We're going to have a split unit, inverter wall mounted air-con unit installed in our lounge. Looking at the ones available, they all look pretty much identical in appearance so choosing a make isn't easy.
Can anyone please pass on experiences, good or bad with the various makes on the market here such as Daikin, Mitsubishi, Panasonic etc? Or any other advice to help in making our choice.
Thanks.

I have never been able to work out whether an inverter is a better buy than a non-inverter due to the extra cost being wheighed up against electricity saving over the lifetime of the unit?

Here is a thread from last year

http://britishexpats.com/forum/spain...refour-833297/

Inverter units, in theory, are more efficient than the other units, but I have never been able to find a scientific test to prove this. Whether is is beneficial will depend entirely on the usage pattern.

If you are in a situation where the unit switches on and off a lot, then an inverter unit, which stays on but reduces the flow, could be more efficient. If you have a low powered unit that runs continuously then there will be no advantage.

That said, most units are now inverter units and the price difference has dropped a lot.

We have 5 (mid priced) Johnson (non inverter) units which have been installed for 12 years without any regular servicing and we have had no problems at all.

On the other hand our neighbours installed LG inverter units and one has just had to be replaced after only 3 years of very intermittent usage.

I replaced in my home the wall mounted blue energy oil filled electrical radiators with modern air con units.

Some years ago, after spending a winter at the costa blanca coast I came to the conclusion that an air con unit uses less money to heat a house than a gas theme with water filled radiators. In the house were both systems so I could compare who much propane gas or KW each system was using.

A modern air con is the cheapest way to heat a house, cheaper than pellet ovens.
Look for the ratings, you want to be at cooling and heating at A+ (or close by)

I have a Mitsubishi and 4 Samsung units
All are 12er units (around 3000 - 3500 watt output), you get the smaller 9er (2000 watt) but the price / power difference is not worth it.
The Mitsubishi cost a bit more but comes with 3 year warranty and has a good A+ / A+ rating. It is also the most reliable if you ask around.

The Samsung units have a A+/A+ rating and a wifi connection. I can control / check every unit from the phone in the house or on the road.
The modern air con units work with a sliding load. That means between min around 300 watt and max around 1300 watt depending on the setting.
If you put 600 watt in, you get good 2000 watt heating energy out.
I have a watt meter on every unit to get an idea how effective they are and it is a joy to see that 400 watt in makes the room warm in a short time.
You want to check how quiet they are, in whisper mode you have a hard time to know that the unit is on. I had in this hot summer every night the air con running in my bedroom and it was just gorgeous.

My Mitsubishi keeps a 15 m2 living room, 15 m2 kitchen, 2 10 m2 bedrooms and a 7 m2 hallway and a 4 m2 bathroom during the day warm enough. If it is getting too cold outside the Samsung unit over the seating area gets activated too.

The installation cost are between 100 and 200 € depending the person / company.
It is important for the warranty to have a licensed installer, most stores have their own guys they work with, but if you want to shop around just get a copy from his license with the installation bill.

There normally is no maintenence except cleaning the air filters from the indoor unit.

Thanks for the very helpful responses. Wow it's more technical than I thought!
I'm well up in general with consumer electronics, especially video and audio but air-con is a total mystery, especially regarding the technical aspects of the units.
Anyway, thanks for the advice so far, much appreciated.
BTW, some of you must have mega properties taking into account the number of units you have installed!

We have 5 internal units installed running off only 2 external 'boxes'. They are all inverters (Panasonic) and work extremely well.

Thanks for that. Much appreciated.

One important consideration is noise. Try to hear them working before you buy.
As you might expect, some cheaper units make a lot of noise. Best to fit larger than you need. A small unit working flat out at maximum fan speed will be noisier than a larger one working at reduced fan speed.
We chose Panasonic units which can provide heating or cooling.

Thanks for that, appreciated.
Incidentally, had an installer around this afternoon to survey and advise. He said that most if not all are now inverter models and he's not even sure if non-inverter are still available.
Anyway, he's left me to look around for the models that take my eye and he will advise further. Looking on the Internet, I found a Mitsubishi designer range with a Matt silver version available. Very slim, very smart. Think I'm getting carried away as I don't know the price!
Thanks again.

Some retailers install for free.

Thanks for that, I don't doubt it, but in my experience nothing is ever truly "free"!

We've found that installers will NOT fit units that they haven't supplied - I guess it's a guarantee issue.