More warm days are expected for the summer period of June and July, and we have daily maximum temperatures of about 34 degrees and could reach a high of 35 degrees on some days.
The nights are also going to be warmer and humid, with the prevailing Southwest Monsoon expected to persist in the second half of June and it typically ends in September.
It sure feels warmer in Singapore, and other than drinking more water to cool yourself, you must have felt the urge to grab the air conditioning remote control to cool the house or your room down more often than usual.
To keep it “cool and breezy” for you guys, we will do the research for you and explore the price of air conditioners in Singapore and the maintenance costs.
Read Also: 6 Air Purifiers At Different Price Points To Keep Your Home Well-Ventilated
How Much Does An Air Conditioner Cost
The stores that sell air conditioners include Gain City, Harvey Norman, Courts, and Mega Furniture.
The popular air con brands in Singapore include Daikin, EuropAce, Fujitsu, Haier, Hitachi, Honeywell, LG, Midea, Mitsubishi Electric, Panasonic, TCL, and Toshiba.
Some stores only sell air conditioners in sets of three or five, or in air con terms system 1 stands for one air con and system 5 for five air cons. There are various forms of air cons including inverters, portables, solar air con, commercial, and window and casement.
A search on Courts showed the price of a Midea Inverter single split air con with installation at $999. It has 3 ticks grade. Meanwhile, a Panasonic System 1 Aircon with 12K BTU can cost $809 (originally $1,679) on MegaFurniture, with a grading of 2 ticks and comes with installation.
A PRISM+ Zero smart air conditioner (two piece set) with 5 ticks cost $2,499 each (originally $3.049) for a 9K/9K or a 9K/18K BTU air conditioner combination. This breaks down to about $1,250 per unit.
Portable air cons cost cheaper than inverters. For example, the Coolzy-go portable air con is at $499 but given its size it is likely only able to cool the area around it and not an entire room.
An inverter air con tends to cost about $1,000 or more per unit, while portable air cons can cost around $150 to $700, depending on the brand and features.
Image Credit: iPrice
You can look for air con sets that include free installation to save on installation fees. When installing an indoor air con unit, do note to avoid direct heat and sunshine, and avoid areas where oil mist, sulphur or any gas can spill. You must also ensure that the wall supporting the system is safe and robust.
The Types Of Air Conditioners
You can usually search an air con by its energy efficiency rating. The higher the ticks, the more energy efficient the air con is, and in the long run more savings on your electricity bills.
The energy rating system for air-conditioners, refrigerators and clothes dryers was revised on September 1, 2014, according to the National Environment Agency. The revised 4- and 5-tick bands encourage developers to introduce more high-efficiency models into Singapore in the future.
Image Credit: NEA
You may also be wondering what BTU means when shopping for an air con. It refers to British Thermal Unit (BTU) a unit of measurement that shows just how much energy your air conditioner uses to remove heat from your home within an hour.
An air conditioner needs about 20 BTUs for each square foot of living space that it’s cooling, according to Consumer Reports. To get an approximate idea of how many BTUs you need, multiply the square footage of your space (whether that’s a single room or your entire home) by 20.
For example, you need to find an air conditioner to cool your 1,400 sqft home. You should look for a unit that’s about 28,000 BTU. Or get two units to add up to 28,000 BTU.
When searching for an air con by price, you can find single units less than $999, but do note that usually the energy efficiency correlates to the pricing. Cheaper air cons have lower energy efficiency ticks, which will lead to higher electricity bills in the long run. You will also need to check the BTU to ensure that your space, home, or room is the right space for the unit.
New features of air cons are also quite fancy, such as deodorising, and anti-bacterial, as well as smart air cons.
For example, the LG Dualcool Single Split Smart Inverter Aircon of 9K BTU comes with a fine dust filter and 10-year warranty. It removes 99% of bacteria and deodorises.
The PRISM+ Zero air con allows you to control your air con across multiple locations via the PRISM+ Home App. It is a virtual remote with ambient temperature reading, and you can control the fan speed, mode, swing, timer and LED.
You also get insights and data on usage patterns on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis and set up routines to fit your schedule. You can also check the air con health and schedule servicing appointments via the app.
If you want to save money, you can also set goals to reduce air con use for a more sustainable future.
Maintenance Costs Of Air Conditioners
Air con professionals can provide niche, professional services, including:
- Air Duct Cleaning
- Central Air con Maintenance
- Central Air con Repair
- Dryer Vent Cleaning
- Duct Insulation & Sealing
- Thermostat Replacement & Repair
- Ventilation System Inspection and Cleaning
- Ventilation and Ductwork Inspection, Maintenance and Repair
There are also certain guidelines from HDB, which include
- you must maintain the external wall face free from stains at all times at your own expense
- perform regular maintenance on your air con to avoid causing any inconvenience or nuisance to your neighbours
- you should attend to any problem when it arises. If this criterion is not met, HDB will ask you to stop using or to remove the air con
The general servicing rates are usually quoted as such:
| Number of air con units (with condenser) | Rates |
| 1 unit | $40 – $60 |
| 2 units | $45 – $65 |
| 3 units | $60 – $80 |
| 4 units | $70 – $90 |
| 5 units | $80 – $120 |
| 6 units or more | $16 – $20 per unit |
The reasons why air con servicing is important is because it minimises air con system breakdown, leads to cost savings for air con efficiency and durability, you have cleaner and healthier air quality, and the air con’s cooling efficiency is improved.
Dirt and pollutants that have accumulated in the system will affect the air flow of the air con, and it will need to apply extra effort to maintain the cool temperature, leading to an increase in power consumption.
If your air con has stubborn clogs, professionals may suggest a chemical wash which will cost about $80 to $100 for a non-dismantle wash and $130 to $180 for a dismantle wash.
The refrigerant level in your air-conditioning system tends to become lower after years of usage due to leakages, and you might have to get a gas top-up service which ranges from $30 to $150 in price depending on the service type. Air cons with good grades usually have a life expectancy of 10 years or more, but if you do not service your air con regularly, the need to top up the air con gas will be once every few years.
Hacks To Ensure Your Air Conditioner Stay Working Longer
Other than servicing your air con regularly to ensure it works longer, getting a smart air con is also another suggestion to ensure longevity to your unit. It will be able to show you when to schedule your air con for servicing and how to maximise your usage without wasting air con and electricity, but it is slightly pricier than average air cons.
You can also attempt to tweak your air con to the following functions if your current one has the following – setting it to dry mode. The dry mode is usually represented with a water drop icon, it is to lower the humidity in the space.
Especially in Singapore, the temperature may not be unusually high but it still feels uneasy when it is humid. The dry mode on the air con lowers the room’s temperature by lowering the humidity. You can use this function on rainy humid days. The dry mode will make the room feel cooler with the removal of humidity.
But do note that the air con circulates the room air when the dry mode is on, and it won’t produce any cold air. This feature works better for small rooms. Another benefit of the dry mode is that it uses less energy, which is great if you want to be more environmentally friendly.
The post Price Guide To Air Conditioners In Singapore And The Maintenance Costs appeared first on DollarsAndSense.sg.
0 Mga Komento