In Malaysia, air conditioners are a great way to beat the heat. We could easily spend thousands of ringgit on air conditioners.
Using the air conditioners would cost us a considerable amount in electric bills over the years.
Therefore, it is important to buy the best air conditioner for your house and needs.
Here I have listed the top 5 factors to consider before buying an air conditioner.
Top 5 tips on how to buy the best air coolers
1. Horsepower/BTU
The most important thing is to get an air conditioner with the right horsepower for the size of your room.
Although Malaysia commonly uses horsepower to measure the power of an air conditioner, the accurate unit of measurement should be BTU, British Thermal Units.
You can see that different 1HP air conditioners have different BTU ratings. It ranges between 9000 to 9550 BTU for a 1HP air conditioner.
A larger room will need a bigger power air conditioner to make the room cool.
Quoted from ConsumerReports:
An air conditioner needs about 20 BTUs for each square foot of living space that it’s cooling
So, for bedrooms under 400 sq ft, using a 1HP air conditioner should be sufficient.
However, there are multiple factors to be considered as well such as floor height, functions of the rooms, and how many heat-generating electrical appliances were used in the same room.
So, it is best to always consult the seller or salesperson.
2. Energy Star Rating
All Malaysia air conditioners are rated by Suruhanjaya Tenaga for their energy efficiency. It is best to get 5-star energy rating air conditioners.
Ultimately, you will be able to recoup the initial investment through savings from electric bills.
The energy rating for a good non-inverter air conditioner should be 3-stars, while that for a good inverter air conditioner should be 5-stars.
Therefore, I recommend getting an inverter air conditioner with a 5-star energy rating.
3. Refrigerant Gas
Refrigerant gas used for air conditioners is known as HFC, Hydro Fluoro Carbons. The two common types of HFC used in air conditioners are R410A and R32.
R32 is better than R410A, because:
- The R32 system uses up to 20% less refrigerant than the R410A system, making it more efficient and cheaper to operate
- The Global Warming Potential (GWP) for R32 is 675. This is 30% less than R410A.
- Ozone Depletion Potential of 0
We should purchase R32 air conditioners to protect the environment.
4. Noise Level
There are some users who are sensitive to noise, especially during nighttime and sleeping hours.
It’s always a good idea to check the product specification sheet for the noise level of both the indoor blower unit and the outdoor compressor unit.
The noise level of Aircon units normally falls between 25 to 45 decibels. Any Aircon with a noise level of 25dB and below is considered to be very silent.
For example, our top pick, the Panasonic X-Deluxe Inverter Air Conditioner has Quiet Mode that operates at only 19dB.
5. Installation
For users who are going to purchase air conditioners online in Malaysia, it is recommended to buy from vendors who provide installation.
This is important because installing an aircon properly can make a huge difference in its performance.
Additionally, if an air conditioning problem arises, you only need to deal with one company for warranty and service, whether it is due to the aircond unit itself or faulty installation.
Other Considerations
Other than the factors listed above, there are other features you should pay attention to when choosing an air conditioner, but I wouldn’t consider them essential.
4 Ways Swing
An air conditioner with 4 ways swing means it can move its horizontal and vertical louvres automatically. As a result, the room will be cooler and the air will be circulated more evenly.
Unfortunately, many air conditioner models lack this feature, so if you insist on only purchasing an air conditioner with four ways of swinging, your options are very limited.
WiFi Connectivity
An air conditioner with a built-in WiFi connection is cool as it can be integrated into your smart home system. You can set up various automation and also control the air cond with your smartphone.
Before you’ve even arrived home, you can start the air conditioning using your smartphone so that you can enjoy the cool air as soon as you enter.
That’s pretty much the benefit of a WiFi-enabled air conditioner.
For me personally, there’s no reason to make it a priority because the standard air conditioner remote is convenient enough.
Warranty
Most Japanese brand air conditioners have a 1+5 warranty, 1 year general warranty and 5 years compressor warranty.
On the other hand, China brand air conditioners come with a longer warranty such as 2+6, 2+7 and the longest one is 2+10, which is 2 years general warranty and 10 years compressor warranty.
Normally, a longer warranty is better. However, this isn’t the case for air conditioners.
In the event of an air conditioner breakdown, a technician needs to check the unit, which may require dismantling and reinstalling the unit. There are many extra costs involved.
Hence, I would prefer to go for a reliable and reputable brand instead of solely checking on the warranty period.
Filter System
Some air conditioners come with a 2-step or even 3-step filtration system. It is indeed a great feature to have on your aircond.
But this doesn’t mean that it will be able to totally replace an air purifier.
Ionizer
An ionizer is another feature that improves indoor air quality. This is another great add-on function for an air conditioner.
But not all ionizers are created equal. Only a few ionizers have proven lab test results.
For example, Ionizer like Sharp Plasmacluster Ion is proven to result in considerable clinical improvement and increased peak expiratory flow rate in asthmatic and/or allergic rhinitis patients with house dust mite allergy.