Time to upgrade your aircon especially when temperatures will be rising soon in Singapore
The increasing hot weather in Singapore makes the Aircon (Air Conditioner) an essential electrical appliance for every household. According to a Singapore Energy Survey, the aircon consumed about 36% of the total household electricity and to think about it carefully, it’s a considerable cost.
From the regular maintenance to the selection of air conditioner, here’s how you can effectively save electricity and money to enjoy a “cooling” summer in Singapore.
There are up to 6 types of aircon and the most common 2 types of aircon in Singapore you need to know is the “Split Type Aircon” & “Portable Type Aircon”.
Split Type – This type of aircons consists of an indoor unit (wall-mounted aircon) and an outdoor unit (compressor). When these aircons are switched on, there’s not much noise and makes the overall indoor environment rather quiet. But the price and installation fee are usually slightly higher. Most of these aircons are built with energy-saving features which can reduce the room temperature quickly.
Portable Type – These aircons are commonly spotted in outdoor events as they are easy to carry around and install. They’re affordable and also does a pretty good job to allow the air in a closed environment to cool quickly too. Some people may buy it to use at home but the down side is that it’s bulky and will take up quite a lot of space.
There are 3 things to check when buying your aircon.
Cooling capacity – The size of your room is known as the cooling capacity. If it’s too large or too small and your aircon does not match the cooling capacity, the air cannot be cool effectively. You will also end up wasting a lot of power. For example, an aircon that is meant for the bedroom should not be installed in the living room as the space in the living room has a larger cooling capacity compared to the bedroom.
Energy efficiency (The more ticks, the better) – You can easily determine the ‘energy-saving’ capability of the aircon by looking at the number of green ticks. It’s usually extremely obvious to spot as there will be stickers pasted on the surface of the aircon. The more ticks, the better. An aircon with five-ticks may be more expensive but it can also save you about SGD$270 in annual electricity bill compared to an aircon with only two-ticks.
Lower life cycle cost – In addition to the price of the aircon, you should also be thinking about the life cycle cost. Meaning, ask yourself what will the future annual electricity cost be like. A simple formula may look like this:
Life cycle cost = The Purchase Price + 7 Years Of Estimated Electricity Bill
By looking at the big picture, you can better gauge if the aircon is suitable for you or not.
Here are 5 Easy Aircon Maintenance tips:
1. The temperature setting should not be too low
The best temperature to conserve energy is to set your aircon at 25 degrees celsius. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the lower the temperature of the aircon, the lesser the power consumption. For those aircons that do not have a built-in frequency conversion technology, they may consume a lot more energy if the temperature is set higher. This is because it may require more power and time to cool its surroundings. On the other hand, if you own an aircon that has more ‘green-ticks’, each increase in temperature by 1 degree celsius can save approximately $15 per year.
2. Choose a split air conditioner
The split air-conditioning system is well known for its advanced energy saving technology. Compared to an independent unit air-conditioning system, the split air-conditioning system is more suitable to be used simultaneously in several rooms.
3. Keep thermal emitting appliances away from each other
Try not to install your aircon near any appliances that dissipate heat such as television, electric lamps, heater, etc. These appliances should always be placed in a cool-open space that has no or little contact with direct sunlight. The reason is that if they are placed closely to each other, all the appliances will heat up and consume even more power.
4. Clean your aircon regularly
The quality of the air flowing within the aircon is affected by the filter. A dusty filter could result in an increase of energy to be consumed by the engine in the aircon. You should clean the filter of your aircon regularly and it is best to replace a new filter for your aircon every 2 months.
5. Switch to fan mode before shutdown
This is a trick that not many know of and that is to switch your aircon to fan mode for about 15 minutes before turning off your aircon. This method helps to dry the aircon without leaving any odor.
Which air conditioner is best in Singapore?
This issue, curatorsuite recommends 5 Best Aircons in Singapore you can consider to buy.
#1) DAIKIN Aircons
Recommended:
DAIKIN SYSTEM 2 MULTI SPLIT AIR CONDITIONER 3 TICK [3MKS50FSG] | S$2,699.00
DAIKIN SYSTEM 3 INVERTER 3MKS71FSG COMPRESSOR + FTKS25DVM X3 9000BTU AIRCON | S$2,999.00
DAIKIN SYSTEM 4 INVERTER 4MKS80FSG COMPRESSOR+ FTKS25DVM X4 9000BTU AIRCON | S$3,999.00
DAIKIN Aircon Unqiue Features:
- Mould-Proof Operation – When cooling or dry operation is stopped, fan-only operations runs automatically for one hour.
- Inverter Powerful Operation – Able to support quick change of room temperature.
- Priority setting with Inverter Powerful Operation – Able to shift cooling capacity from units in other rooms.
- Intelligent Eye – Its infrared sensor can automatically controls air con operation according to human movement in the room.
#2) PANASONIC Aircons
Recommended:
AEROSERIES [CU2S18PKZ] SYSTEM 2 PANASONIC MULTI SPLIT AIR CONDITIONER | S$2,099.00
AEROSERIES [CU3S27MKZ] SYSTEM 3 PANASONIC MULTI SPLIT AIR CONDITIONER | S$3,199.00
AEROSERIES [CU4S27NKZ] SYSTEM 4 PANASONIC MULTI SPLIT AIR CONDITIONER | S$3,999.00
PANASONIC Aircon Unqiue Features:
- Direct Cooling – Built with the high-powered Inverter compressor technology, this Panasonic aircon can instantly cools the room in the shortest time possible.
- Indirect Cooling – Also known as SHOWER COOLING, it’s AEROWINGS are able to direct airflow upwards to spread cool air evenly across the room.
- Air Purification System – This Panasonic Aircon is integrated with nanoe-G, an advanced air purification system that releases active ions that attach themselves to particles as small as PM2.5.
#3) LG Aircons
Recommended:
HEALTH PLUS [A2UQ18GFA1] SYSTEM 2 LG MULTI SPLIT AIR CONDITIONER | S$1,904.00
HEALTH PLUS [A4UQ26GFA1] SYSTEM 3 LG MULTI SPLIT AIR CONDITIONER | S$3,199.00
HEALTH PLUS [A4UQ26GFA1] SYSTEM 4 LG MULTI SPLIT AIR CONDITIONER | S$3,999.00
LG Aircon Unqiue Features:
- Virus & Allergy Safe Filter – This LG Aircon has been tested and proven successful in deactivating viruses, blocks neuramidase and hemagglutinin which all poses health risks.
- Auto Cleaning – This life-saving function helps to dry the wet heat exchanger so that mould and bacteria will not breed. It also saves user from frequent cleaning.
- Superior Design for Quietness – The LG evaporator design helps to reduce noise from fan and fan motor.
#4) MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC Aircons
Recommended:
MITSUBISHI SYSTEM 2 (5 TICKS) Starmex ( MSXY FN10VE + MSXY FN18VE ) AIRCON | 2G20VA2 | MULTI SPLIT | S$2,175.00
MITSUBISHI 5 TICKS SYSTEM 3 Starmex MSXY FN10VE / FN13VE / FN18VE / FN24VE | 3G28VA2| MULTI SPLIT | S$3,950.00
Mitsubishi Starmex System 4 Aircon ( 2 / 5 Ticks) Multi Split / Installation Service Available | S$5,699.00
MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC Aircon Unqiue Features:
- Easy Clean Design – The panels are easily detachable with a simple snap and the airflow vents can be opened without any special tools.
- Dual Barrier Coating – With this advanced coating, it helps to prevent dust and greasy dirt from sticking on the aircon.
- Microparticles Catching Filter – This filter can effectively eliminates PM2.5 particles to keep and maintain the air clean in the room.
#5) FUJITSU Aircons
Recommended:
FUJITSU System 2 (2 Ticks) (ASAG09LMCA) + (ASAG12LMCA) / AOAG18LAC2 MULTI-SPLIT AIR CONDITIONERS | S$1,490.00
FUJITSU System 3 (4 Ticks) (ASAG09LMCA) x 2 + (ASAG18LFCA) / AOAG20LBTA3 MULTI-SPLIT AIRCON | S$2,240.00
FUJITSU Aircon Unqiue Features:
- Air Filtration Filters – The FUJITSU aircon has several layers of filter and they includes ‘Ion Deodorization Filter’, ‘Apple-Catechin Filter’ & a Pre Filter to trap smaller dirt and pollen.
- Optimized Inverter Control – It has a i-Pam inverter control to help reduce energy and a V-PAM inverter to help attain high performance.
- All DC Inverter Technology – The “2-cylinder rotary compressor” has a powerful motor control to attain high energy efficiency.
In A Nutshell
Investing in the best aircon to match your lifestyle will definitely change your life for the better. Be sure to understand all the functions that an aircon has so that you can fully utilise it to benefit your health and live comfortably.
Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
