what air con do you have
 

So summer is well on its way and the weather is starting to heat up so I have been looking at getting air con for the new home.

I have been talking to lots of different air con companies and each one has is own story get evap get reverse cycle etc it all sounds like they are trying to push there product out the door. So what I want to know is what system do you have and how do you find it pros and cons.

we have a central ducted reverse cycle system (Carrier Brand) that was already installed in the house when we bought it about 15 years ago (it was about 30 years old at that point).

my parents hate aircon though, unless if its really hot (and even then dad feels comfortable), therefore I have an LG ArtCool system in my computer room and an ArtCool system in my bedroom.

Mum just got a Daikin system fitted for her Piano Studio, and that seems to be the bomb, ArtCools were good, don't get me wrong, but I think the Daikin is definitely in a class above.

Evap is crap. On a hot day it will just become humid.

I have a ducted reverse cycle Daikin system in my place. I had it installed 2 - 3 years ago.
It does eat electricity but is worth it. I have heard that inverter systems are the go but havent tried them myself.

I have reverse cycle, ducted.

Temperzone.... AVOID AVOID AVOID!

The thing fucks up twice a year and then it is supposed to have a 10 year warranty which when getting help they said it is out of warranty after 5 years, I sent them documentation of the 10 year warranty and they said that was from the "now broke company". I told them I don't give a fuck, anyway long story short.

Reverse Cycle Good
Temperzone FUCKED

If you need a hook up let me know. My mate works at Season makers.

Depending what system you after....if you are after a split.....daikin does the best...but you'll be paying top dollar, else a panasonic or fujitsu are pretty good...
evaporative system does shit all in summer.......so stay away...

hahah... a few of my mates work for Air Group Australia, and swear by ducted evaporative... We recently had it installed at our place and it seems great!

We also have a split system in our main room, for the occaisional day when its too humid for the Evaporative system to go!

i got a panasonic reverse cyle invertor split system, my mate who does heaps of installs recons they're as good as daikin but heaps cheaper, fujitsu equally as good as panasonic too ;)

be warned though, they chew power using them for heating in winter :(

Daikin. Like your mods. Do it once do it right.

I know a some people in Adelaide that had a heap of holiday apartments. Only ones that never f&^ked up and the only ones they even got a quote for when replacing the last of the others a few years ago.

Have Daikin Ducted upstairs and a split down stairs. Never missed a beat for the 5 years they have been in.

Evap is crap as already said ( good when you have a really dry heat but it's usually humid here when it gets hot ) and the Reverse cycle gives you the heating as well.

I want to be able to run the aircon most days so if it uses alot of power then I guess its not the way to go. I have also just got the grant to get the solar power on the roof will this offset the cost of the air con running.
I need to get a ducted system as the house is to big for a split system.

I have been looking at fujitsu and daiken reverse cycle air con and breezair evap.

I dont care about heating in winter I have a great gas heater at home and I dont mind the cold its the heat that sucks.

Thats easy, just get a dodgy sparky in that will wire the air con directly to the grid.

I can give you a few names :p

if u can push your bucks further, i will definitely recommend daikin, else fujitsu is really good too....not sure if panasonic does ducted system.....you'll realise that if you are running an inverter on heater is a lot cheaper than running gas heater or even electric heater........... my gas and electricity bill gone down alot ( i mean lots and lots) changing from running electric heater and gas heater to just inverter heater.....it of course doesn't give you the same heating as gas heater but it's rather close.....

Evap is a waste of time and money better having nothing. just spend the bit extra and do it right the first time.

I have a Ducted Reverse Cycle Dakin, 12 outlets i think it was and dual lcd controllers one upstairs and one dowstairs.

excellent unit cant rmemeber the power out put but it does very well,

1+ for evap air conditioning. Dont do what everyone says and have doors and windows open. just have one open enough to not have air whistling out of the house and they work great.

Evaps can also make you sick if you dont clean them yearly, the big units on the roof look shit also. I have had evap not by choice but was with a house i once bought.
and just usless we blocked it off and put in split units at the time.

Interesting reading.....my house will be complete in January, so looking at trying to get air con installed pretty much straight away......was looking at the ducted reverse cycle....anyone got suggestions on places that do a good job (installation) and good cost?

We have ducted reverse cycle on a 3 phrase electrical board.

It is a LG unit big fucker but does the job really well. We have had it for 3+ years with no drama.

Ill give you a number when i get home mate to contact them. They did a good job on my house which involved installing ducts and talking with builder during construction becuase it was two 2 story and needed penertrations into the slab etc.
all came out great. And price was good I got quoted 16k got them down to 13k and then at the end i gave them cash and got it for 11k. so i was stoked.

Ill find number when i get home Im sitting in hotel lobby in KL waiting for taxi to head to airport haha holiday over :(

Havent got one yet but looked into this for our home being built......
Go for ducted reverse cycle, no question there.

Most places will focus on selling 1, 2 maybe 3 brands Daikin, Fujitsu and LG. Daikin is the best but imo with LG you can get more bang for your buck i.e. more KW and outlets. Brands like Daikin are somewhat more flexible with zone control. Each brand has its pros and cons and across brands are different. Decide what you want, what would be efficient and over efficient for your home then pick two reputable companies and get as much of the goodies (lcd panels, remotes, more zones) and take whichever delivers at the right price.

If you know someone then nuff said, you laughing.

I will be going with ducted reverse cycle LG 18KW, bang for the buck.

Another one to consider is Actron Aust made and owned. A bit more expensive than the others.Mainly commercial but have a range of domestic ducted units.
Certain Daiken/Fujitsu models can be noisey from what I have read and heard.

I am getting a few quotes once I have them I will post on here for people to see.

I just went and saw the guys at Ford and Doonan they charge like a wounded bull. I can get the same fujitsu system for 5k less but I guess you get what you pay for.

Daikin does my house well

Working in commercial construction I would say Daikin and nothing else for domestic AC - period. And evap is a waste of time. People say that it's only a few days ayear that it causes an issue, but it's those few days when you really want A/C.

Weather wizard in Wangara did the Daikin ducted system in my place. Seemed to be a decent price and service to me. I cant remember the price but straight off the cuff they were around $4000 cheaper for a daikin than cool or cosy's best price they could do on some no name system.

I have been working in the air-con industry for 15+ years now. Refrigeration mechanic by trade but worked my way up over the years to a Project Manager now. Started out doing domestic but now do large commercial projects, if you want any free non biased advise I am happy to help, pm me.


Evaporative:

+ cheap compared to reverse cycle. (fully ducted for average 4x2 for $4-$6 g).
+ nice if you want to have your doors and windows open.
+ cheaper to run (approx 50 cents a day).

- only cools the air about 10 degrees cooler than the ambient.
- no good at all on a humid day.
- should be serviced twice a year (average $100 each time).
- no heating.


Refrigerative:

+ heating and cooling (cooling only models are about $100 cheaper).
+ outside temperature and humidity will not affect its performance.
+ choose the exact temperature you want.
+ great to add value to your home.

- expensive compared to evaporative. (fully ducted for average 4x2 for $10-$14 g).
- need to keep doors and windows closed.
- average running cost for a 12-14kw will be $2-$4 a day.
- really should have your house well insulated or running costs will blow out.


IMO - reverse cycle is the way to go.

Ducted is great, but expensive, even if you have a smaller unit (you can only go up to about a 12kw on single phase power, any bigger and you need three phase) for your average 4x2 you will only be able to run 2 out of 4 zones at the same time.

Generally a 4x2 will be zoned;

1) master bed / study
2) bed 2 / 3 / 4.
3) kitchen / meals / family
4) theatre or games.

So you need to think about what areas you will want on and at what times, depending on how your household works.

If its just you and your misses in bed at night or watching a movie then you will be running a big 12kw unit to cool just the one room you are in. if you have the wife and 2.5 kids then it would probably be the way to go.

Refrigerative wall splits or cassette units could also be the best option cheaper initial cost as you can do one at a time. If you are only in one room at a time then you will only be running one small unit at a time so the running costs will be lower $1-$2 a day.

As far as brands go, what makes a good a/c unit are;

1) Cheap running costs.
2) Quite noise level when running.
3) Reliability.

As mentioned several times above Daikin is number one and I also strongly agree with LG being the best "bang for your buck" unit.

Panasonic, Fujitsu and Hitachi are also good units that I would recommend. Stay away from the brands you have never EVER heard of before.

As for installation, do your home work and get everyone to quote on the same thing, compare oranges with oranges; number of zones, number of supply grills, size of the unit etc... most places will give you a couple of prices for the same install but with options on different make units. Tell them what you want not what they want you to get.

I don't have much to do with the domestic scene these days, so not sure of all the companys out there, but I would recommend Ford and Doonan as providing a quality job.

Unfortunately, as with most things in life you get what you pay for, so just make sure you know what you want first.

Hope this helps.

:)

[QUOTE=MonsterMashie;409574]
As for installation, do your home work and get everyone to quote on the same thing, compare oranges with oranges; number of zones, number of supply grills, size of the unit etc... most places will give you a couple of prices for the same install but with options on different make units. Tell them what you want not what they want you to get.

:)[/QUOTE]

Strongly agree.... this is where substantial price differences that can or cannot be justified are not considered, if you do not view the finer details of a quote.....

have fun....

I have got a Panasonic split inverter. Its the latest 7.5KW one....I guess I cant really help with the pricing thing because a mate of mine works at Harvey Norman so he sold it to me for cost price, literally 50% off the sticker.

Installation was about $900. If the units were installed back to back it would have been $500-$600 however the external unit ended up having to go further a long the wall which meant more plumbing and wiring.

[QUOTE=MonsterMashie;409574]I have been working in the air-con industry for 15+ years now. Refrigeration mechanic by trade but worked my way up over the years to a Project Manager now. Started out doing domestic but now do large commercial projects, if you want any free non biased advise I am happy to help, pm me.


Evaporative:

+ cheap compared to reverse cycle. (fully ducted for average 4x2 for $4-$6 g).
+ nice if you want to have your doors and windows open.
+ cheaper to run (approx 50 cents a day).

- only cools the air about 10 degrees cooler than the ambient.
- no good at all on a humid day.
- should be serviced twice a year (average $100 each time).
- no heating.


Refrigerative:

+ heating and cooling (cooling only models are about $100 cheaper).
+ outside temperature and humidity will not affect its performance.
+ choose the exact temperature you want.
+ great to add value to your home.

- expensive compared to evaporative. (fully ducted for average 4x2 for $10-$14 g).
- need to keep doors and windows closed.
- average running cost for a 12-14kw will be $2-$4 a day.
- really should have your house well insulated or running costs will blow out.


IMO - reverse cycle is the way to go.

Ducted is great, but expensive, even if you have a smaller unit (you can only go up to about a 12kw on single phase power, any bigger and you need three phase) for your average 4x2 you will only be able to run 2 out of 4 zones at the same time.

Generally a 4x2 will be zoned;

1) master bed / study
2) bed 2 / 3 / 4.
3) kitchen / meals / family
4) theatre or games.

So you need to think about what areas you will want on and at what times, depending on how your household works.

If its just you and your misses in bed at night or watching a movie then you will be running a big 12kw unit to cool just the one room you are in. if you have the wife and 2.5 kids then it would probably be the way to go.

Refrigerative wall splits or cassette units could also be the best option cheaper initial cost as you can do one at a time. If you are only in one room at a time then you will only be running one small unit at a time so the running costs will be lower $1-$2 a day.

As far as brands go, what makes a good a/c unit are;

1) Cheap running costs.
2) Quite noise level when running.
3) Reliability.

As mentioned several times above Daikin is number one and I also strongly agree with LG being the best "bang for your buck" unit.

Panasonic, Fujitsu and Hitachi are also good units that I would recommend. Stay away from the brands you have never EVER heard of before.

As for installation, do your home work and get everyone to quote on the same thing, compare oranges with oranges; number of zones, number of supply grills, size of the unit etc... most places will give you a couple of prices for the same install but with options on different make units. Tell them what you want not what they want you to get.

I don't have much to do with the domestic scene these days, so not sure of all the companys out there, but I would recommend Ford and Doonan as providing a quality job.

Unfortunately, as with most things in life you get what you pay for, so just make sure you know what you want first.

Hope this helps.

:)[/QUOTE]

THIS WAS A GREAT READ!!!
Thanks for your help I will PM you with some questions.

[QUOTE=sMY00n;409662]THIS WAS A GREAT READ!!!
Thanks for your help I will PM you with some questions.[/QUOTE]
+1 .....once I get back to Perth and look around at a few A/C places :)

Design your house to be energy efficient at the beginning and all you'll need is an evap unit on the lowest setting to keep you cool for 99.9% of the time - it's not hard or expensive.

I personally like having doors/windows open in summer for fresh air rather than have everything shut.

I prefer the evaps - simple and cheap form of a/c.

plus remember because it is simple - if it breaks down, simple to fix.

fully ducted reverse cycle split systems with inverter technology with zone control and t/stats everywhere become expensive to fix.

a/c is like everything - the time you need it most is when its not working:D

but i agree - daikins are the shit, panasonic and lg's look best for bang for said buck.

i had daiken split reverse cycles installed in my unit, 1x1hp, 1x1.5hp, approx $4.5k later after install, theyve been running practically [U]non stop[/U] for 2.5 years,
i clean the filters everyso often when i notice the air flow is a bit lame, other then that- absolutley hassle free.

Evaps are shit when its humid.

Reverse Cycle ducted with advantage air - FTW

Cool/heat one room or whole house - choose temp in each room

Big $ though.

so I have just put a deposit down on a Fujitsu reverse cycle air con its the 12.5kw one. should be installed in two weeks let hope it dont get two hot before then.

Thanks heaps for all your help guys it really helped me make my mind up between brands and system.

Can anyone recommend a good evap installer, might unit shat itself today will need a new one... :/

had a ducted rev cycle system installed by winton air about 5 yrs ago in the old house...

right after the installers left, i noticed what looked like alot of condensation around one of the vent outlets in the roof...

after a while i noticed it was dripping water, soon it was pissing out :eek:

turned the system off, got em back next day.

the clown that installed it ran the drain line up & over a large beam in the roof cavity so it backflowed into the ceiling & not outside into the gutters :rolleyes:

ive had this house window tinted which with a norwest facing living area makes a good difference to not needing to run the a/c. was no where near hot enough to run a/c today anyway

5x panasonic splits,
the house is basically a 350m2 fridge now

+1 one the evap!

[QUOTE=BLUES;409728]Design your house to be energy efficient at the beginning and all you'll need is an evap unit on the lowest setting to keep you cool for 99.9% of the time - it's not hard or expensive.

I personally like having doors/windows open in summer for fresh air rather than have everything shut.[/QUOTE]

+ 1...

Loving our Evap system!

[QUOTE=tiddy;411635]5x panasonic splits,
the house is basically a 350m2 fridge now[/QUOTE]

wow whats that cost you to run

just had a new 10kw daikin inverter split system installed 3 hours ago & its not getting cold.

one of the pipes on the outside unit gets freezing cold (as it should) but inside unit is not getting cold at all.

installer said it takes a while to get working but its been hours now.

anyone else had this

cheers