Which A.C Is Best ?

thumsup wrote:

just to update i ordered on thursday night from snapdeal and today received the first ac through bluedart (came from delhi) paid COD, well packed no problems, only wish they had sent both together, expecting second one tomorrow.

Will call Godrej for installation and let you all know how long it takes and how they’re service is.

keep on updating or message me thums because i will have to do same things and follow same procedures.My estimated date of shipping is 15th may

Utsav wrote:

Hitachi Tops All Ur Requirements….

sujoy8888 wrote:

Go for hitachi, they make the compressor. hitachi is best

wolksvagon wrote:

Hitachi is allways best

Hitachi fanboys

buddyisin wrote:

Does anyone know how much does Gas refilling cost for a Split 1.5 Ton along with identifying all possible leaks? Any experience?

Sorry, I have no idea…

thumsup wrote:

just to update i ordered on thursday night from snapdeal and today received the first ac through bluedart (came from delhi) paid COD, well packed no problems, only wish they had sent both together, expecting second one tomorrow.

Will call Godrej for installation and let you all know how long it takes and how they’re service is.

Congratulations!

sukant1989 wrote:

buddyisin wrote:

Does anyone know how much does Gas refilling cost for a Split 1.5 Ton along with identifying all possible leaks? Any experience?

my samsung 1.5T window ac needs gas refilling,samsung service guy gives estimate of Rs.1700,though they are saying that they have to take the window ac with them for filling gas,is it true

I am not sure but AFAIK, AC gas is refilled in customer premises itself.

samdesidime wrote:

Joel wrote:

samdesidime wrote:

But right now, Inverter ACs are very expensive.

I am not sure but in my opinion, the amount of money people will save on electricity bills with Inverter ACs will exceed the higher initial expense, only after 4-5 years of usage (domestic/non-commercial use).

Do you feel the same about 3 star Vs 5 star?

The average difference in power consumption between a 3 star and a 5 star 1.5T split AC is approx. 200W.

Assuming that you will use the AC for 8 hours every day, for 120 days in a year… you will save approx. Rs. 1,000 per annum.

The price difference between a 3 star and a 5 star 1.5T split AC (Carrier/Daikin/Hitachi) is Rs. 5,000-Rs. 7,000.

So, the payback time will be about 5 years.

Hmm..If that’s true, it’d be a mistake to buy a 5 star AC. I dont plan to run it >4 hrs per day. And I dont expect the AC to be working in full potential after 5 years.

At the point of sounding redundant, let me repeat.. Thank you!

sukant1989 wrote:

buddyisin wrote:

Does anyone know how much does Gas refilling cost for a Split 1.5 Ton along with identifying all possible leaks? Any experience?

my samsung 1.5T window ac needs gas refilling,samsung service guy gives estimate of Rs.1700,though they are saying that they have to take the window ac with them for filling gas,is it true

buddyisin wrote:

sukant1989 wrote:

buddyisin wrote:

Does anyone know how much does Gas refilling cost for a Split 1.5 Ton along with identifying all possible leaks? Any experience?

my samsung 1.5T window ac needs gas refilling,samsung service guy gives estimate of Rs.1700,though they are saying that they have to take the window ac with them for filling gas,is it true

Gas Refill can be done at home, no need to take this at service center.
My carrier isn’t cooling this season so I called up their rep who charged Rs 400 just for diagnosing the problem. After a manual check up, he concluded there was a gas leak so it needed welding and gas refilling at one point which he identified. When I asked him to check the current gas pressure, he didn’t have any tools to check. He didn’t look very technical and had no tools to diagnose. When I asked about possible other leaks he said he need to take it to service center to check that but possibly there wont be any more problems. For gas refill, he said it’ll be done at home. It needs to be taken at service center just to see if there are more leaks in the coil. I wonder if he had proper tools, why can’t that be done at home as well?
Anyway. He said gas refill + checkup at service center will cost me additional Rs 4200 and then any further leaks will be warranted for another 3 months. I don’t think I’m going to give mine for service center and at that cost. Way too high.

Gas can definitely be refilled at home, you just need a gas cylinder (not LPG) and any ac technician can do it,

These people always do all this even when things can be repaired on site they would make the issue look so big and it would be fixed back only at service center etc etc so they can empty your wallet.

@Joel

You’re welcome!

aryan wrote:

These people always do all this even when things can be repaired on site they would make the issue look so big and it would be fixed back only at service center etc etc so they can empty your wallet.

Yeah, these companies are very greedy.

Finally, got this done half an hour back from a local technician. This guy charged Rs 2k and AC is now up and running. He didn’t offer any warranty but I’m not bothered. Saving of 2.2k isn’t less.

now the next one!!!!!!!__________ Which refrigerator is best ?

versha_mehta wrote:

now the next one!!!!!!!__________ Which refrigerator is best ?

Hmmm…May be.

versha_mehta wrote:

now the next one!!!!!!!__________ Which refrigerator is best ?

as far as refrigerator is concerned it will be running 24/7 and 365 days a year so first priority is to go for the most energy efficient rating

i recently bought an LG 422 ltrs and consumption 428 units a year, i think its 4 star made a mistake should have gone for a 5 star one
also for the veg basket the slider cracked (cheap plastic) so not so good quality.

versha_mehta wrote:

now the next one!!!!!!!__________ Which refrigerator is best ?

Maybe open a seperate thread for that? This thread is one of the best discussions about Air Conditioners and should be preserved for posterity.

samdesidime wrote:

Utsav wrote:

Hitachi Tops All Ur Requirements….

sujoy8888 wrote:

Go for hitachi, they make the compressor. hitachi is best

wolksvagon wrote:

Hitachi is allways best

Hitachi fanboys

But it’s true that Hitachi is d best…

^

Well, ‘best’ is a subjective word…

If we are talking about quality, there are many other companies like Carrier, Daikin, Mitsubishi, Fujitsu General, etc., which make equally good (if not better) ACs as Hitachi.
If we are talking about the brand, globally, Carrier and Daikin are much bigger, and more reputed HVAC brands as compared to Hitachi.

Daikin, Hitachi, Sharp, General, Mitsubishi or Carrier r OEMs…

but in India all the a/c(only) companies do not have any authorised service centre… installation & repair works r done through some service personnels… so it’s better to go for machines which has worked better w/o much maintenance in Indian condition…

I know people who consider General as the last word in a/c as they r tried & tested in Arab countries.

I consider Hitachi better than others as it’s low on maintenance (unlike LG, Samsung, Voltas, Bluestar or even Carrier) and low on energy bills (unlike General). Daikin is at par… Mitsubishi is generally unavailable & quotations r available on request.

BTW, globally Hitachi is at premium (pricewise) compared to Daikin.

update: been 24 hrs no call from any technician about scheduling a time for installation and demo, so far thumsup for snapdeal, thumsdown for godrej

das.subhradip786 wrote:

Daikin, Hitachi, Sharp, General, Mitsubishi or Carrier r OEMs…

OEMs as in?

das.subhradip786 wrote:

but in India all the a/c(only) companies do not have any authorised service centre… installation & repair works r done through some service personnels… so it’s better to go for machines which has worked better w/o much maintenance in Indian condition…

I don’t quite follow you… are you saying that the after sales service of the above mentioned brands is not very good?
Well, I don’t have much idea about Sharp, General, Mitsubishi, but Carrier, Daikin, Hitachi have an established after sales service network in India… their after sales service might not be the best in class, but it’s decent.
EDIT- I got your point… actually, not just AC companies, more and more companies (electronics, appliances, IT) are outsourcing after sales service. Most people are fine with this as long as they are getting a good quality product with decent after sales support… in my opinion, most customers prefer a very good quality product with decent after sales service than an average quality product with best in class after sales service. PS- Even LG and Samsung which have the best after sales service network, do not own/run all the service centres in India… most service centres are franchisees.

das.subhradip786 wrote:

I consider Hitachi better than others as it’s low on maintenance (unlike LG, Samsung, Voltas, Bluestar or even Carrier)

LG, Samsung, Voltas… yes, I agree these companies make average quality, consumer grade ACs, but Carrier, no, I do not agree. Carrier has been making great ACs for the past 8-9 decades… much before Hitachi had even started manufacturing ACs.

das.subhradip786 wrote:

Daikin is at par…

I’d rather say, Hitachi is on a par with Carrier and Daikin in consumer AC segment in India.
EDIT- I am not talking about market share.

das.subhradip786 wrote:

BTW, globally Hitachi is at premium (pricewise) compared to Daikin.

I am not talking about pricing, I am talking about the brand, and I am not just talking about small room ACs, I am talking about the entire HVAC industry. Residential air conditioning, commercial air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, heating, ventilation… Carrier and Daikin are the market leaders across all these categories around the world. They are the world’s largest HVAC manufacturers… selling products and providing services in hundreds of countries in all the continents (except Antarctica!)

samdesidime wrote:

I don’t quite follow you… are you saying that the after sales service of the above mentioned brands is not very good?
Well, I don’t have much idea about Sharp, General, Mitsubishi, but Carrier, Daikin, Hitachi have an established after sales service network in India… their after sales service might not be the best in class, but it’s decent.

He’s right, most of these multinationals do not have their own service center’s they have local sub-contractors who do the servicing and after sales support for them

He’s right about O-general being considered the last word in commercial as well as residential air conditioning as well, I’m from a marine background and electrical engineers on ships who usually look after the entire ac plant have told me many times that OGeneral makes the best compressors, practically indestructible thats why its able to cool even in very high ambient temperatures.

As far as india is concerned the Company with the largest market share is voltas, then comes LG, but Daikin could increase their market share to 30% by 2015 if reports of the company’s policy to expand are to be believed

thumsup wrote:

samdesidime wrote:

He’s right, most of these multinationals do not have their own service center’s they have local sub-contractors who do the servicing and after sales support for them

He’s right about O-general being considered the last word in commercial as well as residential air conditioning as well, I’m from a marine background and electrical engineers on ships who usually look after the entire ac plant have told me many times that OGeneral makes the best compressors, practically indestructible thats why its able to cool even in very high ambient temperatures.

As far as india is concerned the Company with the largest market share is voltas, then comes LG, but Daikin could increase their market share to 30% by 2015 if reports of the company’s policy to expand are to be believed

The name of the company is General…

There is no possibility for Daikin to be market leader or corner 30% of the a/c segment in India even by 2020 (the explanation will be huge)…

OEMs as in?

Original Equipment Manufacturer.

EDIT- I got your point… actually, not just AC companies, more and more companies (electronics, appliances, IT) are outsourcing after sales service. Most people are fine with this as long as they are getting a good quality product with decent after sales support… in my opinion, most customers prefer a very good quality product with decent after sales service than an average quality product with best in class after sales service. PS- Even LG and Samsung which have the best after sales service network, do not own/run all the service centres in India… most service centres are franchisees.

Neither Daikin, Carrier or Hitachi has any authorised service centres in India. They arrange servicing through personnels. The white good manufacturers who have other products to sell generally maintain after sales support as a/c business is for only few months. hv good experience in this field…

LG, Samsung, Voltas… yes, I agree these companies make average quality, consumer grade ACs, but Carrier, no, I do not agree. Carrier has been making great ACs for the past 8-9 decades… much before Hitachi had even started manufacturing ACs.

Willis Carrier was a pioneer in a/c. But that doesn’t mean they sell good a/c in India. hv very bad experience with them & after sales is just too pathetic… I repeat Hitachi is gold standard for a/c in Indian condition (that doesn’t mean the machines won’t break down). Daikin is another good brand name. so is General…

I am not talking about pricing, I am talking about the brand, and I am not just talking about small room ACs, I am talking about the entire HVAC industry. Residential air conditioning, commercial air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, heating, ventilation… Carrier and Daikin are the market leaders across all these categories around the world.

Why worry about the whole industry when u hv 2 buy a/c for ur rooms or SOHO!

das.subhradip786 wrote:

thumsup wrote:

samdesidime wrote:

He’s right, most of these multinationals do not have their own service center’s they have local sub-contractors who do the servicing and after sales support for them

He’s right about O-general being considered the last word in commercial as well as residential air conditioning as well, I’m from a marine background and electrical engineers on ships who usually look after the entire ac plant have told me many times that OGeneral makes the best compressors, practically indestructible thats why its able to cool even in very high ambient temperatures.

As far as india is concerned the Company with the largest market share is voltas, then comes LG, but Daikin could increase their market share to 30% by 2015 if reports of the company’s policy to expand are to be believed

The name of the company is General…

There is no possibility for Daikin to be market leader or corner 30% of the a/c segment in India even by 2020 (the explanation will be huge)…

sorry i meant 20% by 2015

thumsup wrote:<br /

sorry i meant 20% by 2015

even that’s a distant possibility… Daikin always commands 7-8k premium (if not more) to LG, SS, Pana or all other mass-mrkt cos. & u know Indian mentality (sastaa aur tikaoo)…

das.subhradip786 wrote:

thumsup wrote:<br /

sorry i meant 20% by 2015

even that’s a distant possibility… Daikin always commands 7-8k premium (if not more) to LG, SS, Pana or all other mass-mrkt cos. & u know Indian mentality (sastaa aur tikaoo)…

hard to say considering they’re now the worlds largest HVAC by market share, they’re set to pump in 250 crore as part of their expansion project in India, out of which 122 crore will be devoted to residential air new air conditioning manufacturing line. Success in business is not entirely but partly determined by how well capiltalized a company is, there are other factors of course, but capitalization plays a major role in todays modern business environment.

For example when LG/Samsung came in no one thought they would not only dethrone but shut down indiginous manufactureres who were reigning like say BPL india (now defunct.) In fact I remember when i was in school went to buy a microwave with my mother and the shopkeeper told us “LG/Samsung kabhi mat lena, korean compnay hai na mehenga bhi hai aur kabhi band karke chala jayegaya bol nahin sakte…. aap fus jaogae”

Now look what happened, who prevailed and who shut down, no way BPL could compete with such well backed multinationals.

Considering price you make a valid point but if you consider statistics, in 2011 Hitachi & Panasonic were just 7% of the indian a/c market given their high prices as you rightly mentioned where as LG was around 26.3% being cheaper but now in 2013 the market share of Hitachi & Panasonic has gone up to 16% where as LG despite being cheaper has actually come down to 17.3% in 2013.

Daikin is already at 12% today so 20% may not be achieved by 2015 but ti seems a realistic target in the near future considering the way the korean ac manufactureres are losing market share and the Japanese are gaining.

It of course depends on the content and execution of Daikin’s expansion plans , but i believe it to be a very achievable target, even the current market leader voltas is just 17% Daikin is already at 12% and steadily growing

@das.subhradip786

Yeah, I know OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer… I didn’t understand why are you calling Daikin, Hitachi, Sharp, General, Mitsubishi and Carrier OEMs.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your opinion!

samdesidime wrote:

@das.subhradip786

Yeah, I know OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer… I didn’t understand why are you calling Daikin, Hitachi, Sharp, General, Mitsubishi and Carrier OEMs.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your opinion!

yare sam 66 fpd’s hats off to you ….. I can’t even get one fpd

thumsup wrote: I can’t even get one fpd

Now post one Jabardasth/superb AC deal after this extensive research and I wish you will surely get one