?

I go by my rule of thumb go one unit higher and maybe the use of the word was improper " harder " that is the why I call it when it stays on forever at 18 trying to cool the room. Without the science the longer it is on the money baht out of my pocket.

because of due respect Khun Thailand i will very politely point out the latest flaws in your comment.

-99% of TVmembers who are reading or commenting on "aircon" threads are interested in saving energy and therefore cost. numerous postings mention "no need for a/c, get used to the heat, buy a fan, just sweat, low electricity bill means more money for beer!"

-a unit should be sized to cope with the potential maximum heat load. nobody has suggested installing an "undersized" unit.

-it does not matter on what settings you put the thermostat (a typical mistake technical ignorants laymen make). if a given unit can cool a room to only 26ºC and you desire 25ºC any lower setting, e.g. 18º will not add additional cooling capacity and no matter how long the unit runs it won't cool to 25º. there is no Baht saving when using a bigger unit needing less run time! you pay Baht for capacity used. "no less money out of your pocket" for "more beer" period!

-the wear and tear of moving parts is influenced by various factors. compressors and aircons in general and their peripheral parts (relays, capacitors, electronic switchgear, rectifiers and inverters) are concerned "off/on cycling" will add more wear and tear than a continous run.

worthwhile to mention is that, though i'm addressing you, i write my comments for those who seek advice and information in the tech sections of Thaivisa.

off topic note which might be interesting for potential buyers:

all aircons in my home are Daikin. i got a "special deal" when i built it. now, seven years later my "special" judgment is... "crap²"! 6 out of 19 units fan motor of indoor units replaced (worn out bearings), fan noise much too loud on speed setting 5 and 6, a dozen or so starting capacitors burned out inspite of an installed hi/lo voltage protection for my home, drain pans not sloped = condense water never drains completely if unit is not mounted crooked, etc., etc. etc.

when my Daikins are due for replacement (another 2-3 years) they will be replaced by Panasonic. several Panasonic units in another home are working without any problems since 1997. it goes of course without saying that they are by far not as energy efficient than modern units.

In all due respect I agree with you! you are 100% right you got to be right? you got what over 25,000 post most likely due to commenting on comments made by others like me?

See while you LOL, am reading or over thinking what you need to buy I'm the type of guy that keeps it pretty simple! I just look things over purchased the product make sure there is a warranty and have it install and keeping me cool? Mean while a guy like you of course right am spending time over thinking and sweating your butt off because your brain is so overloaded with all the technical information given to you. The little difference to me doesn't really matter because I have better things to do.

You remind me of a friend... in Thailand... he is exactly like you.... a example he is so technical he one day got technical over a Thai broom cost was 40 baht.. he felt he could get a better Thai broom for the same price or less so he walk in the sun over 30C looking for me. I told him knock yourself out I wait for you here when he return a hour later I look at the broom he got along with a soak shirt and sweating all I said to him. " you are always right at times at a cost being so stubborn " What did you really prove to the others in this room. He looked around saw no one really gave a shit?

You are right?

Edited February 11, 2014 by thailand49

[Skint]

OP people have gave you links to measure your room so that you can size the airco unit, you have multiple brand names, daikin, Samsung, Mitsubishi, Panasonic etc buy an inverter model if possible you can now go into the shop wanting xxxxbtu/kW with an inverter and the model will depend on how much you want to spend.

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand

[Naam]

it is always an interesting and entertaining experience when arrogance is used trying retroactively to mask displayed ignorance.

[thailand49]

it is always an interesting and entertaining experience when arrogance is used trying retroactively to mask displayed ignorance.

The mirror waits you! 25,368? Funny 20 people like what I had to say so I guess I'm not alone in my simple ignorant opinion. I happy not to be so anal retentive.

Goodbye Khun!

Edited February 11, 2014 by thailand49

[Crossy]

And with that I think it's time to draw this to a close.

PM me if you have a REALLY good reason to re-open.