Buying a airconditioner for my Daughter (chrissy present)

[Calm]

Ok i offered to buy my struggling daughter/SIL/granddaughter an aircon/heater/whatever you call it.

They went to a couple of shops was told about $1700 for the system & $750 to install

What are the brands to buy?
What are the catches?
How much should i pay?
What are the questions to ask?


I also found this on Grays online - never heard of the name but it has a full 5 year warranty - buy or don't touch?Reverse Cycle Split System Air Conditioner 3.6KW - Model T35-R410A

Room size 5x7 plus kitchen 2x3 in "L" shape

Thanks in advance

Cheers

[Grumpy John]

Are they after a reverse cycle air con or a swampy (evaporative). We had a swampy fitted a couple of years ago and don't regret it, however it does struggle a bit if we get 3 or more days with temps over 35c. They shouldn't need reverse cycle if they have ducted heating.

Probably a lot depends if they are renting or are buying. They prolly wouldn't want to go to the expense of fitting a swampy or expensive R/C aircon in a rented property. We were giving a portable aircon a flogging at Bunnies today which would be suitable for a reasonable sized lounge room or large bedroom, I think it was selling for $449 and 12000 btu. PM me if you need more info and I'll check tomorrow when I go to work.

[Calm]

Are they after a reverse cycle air con or a swampy (evaporative). We had a swampy fitted a couple of years ago and don't regret it, however it does struggle a bit if we get 3 or more days with temps over 35c. They shouldn't need reverse cycle if they have ducted heating.

Probably a lot depends if they are renting or are buying. They prolly wouldn't want to go to the expense of fitting a swampy or expensive R/C aircon in a rented property. We were giving a portable aircon a flogging at Bunnies today which would be suitable for a reasonable sized lounge room or large bedroom, I think it was selling for $449 and 12000 btu. PM me if you need more info and I'll check tomorrow when I go to work.

Reverse cycle i think they are looking at getting rid of the gas "wall furnace" when it blows up.

Cheers

[Fuzzie]

We recently swapped out an two old a/c's (a Sharp and a Panasonic) for two new Panasonic Inverter models. The difference the new ones makes in the bedroom is unbelievable. We went from roaring freight train fans switching on and off intermittently with suss cooling capacity to a nice quiet even air flow and temp control. for inverters!

Then again I'm in Queensland and most of the time we're just trying to dry out rather than cool down. A swampy probably wouldn't be any good for that.

[acmegridley]

You wont go wrong with LG stuff,had a swampy in my present house couldn't handle the heat to my satisfaction got LG ducted, beautiful.

[masoth]

What's the story with "inverters"? What's it do/for?

soth

[DJ’s Timber]

What's the story with "inverters"? What's it do/for?

soth

Here you go, copied from here

Inverters
The difference between inverter and non inverter is the inverter units can alter their speed in response to cooling demand. Some units have an initial over-speed period where they will run at a slightly higher capacity for a set time to pull down the temperature of a hot room. When they reach the set point temperature they can reduce capacity to maintain that level without cycling as much as a normal unit would. This saves power although it’s arbitrary as it would still take a while to recoup the increased purchase costs.
The inverter unit increases the power usage slightly as it converts the incoming power into a suitable style for the air conditioner although the ability to run at a reduced power level helps to drop the overall usage to below that of a typical non-inverter unit. Most of the advertising claiming 30% lower bills using inverters are based on very carefully set up laboratory scenarios. In reality, while they may cost less to run than a conventional unit, buying an efficient conventional unit will still be cost effective.

[rsser]

Got a Panasonic reverse cycle inverter job and it works like a dream. 5 yr warranty. Ext unit fan died after 4 and was replaced free of charge.

David, do the sums carefully to make sure to get the right capacity. There are calculators on the web.

Yes, installation is exxy. High capacity wiring needed from the board. Make sure the supply to the house is up to it.

[Calm]

Thanks everyone - the daughter did all the calcs as well as ring my 2nd cousin (who sells & fits them) and ended up buying a Fujitsu 5KW that was on special last week. $400 cash to fit them.

Time will tell if it is the right decision.

Thanks again

Cheers

[rsser]

Cool