This review was long awaited, and now here it is.
I had always wanted to put up a split ac in the living room of our top floor apartment in Delhi, window ac was a complete no-no, keeping in mind the aesthetics and the noise level in the room.also, the area of 350 sq ft wasn't sufficient to be cooled off by a 2 ton window ac, as the air discharge was small, though, the capacity perfect..this purchase has involved deep research of nearly 2 years, and here it is , how I went about buying this daikin, the Japanese world leader in air conditioning , both in commercial and residential segments.the model I have is a daikin FT60GV1G6, a 1.9 ton , 4 star rated split purchased for 51000 inr, from ace technomark (hitachi showroom), the great India place, sector 38-a, noida
For split acs, I never even thought of going for a voltas or a samsung, the lesser said , the better.3 brands were always on my wish list- FUJITSU GENERAL, MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC , DAIKIN.
The former, better known as ogeneral among Indian folks(though its not)was a good product, but everywhere I went in delhi, I was warned of its poor service backup and the duplicate in product manufacture. The power consumption was too high, not what people want in the name of ogeneral these days.even purchasing one was too difficult, even if u managed to find an authorized dealer.
now mitsubishi electric-its the only competitor for daikin on global platform.its airconditioners are highly energy efficient, and is sold through a distributor, hitech air systems in north india.now why I didnt consider it was the fact that its operating temperature was 43 on the upper limit, also, since its recently introduced to the consumer market, spare parts and dealership was a problem.
and now , daikin.well, i wasnt very much interested in it, since it was too costly , affinity was more towards the 2 brand I mentioned before.Daikin is a completely imported product, made in thailand by daikin industries .now daikin is made in 3 countries-japan, belgium and thailand.
japan caters to the manufacture of refrigerants and supply of their renowned vrv systems, which you will possibly find in every showroom in India. belgium caters to the European market, and thailand for the saarc and other nations. daikin is the only manufacturer which produces all the parts, be it nut bolts, to compressors to refrigerants-all on its own.it spends largest amounts on its r&d every year.now on having a personal look at the machine at ace technomark, sec18, noida, it outweighed all other products.the technical superiority involved was so high , that other brand felt equivalent to lg and samsung.
the features of this ac are-
1.highest airflow of 670 cfm, the greatest in split acs, in India.
2.5 fan speeds, a feature very useful for personalized air flow
3.photo catalytic deodorizing filter, useful for removal of ododr, not present in any ac in India
4.powerful mode, here the airflow is maximized for a 20 minute period, to maximize cooling.
5.3Dairflow creation-automatic horizontal and vertical movement of the louvres ensures uniform coolin throughout the room, ensuring no hot pockets.
6.blue fin condenser with acrylic rein coating to prevent rusting.
7.stop valve to collect the refrigerant in the outdoor unit , in case the unit is re located.
8.aero spiral fan grille to reduce turbulence and increase efficiency of the unit.
9.3 blade turbo propeller fan, reduces air cutting and noise levels
10.dc fan motor on the outdoor unit, far efficient than the conventional fan motors.
11.powder coated anti rust outdoor cabinet.its fade proof, and unlike voltas and other brands, doesnt lose its name after a few years.
12.30 mtr length between the indoor and te outdoor unit faciliates flexibility in installation.
13.and yes, a sturdy, user friendly remo con , with easy to read display.
14.lowest power consumption of 2030 watts for a 2 ton split.
now the reasons were too many to convince me .
firstly, the ac is fully imported, from thailand by daikin thailand to daikin india pvt limited.its clearly mentioned on the carton, it also says "for export only".the same was too obscure about ogeneral, some said it was made in ponicherry, while others said it was imported from thailand.interesting fact being, neither fujitsu mentions it on its global website , nor does eta general on its india portal.on asking via mail, i didnt get any response either.
the outdoor unit is of the global daikin platform and no other manufacturer has the quality so good as daikin. the unique fan grille looks classy, i was amazed by the fact that it took daikin 6 years to develop this patented "aero spiral grille".we might not bother for this, but it greatly reduces air resistane, hence the efficiency of the machine increases.the compressor too, is provided witha padded all weather leather jacket, so that vibrations and noises are suppressed. so what we get is a silent outdoor unit as well.
the outdoor unit is HUGE.its like 2 lg 1.5 ton outdoor units stacked on top of each other.a unique feature I noticed on the outdoor unit was the thermostat, which switches the fan on , irrespective of the indoor unit being on or not, to protect the pcb from extreme temperatures.the compressors are made by daikin itself , in thailand, and there is no difference in the specifications of the compressors its puts into acs which are sold in other parts of the world.
efficiency and reliability is the primary reason why its the favorite among interior designers and architects all over india and the world.daikin products are known for their quality, and the company is so confident that it even states zero defect policy on the global website, a benchmark in customer satisfaction and reliability.in fact, their products are so reliable, they work for 12 -15 years without a break down.
the indoor unit operates with no sound at all, on has to look up at the unit to see the green led, to know whether its working.the indoor unit is "wide and long", as daikin puts it.yes, its extra wide, and its design is practical as it facilitates a wider opening for the cool air.its also very good to look at.it looks futuristic, rugged and at the very same time , sophisticated and a high quality fan coil unit.
the indoor unit is also to easy to clean , this was also a deciding factor over ogeneral, which still limits itself to the old school design.the front panel is easily detachable , incase it requires thorough cleaning.
you dont see any uneven plastic surfaces , or the disfigured louvres, something I was very worried about, when I looked at hitachi .the two louvres close so firmly, that they appear as a one piece, when switched off.the indoor unit has an on/off switch as well, so that it can be operated directly in case the remote is misplaced.
the ac was purchased on 22 aug and delivered the next day.now the ac was to be installed on a column, for which I had to wait for 5 days for the installers to be equipped properly to handle my requirements.thankfully , the installation was neat, but if one doesnt pay attention, one is likely to get a hack job.also one has be with the installation people all the time, to ensure they dont mishandle the product.
but here daikin scores, as it teaches it dealers proper installation methods, keeping in mind the customer satisfaction.you all can peruse through the photographs I have uploaded of the product.
all the piping work is behind the unit, which is not visible .the oudoor unit is placed on the roof, with no sort of shade for it.the piping length is 17 ft..the living room is of an open concept, kitchen being a part of it.if the ac runs for an hour, a room temperature of 26 is very easy to maintain.the cooling effect of this ac is excellent, and superior to most of the acs I have come across.draught of cold air is so strong, one cant keep the air directed towards oneself for a long time. the outdoor unit too, doesnt produce those rattling noises, typical of a split ac.
one advice to all split buyers, plan out before hand where the ac is to be installed.or else, the installation would be a total mess if u go by what the mechanics say.if possible, get the site inspected by the company representative, to get a better estimate and the additional costs involved.
final words, am very happy with this product and am glad I purchased a daikin.though the most expensive , but a complete peace of mind.truly its calm from daikin.
