Any recommendations for a energy efficient Aircon? 18000 BTU. Preferably black.
Buy Japanese. Daikin, Mitsubishi. Panasonic with a stretch.
I can vouch for Panasonic. We installed a Panasonic in our old house and another two in our new house when we moved in 2009. Never had any issues in 20+ years.
Energy efficiency?
Energy efficiency will vary by model. Every manufacturer will have cheaper and more expensive models, with the more efficient ones likely to be more expensive.
I would download the datasheets and compare their COP (coefficient of performance - the ratio of the amount of cooling/heating provided to the amount of electrical energy used) and price and then make a call.
If it is going to be in a bedroom, make sure to compare noise levels as well.
I’m actually looking at Jet Air right now. Just because that’s what the installer prefers, and from what I can see it looks like something that is locally assembled, but uses good parts on the inside. Of course I also considered Daikin, but was told that though it is a very good brand, it is unnecessarily expensive for what you get.
I know that. I know Daikin is expensive. The only real upside I can see is they use R32 which is supposedly so much more energy efficient. I have no idea if there is any truth to that.
I know the installer in our area also prefer JetAir and he said he never had any issues with them, also 10 year warranty on the compressor if I remember.
Last time I shopped around a similar size Daikin was only R2k or so more expensive than JetAir, well actually R4k, because the wifi module for it is a R2k extra where the JetAir has wifi built in.
If you want energy efficient, there are 2 things to consider, regardless of brand.
1st and most important: Inverter based aircon. They do soft start, friendly to our solar inverters if on the backup side. But also, more energy efficient even with the inversion. This is, because they run at variable speed to do constant cooling to what you want, instead of on and off cycles.
2nd, look at the the gas/refrigerant in use. This will also give you an indication of how energy efficient the aircon will be. R410 is the standard for most inverter based aircons. Its not bad, but not the best. You probably want the R32 version of an aircon.
Do a google search on R32 vs R410 and read up why, each have their pros and cons.
Now, for pricing. Always compare prices to acdirect.co.za if you can. In fact, they have great prices on the aircons themselves. They do however require you to use one of their approved installers for warranty etc. But if you prefer your own installer, at least compare the prices.
As for brand, I learned quick, that many brands actually use Midea parts in them. So I eventually went with Midea for their price and inclusion of wifi modules, for you know, I want my aircons connected to Home Assistant allow me control from my phone.
Some examples.
I got this before I learned about R32 vs R410: https://acdirect.co.za/product/midea-xtreme-wall-split-9000-btu-hr-inverter-air-conditioner/
I do regret not getting this one instead: https://acdirect.co.za/product/new-midea-breezeless-e-r32-wall-split-9000-btu-hr-inverter-air-conditioner-wi-fi-enabled/
This one is basically the same, but with the R32 refrigerant
So you don’t have to buy Midea, but I hope my 1st and 2nd tip help you on your question regarding efficiency.
2 Likes
That was the other thing I looked at. The Jet Stream units are R410a. It seems, if you want R32 (at least where I live), then Daikin is really the only option. In terms of availability of gas, R410a is more widely available (but this will obviously change over time). R32 gives you about 20% better efficiency… so they say. Both gasses are not ozone depleting, but R32 has a lower carbon footprint in its production.
The installers in my area consider that a swear word. Which is probably understandable. They lose a lot of business to these guys. They have some great Black Friday deals at the moment. But…
Many people miss this bit… and as you might imagine, your own installer might not like it when you steal his profit margin on the unit and want to pay him only for installation 
1 Like
I would also like add to the noise and suggest LG - they have the most affordable cassette aircons locally. In fact they are cheaper than some wall mount units, but look a lot better.
On the efficiency side - there is not much in it. All the available units of a specific capacity come within ±10% of the same values on the advertised COP/EER.
That said, also always check the actual output capacity - some manufacturers overstate capacity a lot - you might find a “24000BTU” unit only outputs 20000BTU in cooling.
I have 5 of the 2nd one, really happy with them.
Can’t speak comparatively on efficiency, but here are the charts from the app from the 2 I use the most (office & bedroom)
The biggest pro to a Daiken is how quiet they are. In terms of db and pitch at a specific power point, they are fantastic.
You learn something new every day, I never knew there’s a difference in efficiency between the different gasses, I’ll Google it a bit
It seems I am coming to the end of my decision process. This question was asked almost at the exact time I decided I needed to install not just one AC, but three!
The options I’ve been given, all 12k BTU units including installation, is:
- Alliance Air, Wi-Fi built in: R14 800
- Samsung, no Wi-Fi, unclear if it can be added: R17 100
- Daikin, Wi-Fi costs extra. R18 200.
So not a huge premium over the Samsung unit to go for something that runs R-32. By the spec sheets it seems it runs about 100W lower on average. I’m willing to pay a little extra for that.
The Alliance air unit is very well priced, that has to be said. It is apparently a rebadged Midea, and Midea is China’s largest AC manufacturer. I already have one of those installed in another room, and it is not a bad unit, but today I’m after that last 100W… and apparently willing to spend for it?
Plonkster for what is worth.
I have had 2 Jetairs (16000 & 12000 Btu) for 8 years and counting. They are the fixed speed types.
Super silent on both the indoor and outdoor units. Not one problem whatsoever. Granted, they get used only for 2-3 months in summer and only during the night.
I am a little ashamed to say that I have not had them serviced once. But that’s how well they work.
I will however now stop pushing my luck and get them serviced for next summer. Then I’ll probably find out why its not a good idea to be as reckless as I have been… 
1 Like
It’s something that you put down the money for once, and it should give you 10 years minimum of great service. Not worth skimping to save a grand here.
You wouldn’t put SunSynk on your wall…
2 Likes