How to choose your air conditioner

Today, there is a wide variety of air conditioners made by various manufacturers on the market to choose from. Prices can vary from $200 to $2000 for the smallest 7000 Btu/h model for a small room. Price differential is significant; for example, models of identical power can differ in price by a factor of ten! In addition, customers often choose their air conditioners based entirely on the price factor. But, is this the right way?

In large part, price is governed by the manufacturing brand. Popular and prestigious manufacturers come with a high price tag. For example, Daikin is a world-renowned Japanese brand whose products, it stands to reason, are more expensive than those of the Chinese manufacturer Pioneer. However, Daikin products are of correspondingly higher quality.

Major companies like Daikin, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Carrier, and Trane have long since earned the respect of specialists and the trust of consumers on the climate control equipment market. The reliability of their products is driven by their use of the most cutting-edge technology in manufacturing compressors, evaporators, and other equipment and components. This allows them to maintain production quality at a consistently high level.

As for Chinese-made air conditioners, which have spread to many countries, they are primarily focused on providing a budget range and are much cheaper. However, the assembly features of these models leave much to be desired. In the name of economy, PRC manufacturers often use inexpensive, fragile plastic that is thinner than metal. This decreases the durability of air conditioner design and resistance to mechanical breakdown. In addition, they are manufactured using technology 10-15 years out of date and no longer in use in modern factories.

These factors inevitably result in clear operational disadvantages. Cheap air conditioners from obscure manufacturers have a short lifespan and use it up fairly quickly. Experience shows that good models from leading global brands can function stably for 7-10 years without serious mechanical failures or breakdowns, while Chinese-made models of comparable power last for a fraction of that time.

When these unreliable air conditioners break down, consumers are forced to waste a lot of money on repairs. It’s worth considering that suitable parts for these models are much more difficult to find. In addition, the consumer is often faced with a situation where the air conditioner can’t be repaired. This means spending money to replace the entire system.

In addition, a Chinese-made air conditioner has significantly increased energy needs. This means that the consumer will spend more on their electric bills. Considering climate control equipment is actively operating much of the time, after a while, this can put a big dent in your savings.

So, the inexpensiveness of Chinese-made equipment often comes with objective disadvantages. Savings at purchase are dubious and lead to additional financial costs. Strictly speaking, the consumer is running a risk. Perhaps the only advantage when using and constantly replacing inexpensive air conditioners is the regular updates to the design of the indoor unit inside the room.