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Air Conditioners -- What you need to know before you buy.
Choosing the right Panasonic Air Conditioner for your home needn’t be a daunting task. Panasonic has a range of reliable Air Conditioning units, including cooling, reserve cycle and ducted systems, to suit any home design and budget. Panasonic’s clever air conditioning technologies ensure maximum energy efficiency, pure air quality and precise temperature control, plus they are designed to work with your home’s natural air flow and temperature range to create the perfect climate.
With a Panasonic Air Conditioner you can be confident that your home will be comfortable and inviting all year round. Simply use this guide to assist you when making the decision to purchase the ideal Air Conditioning unit to suit your home.
Once your comfortable with what you need to know when buying an Air Conditioner, you can view our Air Conditioner range or visit our Air Con website for a closer look.
Do you need a reserve cycle air conditioner or one that cools only?
Cooling only Air Conditioning units will cool only, so they are ideal for tropical climates or homes that have gas heating. Reverse cycle units, on the other hand, offer both cooling for summer and heating in winter making your home the perfect temperature all year round. The type of unit is dependent on your individual requirements as well as the climate in which you live.
What is the size of the room to be air conditioned?
The ceiling height and floor area of the room will determine the capacity of the Air Conditioning unit that you will need -- the larger the room, the larger the capacity of the Air Conditioning unit. If the Air Conditioning unit is too small, it will not be as effective or energy efficient, and may use a higher amount of energy to cool or heat effectively. Take measurements of your room (including ceiling height) with you in store.
Tip: Draw up your home / or rooms that need to be air conditioned on a grid page
Do you have wall or ceiling insulation?
Areas with no wall or ceiling insulation will require more capacity to air condition than an insulated room. This is because an insulated area retains heat in winter and repels heat in summer, as heat is unable to transfer through the roof or walls of your home. Insulation will also improve your Air Conditioner unit’s energy efficiency as it won’t need to work as hard.
How big are your windows and what direction do they face?
Windows also affect the natural temperature of the room, so their size and position should be considered before installing an Air Conditioning unit. The aspect or direction the windows face (i.e. west facing -- direct afternoon sun or east facing -- direct morning sun) will impact the ambient temperature. Also, window coverings (blinds or curtains) can reduce the loss of heat from the room, compared with windows with none or lightweight coverings. Knowing the impact of the windows on a room will assist in determining the right air conditioning unit for your room. So, once you have the measurements of the room, make sure you note down the height and width of your windows too.
How is the capacity or size of an Air Conditioner unit measured?
The Australian standard measures the capacity (heating and cooling power) of an Air Conditioners with Kilowatts (kW). This is a measure of an air conditioners output capacity -- the amount of heat that will be removed (cooling) or added (heating) to the room/s in your house. These measurements are shown on the Energy Efficiency Rating label found on all air conditioners as Capacity Output kW and Power Input kW.
What is Inverter technology? Why should you choose an Inverter Air Conditioner?
An Inverter Air Conditioning unit constantly adjusts compressor rotation speed to provide optimum performance at all times. This extremely precise operation enables quick cooling while reducing power consumption compared to conventional non-inverter units. Inverter Air Conditioning units are able to maintain a set temperature much more efficiently than a fixed speed unit.
Panasonic Inverter Air Conditioners provide exceptional energy-saving performance that ranks among the highest in the industry. This dramatically cuts electricity consumption and CO2 emissions, allowing an environment-friendly operation.
What is an Energy Efficiency Rating?
The Energy Efficient Rating was introduced to give consumers independent and standardised energy efficiency information to compare the performance of domestic appliances on an easy-to-read label.
The Energy Rating Label has two main features:
1) The star rating gives a quick comparative assessment of the model’s energy efficiency -- the higher the number of stars, the better the energy performance.
2) A number (usually shown as kilowatt hours kW/year) that estimates of the annual energy consumption of the appliance. This number is calculated from test results combined with the Australian average household usage estimates -- the lower the number the better the energy consumption, and cheaper the running costs.
Visit www.energyrating.gov.au for more information.
The Energy Rating Label was first introduced in 1986 in NSW and Victoria. It is now mandatory in all states and territories to be displayed on refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers and air-conditioners (single phase only). Three phase Air Conditioners may carry an energy label if the suppliers choose to apply for one.
Location of the Air Conditioner units -- both indoor and outdoor.
Because an Air Conditioner has two components -- an indoor and outdoor unit -- you will need to consider where both will be installed in your home when selecting your Air Conditioning unit. You will need to ensure the indoor unit will have a solid outdoors facing wall to be installed on. Given the indoor unit will be a fixed feature in your house or apartment, the aesthetic appearance is important. Choose your Air Conditioning unit wisely to ensure the design complements your home.
Make sure there is plenty of room around the outdoor unit so air can freely flow in and out of it. If you live in an apartment or in high density housing, ensure you have ample area for the outdoor unit to be installed.
Please consult with your local city council for any installation guidelines prior to making your purchase, as you may be required to have Council’s approval prior to installation.
Who will install my Air Conditioner?
For the best professional result and peace of mind, we recommend you have your new Air Conditioning unit installed by an Australian Refrigerating Council (ARCtick) licensed installer. The best reason for using a licensed ARCtick installer is that most manufacturer’s warranty’s will cover mechanical parts and labor only, not faults caused through installation.
For your local ARCtick installer, ask the sales staff in store for more information, or alternately check your local directory for a licensed installer.
More information about ARCtick or the Australian Refrigeration Council can be accessed through their website
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How does the Temp star split heating and air conditioning units compare to lennox, Train or Amanna systems. I am looking to purchase a 4 ton 14 seer unit.and a 31/2 ton unit. I have a home that is 1650 square feet and one that is 1350 square feet.
Hello,
Thank you for contacting us.
Panasonic don’t make any units this big so I cannot make a comparison .
What I can say is for a unit of this size it needs to have a Professional Heat Load Calculation Done . This is done by a Sales Engineer from any company dealing in units of this size.
Hope this helps,
Team Panasonic
Can any company like bend heating do this or should I be looking for some specific things. Thanks
is this product available is south africa?
I would be interested to know your warranty specifics for those who ensure that they use your recommended ARCtick installers. I had two Panasonic Air Conditioner units installed 12 months ago following these recommendations. However our feeling secure in following your recommendations of using these reputable installers was short lived when the unit in our upstairs bedroom broke down. The promise of 5 year warranty soon became unfounded as I have been unable to secure an \’authorised Panasonic repairer\’ due to (as I have been told by the the licensed installers)Panasonic will not cover repairs to faulty units attached to a two story dwelling. Apparently your \’authorised technicians\’ will not work with ladders and complain that a \’necessary\’ scissor lift that is required to inspect a unit situated 3-4 metres above ground level is not covered by the Panasonic companies warranty?? This disservice is nowhere to be found on the sales material you provide to the unsuspecting consumer.
Very good article! I appreciate your post on energy saving techniques. I agree that we need to generally use less electricity and also acknowledge that a site such as Switch Wise would be very useful to the readers of this site in finding ways to save money on electricity.
very good! thanks for sharing