Frequently Asked Questions
A room air conditioner is ideal for rooms up to 200 sq ft where one of the walls is exposed to the outside. In case of budget and space constraints, one could go for a Window AC.
Though window units are cheaper and easy to install; Split ACs are quieter in operations, more aesthetically appealing and have better air distribution. If there are no exposed walls, a Split AC is the only option. Split ACs have two units – a compressor unit outside and the indoor unit inside. Since the compressor is kept outside, noise levels are lower in a split air conditioner as compared to the window air conditioner. However, installing the split units may require some renovation work, which implies a monetary investment.
To know what tonnage of AC to buy, one needs to do a heat load calculation of the room to be air conditioned. Very often, a thumb of rule of 100 sq ft = 1.0 ton is applied to calculate the room AC tonnage. However, this method may not be accurate.
The size of the windows, location of the walls (west or east facing), floor, number of people expected to occupy the room, other gadgets in the room and lighting, amongst others, all play a role in calculating the right tonnage for the room. It is recommended to request for a technician to visit the room and allow him to do a heat load calculation. For a quick calculation, please visit the tonnage calculator section in the Blue Star site. The right AC tonnage is a critical step since buying an undersized air conditioner may provide inadequate cooling with perhaps the compressor never cutting off, and buying an oversized one may result in high power bills.
One should note the star labelling on the AC. The star rating varies from 1 Star to 5 Star. More the stars, the more energy efficient the AC, and better will be the corresponding savings.
The star rating is defined by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency guidelines and air conditioners of all brands are tested and certified by a third party agency for the star-rating.
High energy efficiency design involves increased components in the heat exchange area due to which the input costs increase. Hence, a higher star AC such as a 5 Star AC costs more than a 2 Star one.
To take an informed choice related to energy and monetary benefits in an AC, one needs to calculate the energy and corresponding monetary savings.Payback period in years = Incremental higher price/energy saving in a year over a lower star AC.
Buying a 5 Star AC is a good decision in the long term especially given the fact that consumers nowadays use their air conditioners for much longer periods and the power tariff is likely to increase over the years.
Window and standard split air conditioners have a compressor that runs at a fixed speed. The compressor is therefore either on or off depending on the set temperature.
The Inverter AC thinks and adjusts according to your needs. Its compressor has variable speed and changes its frequency according to the ambient load. As the frequency changes, the speed of the compressor also changes. This eliminates any temperature fluctuations and helps maintain a comfortable temperature. For example, a 1.5 ton Inverter AC can decrease its capacity to 1 ton or increase its capacity to 1.75 tons, as per the requirement. As there is no cut in and cut off, the Inverter AC saves up to 30% more power.
