Gas Leakage Resistant 1.5 Ton Split AC

[MadAxe]

Hey guys.
I am looking for a 1.5 Ton Split AC preferably a non-inverter one since my usage is just 3-4 hours per day.

I am fed up of getting my Voltas one repaired for gas leakage every year.The leakages have been mostly on the evaporator coil and U bends. I am looking for an AC that would provide protection against gas leakage since there is an open drain nearby.

Almost all brands are providing copper condensers these days. But different brands use different 'technologies' to provide a protective layer on the condenser and evaporator.
LG calls it Ocean Black Protection.
Voltas calls it Blue Fin Protection.
Daikin calls it Anti Rust Protection Coating.
TCL calls it Titan Gold Protection.

From what I understood,
Titan Gold > Ocean Black > Blue Fin > Anti Rust Protection

Most brands have stopped manufacturing non-inverter Split ACs and there are hardly any good ones available in the market so I am forced to go with Inverter one.

I have the following 3 options:
1. Go for TCL and hope for the best. Have never bought a TCL product in my life.
2. Go for LG which has good after sales service but in case of gas leakage, I would be charged for repair and gas filling.
3. Go for any other brand like Daikin or Voltas and opt for a third party extended warranty. Could not find any such extended warranty plan from a reputed provider.
4. Any other option that I have not thought of.

Help me out in making the best decision. Need your valuable suggestions. Thanks in advance.

 

[Jonas]

Life of an AC majorly depends on where you live. I expect the life expectancy to be about 5 years in general. So whatever you get, make sure the installation has been done properly and ask the installation guys to do a protective coating on the coils if ACs in your area are susceptible to leakage.

I wouldn’t spend a lot on an AC if gas leakage is a common issue in my area.

 

[igloo]

I would recommend this with 5 year PCB warranty instead of non-inverter AC.
You can buy 4 year extended for 9-10k instead within 1 year of purchase instead.
If room is not big then run on 60-80% mode and it will save power even with 2 star rating.

 

[MadAxe]

@Jonas You're right. The life expectancy of ACs in Delhi is around 5 years.
3 Star 1.5 Ton is costing 35k and 4 Star is costing 40k.

@igloo Would it make sense to buy inverter AC for drawing room where the temperature would never get constant and the inverter AC would end up acting as a non inverter AC. Wouldn't it be less efficient than non inverter one in this case.

 

[igloo]

Ok i thought it's for some office setup. Yep fixed speed would suit better.
Also Voltas is known to cut corners so try ac with better built quality like Daikin Or ogeneral.

 

[Tejas01]

Regardless of which AC you buy, always ensure to do vacuuming of your Aircon to extend the longevity of your AC. It should be done for atleast 30-45 mins or till the gauge shows zero. While most focus on the externals, it is also the interiors which causes the internal equipments to start corroding and hence leakages. This is seen mostly after 5 years.
When bending the copper pipes, ask them to be gentle. If it's pinched more than needed due to carelessness as the guys are always in a hurry, you are damaging the AC even before it's life has started.

If you have a good AC technician, then get it installed from them than these so called AC technicians from brands. They are bound to cut corners unless you inspect their every act with a needle's eye and throw some additional money.

If open drainage nearby, as you have mentioned ocean black coating would be my go. But if titan gold is good, all the better.

There's more money to make with Inverter series so I am not surprised with brands going for it.

Also do regular maintenance of the ODU like washing with water(more than sufficient). For IDU, regularly clean the filters. Clean the fins once every 2-3 years with a toothbrush. Kr get someone to do it for you.

 

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[MadAxe]

@Tejas01 I would have gone with LG because of the Ocean Black coating but LG no longer manufactures non inverter ACs. Since you're using a LG inverter AC you might be able to answer better. Would it make sense to buy inverter AC for drawing room where the temperature would never get constant and the inverter AC would end up acting as a non inverter AC. Wouldn't it be less efficient than non inverter one in this case?

 

[Jonas]

Don't get hung up on the coating by the company. Local technicians can very well do the same.

Inverter ACs specify max power consumption, so take that as fixed

 

[Tejas01]

The real advantage of inv ac comes into play if you are using acs for long hours. With 3-4 hours, you may not see much benefits.
Regardless of Inv, non-inv, I would say go for a brand which has good ASS. That is the most important part if I were you. Many brands skimp on this as they have handed over this lart to 3rd party.

Power consumption will be there and as mentioned, there is lots of profit to make with Inv series. So don't be fixated on the inv, non-inv part. Your usage is anyways 3-4 hours so it won't pinch you that much.

If you are using it at low temperatures, you are anyways running an inv ac as a non inv one.

If you still need an nonI ac, you will have to search the market and enquire with the brands.