Fair price. Change the pipes to inverter pipes too.

Sharp has inverter btw. Plasmacluster, ceiling air throw mode (Coanda effect), indoor unit blower cleaning (mould proof drying and disinfecting w Plasmacluster), 0.5°C stepping, 2 level step down power saving, sleep mode amidst other features. I've used its first generation and now using second generation in different homes. Hardly needs maintenance except the mesh filter and outdoor unit cleaning. Price wise it is cheapest amongst the other inverters whilst packing many features. Aeon Jusco may be selling the outgoing third generation at 30% discount for the 2014/5 model (R410a gas). The latest generation used R32 refrigerant gas.

These are the Ecoking models?

Wow, they change hands. Thanks for informing. Hmmm...Is it correct, Hitachi? Seems like Johnson Controls bought them over.

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Jul 27 2017, 12:22 PM

Thks for explaining. Does that make York better productwise?

Thks for enlightening bro. :thumbsup

No indication. Jintex selling 1199 for 2015 model.

Sounds like commission incentive bias.

I've used Sharp almost 7 years. They don't give any trouble but the benefit with inverters (consistent temperature) and Plasmacluster (healthy purified air), clean mode, gentle cool (blow towards ceiling), 2 step low wattage mode, good sleep mode (used this for kids) outweighs the other costs. The newer models since 2015 provides 0.5°C step and long throw (14m) even for a 1hp.

This is the goto AC for anyone with elderly parents / grandparents / kids/ infants(& nursing mother's) owing to their gentle cool feature ie blowing air ceiling wards which they already have been doing since 2009 way before Panasonic Sky series entered the market. Also, they happen to be the cheaper inverter to buy amongst the rest.

Just like any other AC, so long as the below are done, they hardly give trouble:
1. piping and drain installation is correct and leakage free
2. insulation is completely isolated to one sleeve/jacket per pipe e.g. Inaba Denko (JP) or Smartco (KR) Paircoil
3. maintenance is done proportionate to usage

Outdoor compressor will require the regular cleaning depending on how dirty it gets just as any other compressors, even more so after a haze as fine dust and acidic soot will settle on the fins.

For four years of usage in the old landed, the Sharp plasmacluster inverter blower hardly need needs cleaning as the Plasmacluster ions keeps the cooling fins and drain mould free. After every use, I turn on clean mode. Bear in mind that this is not the same as having a Sharp non Plasmacluster AC with clean mode and combining it with a external Plasmacluster or ionizer. That doesn't even comes close to what cleaning with Plasmacluster built-in which the AC will direct it towards the fins and drain. Best investment for an AC ever.

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Jul 31 2017, 11:57 AM

Hi tlcm5229, your dwelling type landed or condo?

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Aug 1 2017, 10:32 AM

Hi gengar77, questions you need to ask to assess based on an older AC thread post
1. What's above the unit at the top? Is it another floor e.g. water tangki, sky terrace, bare concrete cement roof or tiled roof or metal roof?
2. Each room orientation where the AC will be installed (all applicable compass points where the walls are exposed and does not border a neighboring unit)
3. Area (LxW) of each room to cool and their ceiling height
4. Semi partition movable (sliding doors) or fixed (wall or tall bookshelf)

Based on the post linked above, calculate the cooling load in BTU which serves as the starting point of what kind of AC HP to get. Being at the top floor, depending on what is above it, sometimes the heat load is increased by 20-30% which means a 1.5HP or 1.75HP will be required. Only Panasonic sells 1.75HP (15,000BTU) but the piping for such is 2HP already.

As an example, say a 5m x 3.5m bedroom on the second (any floor except the top) floor of a multiple story condo. It has large windows facing south on one corner and south west on another.
Total area (A) = 188.368sqft (17.5m2)
Base HLF (Hb) = 60 _____for condos and ground floor
Additional modifier:
+5 if sun facing area is W,SW or S and has larger than usual fenestration (windows)
+10 if room wall faces W,SW or S (typical corner unit)
Final HLF for this bedroom (Hf) =75
Cooling load required= A x Hf = 14,128BTU

On a clear sunny day, this bedroom will bake her occupants through the night until 3am.

Had the bedroom faced east and the windows are no larger than 25% of the whole wall exposed, it's cooling final HLF would have remained unmodified at 60 which yields 11,302BTU.

Of course, curtains block out the sun and double glazed reduces the heat load.

One more thing: for the same AC pipe diameter, 1 and 1.5HP are interchangeable. 1.75 and 2HP are compatible for 2HP pipes. Some AC units 2.5HP also fits on 2HP. The key is the return (gas phase) pipe diameter. Typically 2.5 or 3HP and above a larger gas pipe diameter is required. So sizing is important if the calculated load is bordering on the next HP which may or may not affect the pipe diameters required and thus expanding or limiting the choices when an upgrade is required. Mitsubishi Electric is one anomaly in which it 2HP typically uses a 2.5HP sized return pipe.

Hope that helps.

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Aug 1 2017, 11:23 AM

R22 phased out
R410a is current
R32 is newer but also mildly flammable but then again the trade requires all technician to be trained to handle the refrigerants used.

Btw R410a is 50% R32 and 50% retardant that makes it safer but at the expense of cooling efficiency. A pure R32 unit cools more efficiently than a R410a unit. As they are new, gas may be scarcer hence more expensive. Also the AC units are also more expensive vs R410a units.

It depends if it's easy to isolate the zones such that each one can cool it down without being overtaxed. I'll prefer this approach too. If you think it might overtax then go for 1.5hp at the crucial one like bedroom. One easy way to partition is to use thick curtains.

Three things to consider:
1. Piping insulation. Individually sleeved per pipe. Use Inaba Denko's (JP) or Smartco's (KR) Paircoil. Sets you back a bit but guarantee will not develop leaks so long as installed correctly. Use 0.8" thickness for R410a which is also compatible with R32. The requirement is to guarantee AC runs at its rated power without which (all in one jacket/sleeve), the mixture causes the compressor to overwork (higher electricity consumption than rated) which can potentially damage the indoor unit cooling fins esp if the piping runs are in excess of 3m. This is evident when there's freezing on the AC cooling fins due to this caused by the compressor overworking to compensate for inadequate cooling capacity. You'll know when you hear the sudden tak tak sound of ice forming and bending the fins. Leaky pipes can also cause this over time. Quite common in old AC but not sure perhaps they've mitigated this now.

2. Piping size - it's ok to oversize such that in future, if you need to upsize, there's no need to hack and repipe. Bear in mind the gas / return / hot pipe should be equal or larger, never smaller than that of that AC model used. For example, 1.5HP on a 2HP pipe or 2HP on a 2.5/3HP pipe. If experience bears out that a 1HP or 1.5HP cooling is insufficient, you can in future swap that out and get a 2HP but without changing pipes.

3. Long air throw. If relying on a single, bear in mind that certain AC have what's called long throw feature like the Sharp inverter (14m even on a 1HP) or a Mitsubishi Electric Mr Slim. The Sharp has a ceiling throw mode for gentler cooling too.

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Aug 4 2017, 02:24 PM

How long used before this? Is there any error codes thrown?

Sharp also has R32 for the premium inverter but for 1 & 1.5hp

Read up my reply to decide. No right no wrong depending on how it is justified. My recommendation on piping stands for guaranteed cooling and future proofing.

The bottom line on AC HP, pipe diameter spec is the common factor that determines accommodating other models when changing. It's common seeing or hearing stories where Panasonic 1.5HP non inverter replaced by a 2.0HP Daikin R22-inverter probably due to common pipe diameter. Even the Sharp 1.5hp inverter diameter is equivalent to that of a 2hp of other brands whereas most 1.0 and 1.5hp have common diameter. Same goes Mitsubishi Electric 2.0HP whose pipe size is that of other brands 2.5HP. Based on my installer's experience larger gas return pipes can accommodate smaller HP but never the way round ie smaller gas return pipes to accommodate larger HP. To accommodate, I take it that there are pipe reducing coupling adapters that facilitate this at the compressor and blower if smaller HP are used on larger pipes.

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Aug 14 2017, 08:25 AM

Thks for the insight. Actually the pipe run length will be the same. What you actually refer to is the diameter. The larger gas return pipe will have a larger diameter hence there's more volume to fill up. Thus more gas is required to make it up to equivalent pressure.

AC installer can advice. Might as well do for all AC you own when it's due for maintenance, ask him to check the pipe diameter for all. Just ensure you record it down so that when you shop, the replacement is suitable.

Piping can be used for smaller HP even if their pipe specification is smaller but never the other way round viz AC with larger pipe specification to fit on smaller pipes.

That means it's just installed outside like bedroom window?

Unless he's done it before possible...but I never heard that before. Possible but still skeptical.

My old house uses that, Smartco (KR). Inaba Denko (JP) is the other brand. Don't be deceived, although many of us close one eye due to prevalent practice and ignorance (me included), installers habit or practicality limit (budget to rehack), in SG, air con installers can lose their license even if they use a single jacket insulation to cover the two pipes which is mixing. I'm specifying it for my new installs. Paircoil basically means both AC copper coils are already preinsulated, individually. Higher specs are used for hot water to delay thermal decay but then again in our country, enforcement is quite lax. All depends if home owner sees benefit.

This post has been edited by halcyon27: Sep 25 2017, 01:47 PM