Air conditioners are crucial when you live in warm environments. Not only do they keep you comfortable, but they can help control the climate in your home to ensure you don’t become overheated. Still, deciding which air conditioner is right for you can be confusing. In this article, we’ll look at how to choose the best air conditioner for your needs and examine a few popular brands.
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Common Types of Air Conditioners in Singapore
There are many types of air conditioning units to choose from, making it important that you know the difference between them.
Ductless Mini-Split
Ductless mini-split air conditioning units need no ducts to operate and are more efficient than many others. This makes them good for homes that have a contemporary design style due to their appearance. They are also particularly well-suited for homeowners who want to cool a certain portion of the home. They are small and compact, and easy to place anywhere in the home, making them quite convenient.
Pros
- Can control the temperature of individual rooms, making them ideal for small to medium size spaces
- Can easily be installed without ductwork and hassle
Cons:
- Not big enough to cool a large house
- The wall-mounted design makes it visible and something of an eyesore
Portable Air Conditioner
These air conditioners can be placed anywhere near a window and will cool smaller spaces with ease. They can be moved to wherever is the most convenient in the home.
Pros
- Easy and quick to set up
- Do not require permanent installation
- Ideal for spot cooling
Cons:
- Can be noisy in operation
- Difficult to cool larger rooms
And The Rest
The other types of aircon, including Window air conditioners, central air, floor-mounted AC, are lesser popular for residential usage in Singapore. For this article, we will not go into details.
Things to Consider Before Buying
- Efficiency rating (EER) is one of the first things to examine before committing. In Singapore, the minimum rating for legal purposes is 10. Any higher EER ratings will show longer-term cost reduction, but you will end up paying a higher initial price upfront.
- BTU, otherwise known as British Thermal Units, needs to be chosen according to the room size you plan to cool. To do this, you’ll need to multiply the square footage of the room by 35. By getting the right level of BTUs, you won’t end up over-cooling the space and costing more money than you should have to pay.
- Installation: Examine the hardware you already have, the ductwork in the home or the structure itself to make sure the air conditioner can be easily placed in the home. You’ll likely want to find installers who know how to get air conditioning into the home in an efficient way using the proper tools.
- Noise: While some air conditioning models are as quiet as a whisper, others can be quite loud. Though a quieter model might be a bit more pricey if you plan to use it often–especially in your bedroom–then investing in a quieter AC unit may be well worth the money.
- Warranty: Having a good warranty on the air conditioning unit will leave you with peace of mind if you intend to use the air conditioning all of the time. Having an extended warranty is recommended, and it will ultimately end up paying for itself when it begins to deteriorate after a few years.
- Inverter vs Non-Invertor: Inverter air conditioners can regulate the speed of the air being output through a compression motor. Non-inverter motors can only run at full speed, leaving you no room to adjust the intensity of it. This is something to consider if you’re cooling smaller to medium spaces as your needs may vary.
Best Aircon Brands in Singapore
1. Mitsubishi Starmax
Mitsubishi does more than making reliable vehicles; they also excel in the air conditioning industry. Their air conditioners have been available in the market for some time, bringing them a reputation as one of the best air conditioning manufacturers in the industry. They are known for offering air conditioning units that are quite diverse, coming in various sizes and styles. Mitsubishi air conditioners range in size from small home air conditioners to larger ones well-suited for commercial buildings, making them quite powerful and diverse.
Mitsubishi air conditioners can maintain a constant airflow in a way that some other brands may struggle to. The consistent airflow makes Mitsubishi air conditioning units special in that they can continually maintain that flow of air in conditions with various heat conditions. The result of this is that the rooms can be cooled swiftly and efficiently, which is true for any capacity of space. For this reason, Mitsubishi air conditioning units are ideal for use in homes and rooms both large and small, making them quite versatile.
They are particularly well-suited, then, for larger halls and rooms that need more powerful units. They often need only around five to seven minutes to cool down the entire space, making them quite popular. Not only this, but this brand of air conditioners is also quite quiet, able to work free from noise. This makes the overall cooling experience more pleasant from start to finish and is good for those who need a quiet, cool place to sleep. Due to their famously noise-free design, they are one of the most popular choices in various settings. This includes homes, halls, offices, hospitals and commercial spaces.
2. Daikin Aircon
Daikin is the number one air-conditioning company in the world because of its efficient cooling processes. The brand is known for its many different patents regarding air conditioning units, making them quite revolutionary in the industry. This also makes them known as one of the drivers of changes in the air conditioning industry itself, meaning they constantly have a finger on the pulse of the needs of their customers.
Throughout the years, Daikin has earned quite the reputation for being a reliable and efficient producer of air conditioning units worldwide. They are known as the second-largest air conditioner manufacturer due to their consistent production of premium units that never fail to impress.
In Singapore specifically, Daikin is one of the top-selling brands in the country alone, cooling many homes and apartments throughout the area. Their production of a wide range of models for both office and home use makes them quite versatile and popular. Because of their sheer versatility and power, they are on top compared to other manufacturers providing similar products for a longer period of time.
To out-bid their competition in this way, their products are constantly being reviewed and recommended, therefore having their name boosted throughout the community. Not only lauded by their customers, but Daikin air conditioning systems have received many awards in their industry. They are known to outlast the years with ease, built to stand the test of time with a low likelihood of repairs and breakdowns. Their products are made using only the highest quality materials available, promising a long-lasting life and a resilient air conditioning system that customers have come to rely on.
3. Panasonic Aircon
Panasonic is one of the most commonly used air conditioner brands in Singapore. One of the reasons for their popularity is the aesthetically pleasing designs of the units and their power. They are famously easy to assemble with the different panels and boasts a user interface that is intuitive and easy to understand. Panasonic is also known for using the most cutting-edge technology in its designs, making the units efficient and easy to use, but ultimately the most comfortable. A product that makes Panasonic stand out from the others is the dirt filter that doesn’t just cool the air but also purifies it simultaneously.
The premium cooling power of the Panasonic products is something they are famous for. As soon as you turn the air conditioner on, it immediately outputs remarkable cooling power, so you don’t have to wait forever to enjoy a cooler room. This is due to the integrated inverter in the unit. They are also famously energy efficient due to their ECONAVI feature. This feature can send signals to the inverter that will help it automatically control the speed of the processor, making it use less electricity. This will help you save a lot of money on your power bill and leave less of an impact on the environment.
One of the easiest ways to transmit bacteria is through the air, meaning that dirty air conditioning units can make those in the home sick. Because of the filter in Panasonic products, the air becomes cleaner as it passes through Panasonic units to be chilled. This is due to their Nanoe-G technology, which has filters capable of filtering out microscopic organisms, including allergens and bacteria, helping you to lessen the risk of getting sick.
4. LG Aircon
LG is a well-loved brand in the tropical climate of Singapore for its remarkable ability to condition the air efficiently and quickly. This Korean-based company is known for its premium appliances, from small electronics to larger refrigerators. They have more than 60 years of experience manufacturing various items such as these in the industry. Therefore, it is no real surprise that LG air conditioning systems are as popular as they are. They are commonly used to cool not only smaller homes and rooms but also larger office buildings.
LG is quite versatile in how they make a variety of different kinds of air conditioning units. No matter what type your home needs, this brand is sure to carry it. They have duct-free air conditioning units, window air conditioning units and everything in between. Each is known for its premium features, such as antibacterial filters, quiet operation, durable materials and inverters. The premium inverters are especially important because not only can you better control the airflow; they tend to be more energy-efficient. This can help you lessen the cost of your energy bills and save money in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Air conditioning units are important to those who live in warmer climates, such as Singapore, but choosing the right one can feel difficult. In this article, we’ve taken a look at the different types, brands and features of various air conditioners to help you make the best decision for your needs.