Zeroing in on the best buy

It looks like we are in for another sizzling summer this year in the UAE. But before you rush off to buy a brand new air-conditioner, a few things need to be considered.

"The kind of air-conditioning required depends on the place to be cooled, the usage and whether it is a residential, commercial or an industrial building," says Bernard George, Managing Director, EleMech Technical, dealers of air-conditioning systems for villas, commercial and residential buildings and warehouses.

According to George, most commercial and residential buildings being built in Sharjah and Dubai have split or chiller air-conditioning as window ACs are becoming rare.
"A chiller is a cooling system when two to three big chillers are installed (on a building's roof) in which water is chilled. The chilled water passes through the fan and distributes cool air throughout the house.

Usually if a building has a chiller system, the landlord pays for it," he says. To buy an AC with the correct capacity (1 tonne, 1.5 tonne, 2 tonne or 2.5 tonne), apart from keeping the room size in mind, one needs to consider the number of doors (how many times the door will open and close), windows (does the window face sunlight), position of the AC in the room, how many people will use the room, the insulation in the room and whether one needs an AC with remote control and a timer with digital display showing the temperature.

Better cooling

"Look for a higher BTU (British Thermal Unit) per hour for better cooling with adjustable vents for air throw, and the filter should be easily accessible for easy removal and cleaning. One must ensure that the unit has a one-year warranty plus five years on the compressor which is the heart of an air-conditioner.

As an AC is a seasonal product, one should look for best deals during the summer where most retailers give price benefits and free installation on certain models," says Ashish Panjabi, COO, Jacky's Group.

Panjabi recommends opting for a split air-conditioner, even if there is a slot for a window air-conditioner. "The noise in a window air-conditioner is higher, while a split air-conditioner has low noise levels.

Split air-conditioners look better than a window air-conditioner," he says. The Middle East region has very high temperatures and humidity, which makes it very difficult for units to perform efficiently during the height of summer, so choose a reputed manufacturer with very strong after-sales service.

With increasing health concerns over air quality, customers should opt for units that can maintain and provide consistent pure quality air. "After-sales support and related warranties, cooling capacity of the unit in line with the application area and the power consumption of a unit are the most important factors to consider when buying an AC.

Split ACs are preferred where the customer does not want a noisy air-conditioner or does not want to cover the view from the window or where a window installation is not possible," says Sang Yoon Kim, General Manager, Home Appliances division, Samsung. Split units have two parts, the evaporator indoors and the condenser outside.

"The two are connected with copper pipes. Central ACs are of different types but the closest to split units are called the ducted type," says Kim.

"The connection between outdoor and indoor is same for a ducted type as it is for a split unit, but the main difference is the air from the indoor units is carried in multiple areas or rooms through a duct and they are essentially concealed between the ceiling and false ceiling area. "The capacity is generally higher than that of ducted units," says Kim.