Aircon Buying Guide

Since there are many aircon models available in the market, it might be challenging to choose the right one for your home. This is because it isn’t enough to buy an aircon that has popular features. In fact, you also have to take note of a number of factors and terms to make the best purchase just like you would when buying other home products such as a water heater or toilet bowl. 

We have highlighted the important things you should know when buying aircon for your home:

Aircon Terms You Should Be Familiar With

When buying aircon for your home, there are a number of aircon terms you should be familiar with. By doing so, you won’t experience any confusion while making your purchase:

• British Thermal Units (BTUs)
  • BTUs are used for determining the total cooling capacity of a unit. This refers to how much heat your aircon can remove in an hour. The higher the BTU level, the stronger the aircon’s cooling capacity. Thus, it’s best to buy aircon with a high BTU if your room is quite large.
• NEA Energy Label
  

• • An NEA rating is an energy efficient measuring system used for various home appliance products. This operates on a tick rating system whereby the least energy efficient products have 2 ticks and the most energy efficient ones have 5 ticks. Although aircon with 5 ticks tends to be more expensive, they will provide you with more energy savings in the long run. Just remember that not all energy efficient aircon may be suitable for your needs since their effectiveness will be affected by other factors such as room size. 

• Refrigerant
  • Refrigerant is a type of liquid that is essential for the aircon to release cold air. Without this, the aircon won’t be able to remove heat and convert liquid to gas and vice versa. In Singapore, there are two common types of refrigerant used for the top aircon brands and their models in Singapore. These are namely R22 and R410A. The latter is more popular as it is more eco-friendly and efficient.

• Inverter
  • An inverter aircon changes its temperature by adjusting its motor speed without having to turn the motor on or off. Some reasons why buying an inverter aircon is highly recommended are it is more energy efficient and will enable you to have lower power bills.

• Indoor Unit or Fan Coil Unit (FCU)
  
  

• • The indoor unit simply refers to the aircon unit placed in your home.

• Single Split (System 1)
  • This is a term used to refer to an aircon with one indoor unit and one outdoor unit.

• Multi-Splits (System 2, 3, or 4)
  • Multi-split aircon consists of one outdoor unit connected to multiple indoor units. For example, a System 4 aircon is composed of four indoor units with just one outdoor unit. An advantage of multi-split aircon systems is that the indoor units can be controlled separately.

• Outdoor Condensing Unit (CDU)
  • The outdoor condensing unit refers to the aircon unit placed outdoors. It is often interchanged with the compressor.
• Compressor
  
  

• • This aircon component is critical in raising the pressure of refrigerant inside the unit so that it can produce cold air.

• Condenser
  • The condenser is an outer part of the aircon which consists of numerous tubes. Its purpose is to facilitate heat transfer so that cold air is produced by the unit.

• Decibel (dB)
  • All aircon have their sound measured in decibels (dB). Most indoor units produce 19 to 50 dB of noise whereas outdoor units tend to make 46 to 50 dB of noise. One aircon that you can consider buying is Mitsubishi Electric – System 4 (MXY-4G38VA2/MSXY-FN10VEx3/MSXY-FN18VE) as it produces 19dB of noise. In Singapore, the boundary noise limit for residential areas is set at 55 to 65 dB.

• HEPA Filters

• • The HEPA filters are an essential part of the aircon that traps harmful particles such as pollen, dust, and dust mites. This is to prevent them from contaminating the inner parts of the aircon and to ensure that indoor air quality remains fresh and clean.

Different Types of Aircons in Singapore

If you need a new aircon, you don’t have to limit yourself to single split aircon and multi-split aircon systems. In fact, there are many other types of aircon you can choose from.

• Casement Aircon (Room Air Conditioner)
  
  

• • This type of aircon can only last 10-15 years. Nevertheless, it is highly affordable since it doesn’t require any additional piping when being installed.

• Portable Aircon
  
  

• • A portable aircon is ideal for homeowners who are looking to save. Besides being easy to assemble, it can be transported to different rooms. One disadvantage of a portable aircon though is that it has a much weaker cooling capacity than many other aircon and requires a decent amount of floor space.

• Inverter Split System
  
  

• • This type of aircon doesn’t need to be installed beside a window just like a casement aircon. However, it is best installed by a professional since it consists of both an indoor and outdoor unit.

• Inverter Multi-Split System
  • If you’re looking to install multiple aircon but only have space for one outdoor unit, this aircon type is highly recommended. A big advantage of an inverter multi-split aircon system is you’ll have more effective cooling in multiple areas in your home.

Factors To Consider When Choosing An Aircon in Singapore

After learning about the different types of aircon in Singapore, you should be familiar with the important factors to consider when choosing an aircon.

• Number of Rooms
  • Single room: In case you plan to install an aircon in only one room, you may want to go for a casement or portable aircon.
  • For the cooling of multiple rooms, installing an inverter multi-split aircon is much more ideal.
• Room Size
  
  

• • The cooling capacity of an aircon is measured through its BTU rating. Normally, the number of BTUs required is multiplied by the total square feet times 35. This means that a bedroom in the average HDB flat requires an aircon with a 9,000 BTU cooling capacity such as the Mitsubishi Starmex MXY-2G20VA2 / MSXY-FN10VE.

• Available Space
  
  

• • Although it’s vital to know which room you want your aircon to be installed in, another helpful tip for choosing the best aircon for your HDB is to consider the amount of space that is available. If you happen to have little space available, you can opt for an inverter aircon rather than buying a casement aircon.

• Noise Levels
  
  

• • If you think you’ll often use your aircon at night time, it’s best that you go for an inverter aircon. In case you’re still undecided, it is recommended that you research more on whether you should choose an inverter or a non-inverter aircon. Remember that an inverter aircon like the Panasonic XS-Series Premium Inverter CU-4XS30UBZ / CS-MXS9UKZ X3 / CS-MXS18UKZ can lower noise levels to as low as 19dB.

• Energy Efficiency
  • When choosing an aircon, it’s also important to check the NEA Energy label. Newer aircon tends to have 2, 4, and 5 ticks. The more ticks an aircon has, the less electricity it needs to release cold air. Hence, one of the benefits of energy efficient aircon is lower power bills.

Aircon Features You Should Select For Your Needs

Since there are many aircon brands and models being sold in Singapore, you have a good chance of selecting a number of aircon features that any homeowner should consider before purchasing:

• Programme Timer
  
  

• • With a programme timer, you can decide and schedule when to turn your aircon on and off. Some aircon also have programme timers for sleeping and energy saving.

• Air Purifying Function
  

• Some aircon comes with an air purifying function such as the Mitsubishi Starmex MUY-GN10VA / MSY-GN10VA. This helps you ensure that the air circulating in your home isn’t filled with dust and other contaminants. 

• Slide-out Filter
  • An aircon with a slide-out filter will make it easier to remove dirt and debris from your aircon.
• Motion-detector Sensors
  

• • Leaving the aircon running inside an empty room is a common issue. To resolve this, many newer aircon feature motion-detector sensors which control energy usage based on human movement. One aircon with this feature is the Panasonic XS CU-2XS20UKZ / CS-MXS9UKZ which employs ECONAVI technology.

• Dirty Filter Indicator
  • Some homeowners are unsure when their air filters need to be cleaned or replaced. Fortunately, some aircon has a dirty filter indicator so you know when you need to clean or replace your filters.

• Wifi-enabled
  

• At times, you may have forgotten to switch off your aircon before going out. Some aircon like the Daikin CTKS25TVMG have Wi-Fi so that you can configure them through your smartphone.

Conclusion

When buying aircon in Singapore, always keep the points mentioned above in mind. You’ll need to be familiar with some aircon terms such as British Thermal Units, NEA Energy Rating, inverter, compressor, and many others. Additionally, it’s best that you know about the different types of aircon in Singapore such as casement aircon, portable aircon, inverter split system, and inverter multi-split system. 

There are also a number of things you should consider when selecting an aircon such as the number of rooms where you plan to have an aircon, room size, available space, noise levels, and energy efficiency. Lastly, your aircon should have some extremely helpful features like a programme timer, slide-out filter, dirty filter indicator, and WiFi.

If you’re looking for quality home appliances in Singapore, contact Everyhome Singapore. We have extremely reliable products that will help you fulfill your household needs.