[Kahlan]

sentosaubin wrote:

Actually, thouse Installment plan has priced in 5% to pay bank.
so, you are actually paying more to do installment stuff..
my view: not worth it..

Really, i thought it is price divided by number of months of installments if you sign via credit card. Don't recall having to pay additional 5%. Anyway i will go check prices.

[sunset73]

Hi guys,

From what i think, no matter what company you get the air con from, the most important is after-sales customer service and support. It's always better to get your air con from bigger companies. I have ever heard of stories from various customers buying from smaller setups and received no support when they need (ie. installation problems, gas leaks, water leaks from trunking etc). Installation warranty is also one thing to consider. No matter how good an installer/company is, there is no guarantee of 100% problems-free. It's like buying big/small, you win or lose.

I work in one of these air con companies as a QC, so i have really seen many many good + f***** up installation work. Air con condensation, on the other hand, depends on what type of insulation you use (normal or upgraded insulation). If there is a need for the piping route to pass through the toilet (especially new HDB designs in Punggol), it is ALWAYS RECOMMENDED to upgrade your insulation. (temperature difference between bathroom/rooms/living room, especially when bathroom is usually cooler than the rooms). If non-upgraded insulation, you may see condensation very soon. A thicker/upgraded insulation can prevent this problem from happening in the near future.

[sunset73]

Tips on buying air con for your house:

1. Consider your needs (Window/Casement/Sys 1-5)

Never over commit on something that you do not need. An air con which is left unused for long periods does not mean that it will work when you want it to.

2. Always service your air con regularly.

For new air cons (<1 year and frequent use, initial servicing period can be 6 months once. From 2nd year onwards, try to do it within a 3 to 4 month interval. Always make sure and ensure the technicians clear your drainage pipe (the source of evil for water leaks).

3. Always ask for advice from friends and relatives on good companies/installers to approach when you install air con. That would save you a lot of unnecessary problems in the future (even though the best technicians may also screw up )

4. Try to ask for discounts when buying air con.

Don't be too harsh too. The sales person needs to earn their commission too.

5. If your flat has a very weird design or a mansionette, always talk to the salesperson and try to arrange for a site visit.

This will prevent any mis-communications when the technicians come down to install air con subsequently.

6. If possible, upgrade your insulation.

If you have money to buy air con, spend a bit more to upgrade your insulation for a peace of mind. It really makes a difference a few months/years down the road.

7. Recommended brands with lesser problems are: Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Sharp, Daikin, Sanyo.

I have a reason why i do not want to mention the other two non jap-brands, but seriously no offense.


This is what i can share based on my experience. Please correct me if i am wrong.

[sunset73]

Kahlan wrote:

Hi currently my flat has system 5 (which has broken down) need to get a new system. But as this is rental flat, don't intend to pay for high end aircon. Something reliable and good would do. Would appreciate if the bros here can recommend me a system and where to get it? Was thinking of going to Gain City, but read some adverse reviews. How's CoolServe?

Hi bro, you can try getting LG or samsung systems. Pretty cheap, and most people get it, when they are renting their flat out. Reliability wise, is another question.

[Kahlan]

sunset73 wrote:

Hi bro, you can try getting LG or samsung systems. Pretty cheap, and most people get it, when they are renting their flat out. Reliability wise, is another question.

Thanks bro, but if reliability wise problem, not keen. Considering Mitsubishi Invertor

[Kahlan]

sunset73 wrote:

Hi guys,

From what i think, no matter what company you get the air con from, the most important is after-sales customer service and support. It's always better to get your air con from bigger companies. I have ever heard of stories from various customers buying from smaller setups and received no support when they need (ie. installation problems, gas leaks, water leaks from trunking etc). Installation warranty is also one thing to consider. No matter how good an installer/company is, there is no guarantee of 100% problems-free. It's like buying big/small, you win or lose.

I work in one of these air con companies as a QC, so i have really seen many many good + f***** up installation work. Air con condensation, on the other hand, depends on what type of insulation you use (normal or upgraded insulation). If there is a need for the piping route to pass through the toilet (especially new HDB designs in Punggol), it is ALWAYS RECOMMENDED to upgrade your insulation. (temperature difference between bathroom/rooms/living room, especially when bathroom is usually cooler than the rooms). If non-upgraded insulation, you may see condensation very soon. A thicker/upgraded insulation can prevent this problem from happening in the near future.

Bro, you say bigger companies? What about Coolserve and Gain City?

[limjohnny]

sentosaubin wrote:

Actually, thouse Installment plan has priced in 5% to pay bank.
so, you are actually paying more to do installment stuff..
my view: not worth it..

Most of us know there's certain % priced in to pay bank for those installment-free plan. Unless u can convince them to give u better discount if u're not taking those plan, otherwise there's no harm to pay by installment-free plan since the advertised price quoted is same to all customers esp. those big companies.

[tom_kkh]

sunset73 wrote:

Tips on buying air con for your house:

1. Consider your needs (Window/Casement/Sys 1-5)

"Red"]2. Always service your air con regularly.
[/COLOR]
Always make sure and ensure the technicians clear your drainage pipe (the source of evil for water leaks).


6. If possible, upgrade your insulation.

If you have money to buy air con, spend a bit more to upgrade your insulation for a peace of mind. It really makes a difference a few months/years down the road.

drainage pipe are usually 1/3 inches. it is the standard market size. this type of size will choke easily, y market don use 1/2 or 3/4? because like that less servicing to do(since bigger pipes encourage better water flow), less money for sub con. so insist on bigger size drainage pipe.

upgrade of insulation.. most upgrades are from class 1 to class 0. frankly class 1 has better insulation capabilities. so whts the difference?

class 1 is not fire retard but class 0 is, it got nothing to do with insulation capabilities. when upgrade make sure upgrade brands, not the class. higher fire retard = lower insulation.

brands like armaflex and k-flex are good insulation.

[Core2max]

limjohnny wrote:

Most of us know there's certain % priced in to pay bank for those installment-free plan. Unless u can convince them to give u better discount if u're not taking those plan, otherwise there's no harm to pay by installment-free plan since the advertised price quoted is same to all customers esp. those big companies.

When I bought my aircon at GC last month, I asked the salesman would he give some discounts if I pay by cash. He said all mode of payment would be the same, including installment.

At the end, I chose the installment...

[sunset73]

Kahlan wrote:

Thanks bro, but if reliability wise problem, not keen. Considering Mitsubishi Invertor

Hi bro, that's a good choice. Mitsubishi Inverters are well known for being quiet, you can feel it when it's running in the middle of the night.

The noisiest compressor in the market goes to........ SAMSUNG. There are 2 types of mitsubishi inverters. One is starmex by mitsubishi electric, the one is DAIYA by mitsubishi heavy industries. The starmex one will be more quiet, and easier to clean (DIY) purpose.

[sunset73]

Kahlan wrote:

Bro, you say bigger companies? What about Coolserve and Gain City?

Yes, those are considered bigger companies. Price wise, I personally compared and found that Coolserve has a better pricing than Gain City. Installation work wise, not too sure about Coolserve. Gain City installation work, you need to get the right technicians. Some of them are really good, but some..

*cough cough*

[sunset73]

tom_kkh wrote:

drainage pipe are usually 1/3 inches. it is the standard market size. this type of size will choke easily, y market don use 1/2 or 3/4? because like that less servicing to do(since bigger pipes encourage better water flow), less money for sub con. so insist on bigger size drainage pipe.

upgrade of insulation.. most upgrades are from class 1 to class 0. frankly class 1 has better insulation capabilities. so whts the difference?

class 1 is not fire retard but class 0 is, it got nothing to do with insulation capabilities. when upgrade make sure upgrade brands, not the class. higher fire retard = lower insulation.

brands like armaflex and k-flex are good insulation.

I agree. what my company practice is the upgrade is for a thicker insulation, and not the class difference. From 3/8 to 1/2 inch. As for drainage pipe, we are using the standard 16mm one. Insulation we use Armaflex standard, and trunking uses litaflex.

But bro, i dont really know how much is 1/3 inch. haha. drainage pipe we measure it by mm. haha

[sunset73]

Core2max wrote:

When I bought my aircon at GC last month, I asked the salesman would he give some discounts if I pay by cash. He said all mode of payment would be the same, including installment.

At the end, I chose the installment...

Bro, did he offer you any free gift? At Gain City, you can try to ask for some free gifts here and there such as NTUC Voucher, Digital Cam, Steam Iron etc etc.

[Kahlan]

sunset73 wrote:

Hi bro, that's a good choice. Mitsubishi Inverters are well known for being quiet, you can feel it when it's running in the middle of the night.

The noisiest compressor in the market goes to........ SAMSUNG. There are 2 types of mitsubishi inverters. One is starmex by mitsubishi electric, the one is DAIYA by mitsubishi heavy industries. The starmex one will be more quiet, and easier to clean (DIY) purpose.

Yup was reading up and hence decided to go for mitsubishi inverters as recommended by most folks.

sunset73 wrote:

Yes, those are considered bigger companies. Price wise, I personally compared and found that Coolserve has a better pricing than Gain City. Installation work wise, not too sure about Coolserve. Gain City installation work, you need to get the right technicians. Some of them are really good, but some..

*cough cough*

Was checking the price and found that Coolserve was slightly more expensive after including GST. Also they can't pay by credit card.

May be going to GC instead. Hopefully i get the right technicians.

[tom_kkh]

sunset73 wrote:

I agree. what my company practice is the upgrade is for a thicker insulation, and not the class difference. From 3/8 to 1/2 inch. As for drainage pipe, we are using the standard 16mm one. Insulation we use Armaflex standard, and trunking uses litaflex.

But bro, i dont really know how much is 1/3 inch. haha. drainage pipe we measure it by mm. haha

1/3 if not wrong is 16mm lor.

16mm very fast will choke already, than time to waste $ for servicing.

better ask to install 32mm instead.