Of course, brand matters when choosing any product. Every brand
maintains certain qualities and parameters for their product. Sometimes,
certain products of certain brands become more expensive in comparison to their
other competitors with the same capacity. It means that a more expensive brand
does not sacrifice quality. So, you should also check the quality of the air
conditioner. For example, if the condenser coil is made of copper, the price
will be higher. But if it is made of aluminium coil, it will be cheaper. So, it
depends on what your pocket allows.
Inquire about the price for a specific tonnage of air conditioners from
different brands. If you find the price difference between Rs.500 and Rs.1,000,
it means all these brands of ACs are almost of equal quality. In that case, you
can choose any brand you like most. However, if the price difference exceeds
Rs.1500, it indicates that that brand of air conditioner has some unique
features or is of high quality. Compare the technical data with another brand of
ACs, and if your pocket allows, you should select the technically and
quality-wise superior brand.
Different brands offer different warranty options for the complete AC,
compressor, or PCB panel. Ensure that you are getting the maximum period of
warranty on the AC's compressor or PCB. Most manufacturers now provide a
10-year warranty on compressors and a 5-year warranty on PCB panels. Even some
brands offer extended warranties, adding a minimum amount per year for all
these parts.
Check whether they have an AMC (annual maintenance contract) policy
after the expiration of the warranty period. You should select brands that
provide AMC after the warranty period has expired. Otherwise, you will have to
deal with the difficulty of obtaining maintenance service from a local vendor
for spare part replacement.
Finally, the most important factor in selecting a brand is how its
service department is organized. So, first inquire about their service setup
from well-known individuals, such as your neighbours, friends, relatives, or
colleagues who use the specific brand. Get their feedback on the brands'
service returning to normal. Sometimes you may have bought AC at a very cheap
rate, but they don’t have proper service set up, and then you have to face
trouble for the maintenance of your AC later on. Sometimes even a reputed brand
fails to provide proper service in terms of attending to complaints in time or
replacing a compressor, PCB, gas charge, or any other spare parts in time. So,
though you spent more money on a reputed brand of AC, it becomes useless when
you don’t get proper service. Before settling on a specific brand, it is
therefore critical to check the credentials of the service backup.