Review of Sharp AH-XP18MV 1.5Ton Eco-Inverter Air Conditioner

RishiGuru

Broken In
Introduction

Surviving Calcutta's super hot and humid summer last year, I finally made up my mind to go for Air Conditioners which are day by day becoming an essential equipment rather than luxury to middle class family like ours. With an ever increasing demand fueled with widely available EMI schemes, it has mooted variety of brands and products availability in the market. Some of the renowned brands that can be found in the market are Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Daikin, Panasonic, Sharp, LG, Carrier, O-General, Toshiba along with several indigenous brands like Voltas and BlueStar. Each of these brand offers non-Inverter air conditioners with variety of added features like inclusion of antibacterial air purifiers, anti-odour, etc where as the best of them having proper R&D facilities offers newer and much advanced technology like Inverter air conditioners.

In India room air conditioners are generally available from 0.8 to 2.5 Ton range denoting their cooling capacity class. Internationally the air conditioners are rated as 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3 HP (Horse Power).

Below is a chart of the cooling capacity class:

0.5 HP = 6,000 BTU/Hr = 0.5 Ton
1.0 HP = 9,000 BTU/Hr = 0.8 Ton
1.5 HP = 12,000 BTU/Hr = 1.0 Ton
2.0 HP = 17,100 BTU/Hr = 1.5 Ton
2.5 HP = 24,000 BTU/Hr = 2.0 Ton
……..

As a consumer it became very difficult for me to determine which type air conditioners to vouch for, I mean Inverters or non-Inverters, the one that provides the best bang for the buck and is also extremely energy efficient to counter the rise of per unit cost of electricity?

One way was to go relatively cheaper non-Inverter route where air conditioners are rated from 1 ~ 5 stars in terms of efficiency by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body under the Indian Union Ministry of Power. Affixing BEE star label has been made mandatory by BEE to all the manufactures for the benefit of general public, showing the level of energy consumption by non-Inverter air conditioner both in terms of absolute values as well as equivalent number of stars varying from one to five, in accordance with BEE stipulation. The greater the number of stars on the label, higher the appliance energy efficiency and lower its electricity consumption. While selecting non-Inverter air conditioners refer to the BEE Star Rated Label affixed is must.

Energy Efficiency of Air Conditioner

Efficiency of an air conditioner is normally measured as Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER), which is the ratio of the cooling output, measured in British thermal units (BTU) per hour, to the power input (in Watts, and includes all inputs to compressor, fan motors and controls) to operate AC at standard rating conditions. This means a higher the EER, the more efficient the air conditioner is.

At times, EER is defined a little differently. The cooling capacity instead of being denoted in Btu/Hr is also denoted in Watts (1 BTU/Hr = 0.293 Watts). Thus EER is represented as Watts/ Watts or as a number without any units and will be assumed from now on.

EER Calculation of non-Inverter Air Conditioner

Non-Inverter Model: Hitachi i-Clean (RAU518ITDA)
Tonnage: 1.5 Ton
Star Rating: 5
Rated Cooling Capacity: 5274 watts
Total Power Drawn: 1524 watts
Rated EER: 5274/1524 = 3.46

So the higher the EER number better is its efficiency and more costly it’s going to be, due to the use of more advanced technology.

BEE Chart of star ratings applicable to air conditioners for 2012 ~ 2013

1 Star -> 2.5 to 2.69 EER
2 Star -> 2.7 to 2.89 EER
3 Star -> 2.9 to 3.09 EER
4 Star -> 3.1 to 3.29 EER
5 Star -> 3.3 and upwards EER

And for 2014 ~ 2015

1 Star -> 2.7 to 2.89 EER
2 Star -> 2.9 to 3.09 EER
3 Star -> 3.1 to 3.29 EER
4 Star -> 3.3 to 3.49 EER
5 Star -> 3.5 and upwards EER

Let us assume someone buys a 5-star rated non-Inverter air conditioner in 2011 with EER of 3.1. By 2012 the same AC becomes a 4-star since 5-star requirement is 3.3, by 2014 a 3-star since 5-star now requires 3.5 and by 2016 a 2-star since 5-star now requires 3.7. By 2018 the same AC becomes a pesky 1-star AC since 5-star now requires 3.9. For non-Inverters it generally takes seven years for the epic climb down form 5-star to 1-star.

So, we find EER star rating of non-Inverter air conditioners as an ever moving target and its star rating is respective to the year a particular model was released. This is very important to keep in mind while going for non-Inverter air conditioners.

The other and more expensive way was to go for Inverter Air Conditioners which are sophisticated piece of equipment. At the very start of an air conditioners operation, powerful cooling is required to reach the set temperature. After the set temperature is reached, less cooling is required to maintain it. A conventional non-Inverter air conditioner can only operate at a rated capacity which is below the maximum capacity but still too powerful to maintain the set temperature. Thus, in attempting to maintain set temperature non-Inverter air conditioners switches the compressor ON and OFF repeatedly. This results in wider temperature fluctuations leading to wasteful consumption of electrical energy.

The Inverter air conditioners on the other hand have a full-output operation mode to operate at maximum capacity as soon as they start thus reaching the targeted temperature faster than non-Inverter and when the set temperature is achieved drastically reduce energy consumption by going into energy-saving operation mode by varying the rotational speed of the compressor along with the indoor and outdoor fan motors for optimum performance at all times. This provides a highly precise method of maintaining the set temperature and drastically reduces wasteful cooling operation and energy consumption.

Advantages of Inverter Air Conditioners

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To achieve this technical feat, in-built sensors from both indoor and outdoor units measuring temperature and humidity are processed at over 4000 times per second by Inverter air conditioners brain i.e. Digital Micro-computer Module which then maintains targeted room temperature and humidity by constantly controlling the voltage, current and frequency send to its highly energy efficient DC motor compressor and also sending commands to its highly sophisticated electronic pulse linear expansion valve to precisely control coolant pressure for more efficient heat exchange. In conjunction to the above activities the electronic module also controls speed of the indoor and outdoor fan units which contain high quality DC motors. DC motors are more efficient and save energy over conventional AC motors used in non-Inverters since they use magnetic force to operate.

'The Brain' of an Inverter Air Conditioner (Digital Micro-computer Module)

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One has to understand that technology comes at a price. The hard earned money one pays for Inverter air conditioners are put in using much better components which never came with non-Inverters, reaping their benefits in terms performance and efficiency with significant reduction in power consumption, not the mentioned the prolonged life-span with use of high quality materials. Also Inverter air conditioners produce no humidity when adjusting room temperature. This is very important since it is the moisture removed from the room which actually produces the feeling of cooling. If the air conditioners can effectively remove enough moisture from the room it will produce a feeling of comfort.

'The Brain' of Inverter Air Conditioners are generally located on the Outdoor Units and their heatsinks are cooled by the ODU fan

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Since I plan for extended use on a daily basis, I decided for Inverter ones over cheaper non-Inverters. I was astounded to learn in Japan almost all air conditioners are Inverter's where as in India the same Japanese air conditioner companies sell low cost non-Inverter, 5 star rated air conditioners at same price of Inverter air conditioners. The reason I believe is people awareness, very few people know about the real benefits Inverter's offer in terms of cooling performance, efficiency and low power consumption under part load conditions. This companies takes advantage of the situation and garner fat profit margins by selling 2~5 star rated age old technology.

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It have been over four months since I installed two 1.5 Ton Sharp Eco-Inverter (Model no: AH-XP18MV) air conditioners. These includes in-built Plusmacluster air purifier technology.

Sharp AH-XP18MV

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Personally, I am not the kind of person who buys a consumer product because Mr. ‘X’ had recommended buying product ‘Y’ from manufacturer ‘Z’. After haplessly wandering in the forums for a month or so I understood people in India being unaware are still happily using stone age star rated non-Inverter technology filled with R22 refrigerant gas where as the rest of the developed countries have moved on to a whole new level with Inverters, filled with energy efficient and environmentally friendly R410A refrigerant gas.

In my vision, Inverters are the way to go, no matter if they cost more or less. In Japan, people do not think about how many hours they are going to use them, they just buy Inverter air conditioners. Thus all room air conditioners in Japan are Inverters. They not only look at the money aspect, they also save precious energy and environment.

After some six months of market study, personal experiences while visiting various dealers/ showrooms I reached to the conclusion there are NOnumber one ’ or ‘number two ’ among air conditioner manufacturers. Some companies like Hitachi & Daikin are revered in India and sale self advertised 'premium quality ' air conditioners due to their face value where as general consumer appliance manufacturers like LG & Samsung have their range from the very bottom to the top. Hitachi have an unprecedented reputation in India which they built through the last two decades when there was simply no competition at their level by providing excellent products at sky high prices. Amazingly even today with their extra-high quoted price people go by hype and buy them blindly because it’s a 'Hitachi'.

But buyers like me who have done a through market study and want the most out of the rupee find the current landscape to have dramatically changed with multiple previously unknown international air conditioner companies jumping in the lucrative and nascent Indian air conditioner market raising the performance bar higher every year with cut throat competition. This is a boon for us buyers. In the Inverter air conditioner market I find Hitachi and Daikin as just two players along with Sharp, Panasonic, LG, Mitsubishi and Carrier.

After personally experiencing the Sharp, LG and Hitachi Inverter air conditioners, I found Sharp and LG's to be much superior than the similar Hitachi/Daikin ones in terms of performance, reliability and product quality. LG uses the most advanced technology of all Inverter air conditioners currently available in India and one will be a lucky to get their 1.5 Ton version at less than INR 54K. Also the product qualities of LG Inverter air conditioners are in altogether different premium level w.r.t. their non-Inverter air conditioners models.

But the real deal is how much you get at a certain price point (cost versus efficiency) and from that perspective Sharp Inverter's are truly hard to beat.

Sharp AH-XP18MV

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Specification

Indoor Unit [IDU]: Sharp AH-XP18MV
Outdoor Unit [ODU]: Sharp AU-X18MV

Cooling Capacity Range [kW]: (1.6 - 5.27 - 6)
Cooling Capacity Range [BTU/Hr]: (5,400 - 18,000 - 20,500)
Power Consumption [Min-Rated-Max]: (320 - 1,440 - 1900) watts
EER through Operating Range [Min-Rated-Max] (W/W): (5 - 3.66 - 3.16)
Rated Cooling Capacity: 5.27 kW/ 18,000 BTU/Hr
Rated Power Consumption: 1,440 watts
Rated EER (W/W): 3.66
Indoor Airflow Rate (CMM): 16.8
Indoor Noise Level (High): 44 dB
Outdoor Noise Level (High): 53 dB
Plasmacluster Air Purifier: Available
Refrigerant Gas: R410A
IDU Weight: 12 kg
ODU Weight: 35 kg

My 1.5 Ton Sharp AH-XP18MV Inverter air conditioner come fully imported from Thailand with an MRP of INR 50K. The indoor unit looks gorgeous, has amazing cooling performance capability and just oozes quality. Being the premium 1.5 Ton model, Sharp also have their patented Plasmacluster air purifier built inside it. If one can really bargain well he will get them for 43K. And if one can really really bargain like me, he will get them at 41K, below which the dealer will simply refuse to sale since their profit margin falls below 1K. In comparison the best price I got for the Hitachi i-Clean non-Inverter 1.5 Ton, 5 star air conditioner was a sky high 42K where as their i-Tec Inverter 1.5 Ton costs an earth shattering 56K!!!

I immediately dumped the Hitachi for their un-justified pricing and went for Sharp Inverters, other reasons being their excellent customer support and after sales service provided in Calcutta.

Sharp Plasmacluster Air Purifier Mechanism

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I was thus able to get two Sharp AH-XP18MV, 1.5 tonners at 82K along with complete free installation kits. After adding two pairs of best after market ODU brackets and installation charge, total damage to my wallet rested at INR 87K.

One of the key reasons opting for Sharp's other than performance and being a true VFM product was that they provide the best and safest installation kits out here which contains:

1) 4m Copper Tubes for both gas and liquid side of class leading 0.8mm wall thickness
2) 4m XPE insulation for both gas and liquid side tubes of white color which reflect heat
3) 4m 4 core electric copper cables to connect IDU with ODU
4) 4m drain pipe
5) Surgical gloves to be used by installers. Our installer was very happy to see that at least one company in India is including this with their kits.
6) Cleaning cloth
7) All of above elements in a separate packaging box.

Our installer (he is a very experienced professional being in this air conditioner installation business for over 30 years) said the pipes will last a lifetime and no company even Daikin & Hitachi provides the copper pipes of similar quality to connect the indoor unit to the outdoor unit as provided by Sharp.

Nature inspired NatureWing Cross-flow Indoor Fan

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Indoor Unit (IDU)

I found Sharp AH-XP18MV is using a new concept on their cross-flow fan design which they say is inspired by nature, called NatureWing. To me its just a new marketing name.:-D The fan feature blades modeled on the shape of dragonfly’s wings which have ridged surfaces that generate minuscule air eddies during flight. These eddies function like ball bearings to make their flight smoother with less effort. These new dragonfly wing shaped fan blades are said to harnesses the flow of air a bit better than previous designs to boost air circulation efficiency. I find the indoor units are super quite in Auto Mode and only when I select Super Jet function do I hear jet stream of air gushing out!!! In the end AH-XP18MV indoor unit's NatureWing concept is worth the salt as it is capable of achieving a max airflow rate of 16.8 CMM (cubic meter per minute) resulting in strong chilling windblasts. In contrast Carrier can do a max of 14.3, Daikin a 14.7, Mitsubishi a 15.1 and Hitachi a 16.7 with their respective 1.5 Ton Inverter models.

Outdoor Unit (ODU)

While comparing similar 1.5 Ton Inverter outdoor units, I found Sharp is using a bigger and higher cooling capacity Rotary Compressor for its class. With the compressor having quite advanced Torque Control Technology controlling load torque generated by the compressor rotation by combing it with the torque generated by the compressor's DC motor, substantially reducing noise and vibration of the compressor contributing to higher efficiency, and thus higher energy savings. The compressor drive technology is also quite advanced which adopts a 180° conductance sine wave instead of the conventional 120° conductance waveform used by its competitors resulting in smoothing of compressor motor rotation at high RPM (revolutions per minute). Lastly, the compressor unit of this Sharp Inverter comes enclosed inside an acoustic jacket to eliminate noise and makes the outdoor unit very quiet. It is so quite that it becomes hard for me to guess from a distance whether it is running or not until the ODU fan starts rotating.

Unlike the cheaper capillary used in non-Inverter air conditioners which allows free flow of the refrigerant gas, the Sharp Inverter's controls the flow according to the load needed by using technically superior and much more performance oriented Electronic Pulse Linear Expansion Valve. It has numerous settings to precisely control refrigerant flow which helps in drastically improving the efficiency of the desired cooling. It also helps in maintaining room temperature within a near accurate 0.5 degree centigrade variation of the set temperature unlike typical temperature change that occurs with non-Inverter air conditioners, thus reducing energy consumption.

Electronic Pulse Linear Expansion Valve

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While Mitsubishi, Daikin, Carrier & Panasonic Inverter air conditioners have a rated 17,100 BTU/Hr cooling capacity for their 1.5 Ton class, Sharp uses a compressor which being rated at 18,000 BTU/Hr equates to a 1.6 Ton Inverter. So +1 to Sharp.

On the other hand while comparing with 1.5 Ton non-Inverter models with fixed rated 17,100 BTU/Hr cooling capacity, I find this 1.5 Ton Sharp Inverter have a maximum cooling capacity of 20,500 BTU/Hr equating to a 1.8 Ton non-Inverter!!! This implies the Sharp Inverter will have a full-output operation mode of a 1.8 Ton non-Inverter to operate at maximum capacity as soon as it starts thus reaching the targeted temperature faster than a 1.5 Ton non-Inverter and then gradually reduce its energy consumption by coming down to its rated cooling capacity of 1.6 Ton. When the set temperature is achieved it will drastically reduce energy consumption by going to energy-saving operation mode and rolling down to a minimum cooling capacity of just 5,400 BTU/Hr which equates to an amazingly tiny 0.4 Ton non-Inverter consuming just 320 watts of energy. This is the reason why dealers say a 1.5 Ton Inverter will suffice for a 2 Ton non-Inverter. So +10 to Inverter technology.


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One of the key reason to opt for Sharp Inverters were the use of complete all-aluminum, galvanic corrosion resistant, more efficient & durable condensers having canalicular tubing resulting in superior refrigerant flow velocity, improved heat exchange efficiency and decreased heat transfer loss from tube to fin in their outdoor units. This modern condensers are costlier as well as lighter to age old, bulky, less efficient copper-aluminum condensers with circular tubing that other manufacturers like Hitachi, Daikin and Panasonic uses to save cost.

All-Aluminium Canalicular Tubed Condenser VS Copper-Aluminium Circular Tubed Condenser

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All-aluminium canalicular tubed condensers are definitely the next step towards advanced technology and improved efficiency where the refrigerant enters multiple tubes at the same time, therefore enhancing the air conditioners performance and reduce the power consumption. Such efficient condensers with high heat capacity have long been used in cars and are designed with increased surface area and less resistance to airflow enabling improved thermal efficiency and much better performance compared to copper-aluminium circular tubed condensers. They also call for special carefully designed outdoor condenser fans for proper heat expulsion. Sharp says AH-XP18MV employs a newly shaped fan blade which is based on the aeronautical theories of NASA and is run by a highly efficient DC fan motor. The redesigned fan blade cross-section with an ideal streamline is said to increase “lift” (the principle by which airplanes fly), thereby achieving a high rotation efficiency of 120–170% compared to their previous outdoor fans having superior blowing performance.

More about all-aluminium canalicular tubed condensers and their advantages: All-Aluminum Canalicular Condenser VS RTFP Copper Condensers

Being all-aluminum the outdoor units of Sharp 1.5 Ton Inverter's weighs just 35 kilos having a much smaller footprint with reduced weight. In contrast the similar 1.5 Ton Inverter outdoor units from Daikin are much bigger and weigh 47 kilos!!! Due to use of all-aluminum canalicular tubing, Sharp 1.5 Ton Inverter requires just 700 grams of R410A refrigerant gas to cool while the same 1.5 Ton Inverter air conditioners from Hitachi, Daikin & Panasonic using circular tubed copper-aluminum condensers requires 1.5 kg of R410A gas to cool the same area!!!

Amazingly with even less than half the refrigerant gas available this Sharp 1.5 Ton Inverter air conditioner still comes out on top with class leading cooling performance scientifically measured as EER of 3.66 (W/W) and at the same time be more environmentally conscious by using less gas. Performance & efficiency speaks. In contrast the Daikin could manage an EER of just 3.23 while Hitachi does a little better of EER of 3.51. Mind you both of them cost a minimum of 15K over this Sharp!!!

Rated EER of some 1.5 Ton Inverter air conditioners available in India (Higher value means more energy efficient):

Sharp (AH-XP18MV): 3.66
Hitachi (RAU018EQE): 3.51
LG (BS-Q186C7M1): 3.34
Carrier (42CVSR018-703): 3.31
Panasonic (CS-S18NKYP): 3.27
Daikin (FTKS50): 3.23
Mitsubishi Electric (MSY-GE18VA): 3.12

Sharp Inverters not only have the best cooling performance in 1.5 Ton category, it has one of the widest cooling capacity range. As Inverter air conditioners are constantly varying its cooling capacity according to needs, when set temperature is achieved the Hitachi will climb down from its rated cooling capacity 5.33 kW to minimum of 2.37 kW to save power consumption, Daikin will climb even lower from their rated 5 kW to 1.7 kW to save a little more than Hitachi while Sharp will climb down from rated 5.27 kW to even lower 1.6 kW and consume even less power under part load.

Comparison of cooling capacity range (Min - Rated - Max):

LG (BS-Q186C7M1): (0.9 - 5.2 - 6) kW. Range: 6 - 0.9 = 5.10 kW
Sharp (AH-XP18MV): (1.6 - 5.27 - 6) kW. Range: 6 - 1.6 = 4.40 kW
Daikin (FTKS50): (1.7 - 5 - 6) kW. Range: 6 - 1.7 = 4.30 kW
Mitsubishi (MSY-GE18VA): (1.4 - 5 - 5.4) kW. Range: 5.4 - 1.4 = 4 kW
Hitachi (RAU018EQE): (2.37 - 5.33 - 6.04) kW. Range: 6.04 - 2.37 = 3.67 kW

LG Inverters are simply unbeatable with their widest cooling capacity range of 5.10 kW and under part load conditions can come down from their rated 5.2 kW to an amazing 0.9 kW consuming very very less power. Hats off to LG to perform such a technically daunting task for controlling a 6 kW compressor to run smoothly at just 0.9 kW!!!

An important aspect to note is Inverter air conditioners are not star rated in India due to their variable cooling capacity and power consumption which results to variable energy efficiency. They are more or less super star rated!!!

EER Calculation of Inverter Air Conditioner

Inverter Model: Sharp AH-XP18MV
Rated Tonnage: 1.5 Ton
Star Rating: Not Applicable
Cooling Capacity (Min/ Rated/ Max): 1600/ 5270/ 6000 watts
Total Power Drawn (Min/ Rated/ Max): 320/ 1440/ 1900 watts
EER through the Operating Range: 1600/ 320, 5270/1440, 6000/1900 = 5/ 3.66/ 3.16

From the above calculation we find my Sharp AH-XP18MV Inverter model having an EER which is constantly varying between 3.16 to 5, while the Hitachi non-Inverter model discussed above always having a constant EER of 3.46. In other words the Inverters have varying efficiency and as much the air conditioners can reduce its cooling capacity greater will be their overall efficiency. But it is tough to do from a technical point of view.

Inverter air conditioner for every three hours of operation are said to reduce power consumption w.r.t. a non-Inverter air conditioner of same capacity by roughly:

30% in comparison to a 5 star rated
35% in comparison to a 4 star rated
40% in comparison to a 3 star rated
45% in comparison to a 2 star rated
50% in comparison to a 1 star rated

According to Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) for non Inverter air conditioners to qualify for a 5 star rating a minimum EER as below is required:

2012-2013 -> 3.3 (W/W), 2014-2015 -> 3.5 (W/W), 2016-2017 -> 3.7 (W/W)

My Sharp AH-XP18MV -> 3.66 (W/W) = ~ 3.7 (W/W)

Standing in 2012, my Sharp AH-XP18MV Inverter air conditioners not only surpasses the 5 star requirement of 2015 with flying colors, it also matches 5 star requirement of 2017!!! And that too it is an Inverter which means it will provide better cooling performance than a 5 star rated non Inverter air conditioner of 2017 while consuming even less power.

Long live Inverter air conditioners. I advice everyone to go for Inverter air conditioners eyes closed, it is the future.

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Contd ...

One of my Sharp AH-XP18MV, 1.5 Ton Eco Inverter Air Conditioner with In-Built Plasmacluster Air Purifier

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My other Sharp AH-XP18MV

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Front View (IDU)

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Side View (IDU)

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Display shows power consumption instead of indoor air temperature. 0.1kw means equal or less than 100 watts consumed (Running in Auto mode)

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Full blast with Super Jet function + Plasmacluster air purifier in Auto mode. Varying power consumption now showing 0.8 kW = 800 watts

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Some other shots of the Indoor Unit

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Remote Control Unit

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Sharp AU-X18MV [Outdoor Unit]

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Sharp AU-X18MV outdoor unit implementing much advanced all-aluminum condenser with canalicular tubing

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Since finished installing the Sharp Inverter air conditioners during last winter months I refrain to provide a conclusive personal review as of now. Even though the air conditioners are chilling the rooms in no time, let the summer heat of May and June arrive and then only I believe a conclusive personal review can be written. Follow this thread for future updates.

Anyway I just thought it will be useful to provide the link below which to me was very useful and helped me in decision making. It is regarding the real personal experiences of a FM using the same Sharp Inverter air conditioner as above.

Link: HifiVision: Recommend an inverter based AC (some prices inside)

Enjoy!!!
 
Last edited:

kARTechnology

Sony " VA" "IO"
i never did deep research like you of my Ogeneral AC's(but inverter and non- inverter) even though i've had it for years...I'm a Ogeneral fanboy :)

really rice review, but how did you get so much info, like diameter of pipes? aeronautical theories of NASA
I really like the idea of displaying power consumption instead of temperature...
 
Last edited:
OP
RishiGuru

RishiGuru

Broken In
i never did deep research like you of my Ogeneral AC's(but inverter and non- inverter) even though i've had it for years...

Most people don’t do research before buying consumer electronic goods.

I'm a Ogeneral fanboy :)

And there is nothing wrong in that. Everyone have the right to be a fan of somebody, some entity etc.

really rice review

Thanks for the complements.

… how did you get so much info, like diameter of pipes? aeronautical theories of NASA

Deep research on web, visiting dealers and gathering catalogues enabled me to collect the info.

In my review I wrote about wall thickness of the refrigerant pipes and not their diameter.

I really like the idea of displaying power consumption instead of temperature...

Air conditioners like Sharp AH-XP18MV are tour de force in there segment. A super cheap local made air conditioner costing half the price of this Sharp can provide equal cooling, but it will do so by consuming two times the power input required by this Sharp.
 
OP
RishiGuru

RishiGuru

Broken In
I believed the overall efficiency of an air conditioner is mostly dependent on its compressor. But with closely coupled controlling network maintained by the digital micro-computer modules in today’s Inverter air conditioners helps the other vital components of the air conditioner like the outdoor condenser unit, indoor evaporator unit, electronic expansion valve controlling the overall flow of refrigerant, outdoor fan motor, outdoor fan, indoor fan motor, indoor fan to also play a vital part in improving the overall efficiency. And the condensers for sure are a big part of this equation as it rejects heat absorbed from the indoor atmosphere to the outdoor atmosphere.

For long I was searching for two identical Inverter or non-Inverter air conditioner models having two different types of outdoor condenser units in order to get a measure of the improvement in overall efficiency this new type of all aluminum condensers having canalicular tubing brings over the normally used copper aluminum condensers with circular tubing. These new type of all aluminum condensers where first pioneered by Sharp in the room air conditioners segment and are now widely followed by LG, Samsung and Panasonic.

Luckily, Panasonic have two identical models of their ever popular CUBE series in the 1.25 Ton range, the only difference being one has this new innovative all aluminum condensers having canalicular tubing while the other uses normal copper aluminum condensers with circular tubing. Here are their specs:

Panasonic CS-ZC15PKY

Tonnage: 1.25 Ton
Cooling Capacity: 4.40 kW
Power Input: 1600 watts
EER (W/W): 2.75
Star Rating: 2-Star
Condenser Type: Copper-aluminum condenser with circular tubing having blue fin coating

Panasonic CS-ZC15PKY-3

Tonnage: 1.25 Ton
Cooling Capacity: 4.40 kW
Power Input: 1480 watts
EER (W/W): 2.97
Star Rating: 3-Star
Condenser Type: All-aluminum condenser with canalicular tubing

Comparing the above two we find for every hour of operation the CS-ZC15PKY-3 model saves 1600 - 1480 = 120 watts of energy consumption. This means 120/1000 = 0.12 energy unit saved per hour. For a 12 hour operation on a daily basis saves 0.12 X 12 = 1.44 units. In a month’s time of this daily routine saves 1.44 X 30 = 43.2 units. Considering an average rate of rupees 5 per unit, equates to INR 216 savings per month and for 10 months of use a year equates to an amazing INR 2160 savings per year.

In an assumed 10 year life cycle the CS-ZC15PKY-3 model incorporating the all-aluminum condenser saves a total of 2160 X 10 = INR 21.6K over its sister CS-ZC15PKY model using copper-aluminum condenser!!! With this much of money saved one can buy another brand new CS-ZC15PKY-3 every 10 years!!!

I am just amazed by the amount of savings a new type of condenser unit can bring over an older one. No doubt the other air conditioner companies are incorporating this new type on condensers quite fast in their lineup.

Would love further views and comments of respected FMs on this topic.
 

The Incinerator

Human Spambot
Awesome man.

Now.....Im buying my AC this week. I have Hitachi,Sharp And Carrier already. The new AC Im gonna buy will be used say for 6/8Hrs maxm,and maybe not everyday. I have spent the whole day today calling up all the store sin Chandni area for price quotations.

Mitsubishis Hybrid Inverter AC 1.5Ton 5 star AC is available at Rs 39000
Daikin 5 Star 1.5 Ton (Non Inverter) is available at Rs 38000

These are best prices I have got along with VAT. Now tell which one should I get. Or should I stick with 3 star ones , because of usage patter which is not heavy duty?
Mitsubishi 3 star 1.5 ton - Rs 34000
Daikin 3 star 1.5 Ton 31000

And if at all I get the Sharp ( I love the Company) get me the name of the store from where you managed it for Rs 41K in Kolkata :p
 

rsk11584

Journeyman
Today I read this review and yesterday only i purchased our second AC LG Nova 1 Ton 5 star rated AC after lot of thinking and discussions, let me put up my views and experience here in this thread, with your kind permission ;)

We have a 1.5 ton voltas AC in our master bedroom around 130 sqft area and we needed a second ac in our another bedroom of 120 sqft area and after doing many calculations i came to the conclusion that a 1 ton ac is enough for our small bedroom.

So now started the research on internet and going to dealers / shops. Here is the result of going to shops near my area in chennai chrompet:

Reliance digital, newly opened shop in chrompet, just opened last month, prices for LG was too high i.e for LG they didnt offer installation and stablizer inclusive of cost, which was weird to me, only for voltas, reconnect ( reliance brand) and hitachi they offered installation and stablizer included in Price. Also prices quoted were very high and the AC stand was quoted at Rs.1500/- whereas outside in other dealers it costs rs.750 - 850 only.

Samsung Plaza: Sells only samsung products so had less crowd the person was somewhat not friendly but gave all features on interrogation and quoted the price inclusive of all stab, standard installation.

Shahs Chrompet: it is a dealer shop and has all brands of AC, washing machine, etc, so had a lot of crowd in that crowd lots of people were buying AC / enquiring about them I enquired about Acs and got the prices of voltas, whirlpool and LG. Shopkeeper told that only whirlpool has copper coil in indoor unit and outdoor unit which gives better cooling but since i had doubt on credibility of whirlpool did not buy it also power input was 985W and Cooling Capacity some 3300 W

In all the above shops I enquired about 3 star rated AC only without even knowing what exactly are the BEE ratings and what those stars do, and niether did any staff at the above stores did explain to me what exactly the ratings do mean. I had literally made up my plan to buy Voltas AC from Shahs when one colleague just mentioned why not go from MIT Bridge to Tambaram, as there may be some shops, i have never been to that area, been but very few times so we just went and lo just after MIT bridge we found LG company showroom and a panasonic company showroom. Panasonic Acs were costly 3 star ac was costing rs.29000/-

Then we went to LG showroom and enquired about 3star LG ac and the difference between various models, since we use the AC only 2-3 hours a day and did not want to invest on exhorbitant amount on inverter acs i decided that will invest on budget ac with 3 star rating to save power, the LG showroom had on display 2 star and 5 star ac only and the technician told that there is no difference between 2star and 3 star AC, whereas I thought that each star made a huge difference, then he explained to me the only thing matters is cooling capacity and power consumption watts. And told that the difference of power consumption in watts is only 20 between 2& 3 star. Then once i got the logic i came outside and went home and did the research on various ac, their cooling capacity , bee star ratings and educated myself about them.

I found that not all 1 ton acs do really give out put of 12000 btu or converted to watts as 3517 watts approx. I found that almost all 1 ton AC had rated cooling capacity CC as 3250, 3350, 3300 etc and power consumptions was 1150, 1250, 1175, 1075 watts etc. So now my objective was to find the maximum cooling capacity with minimum input power.
In this the best i could find was LG Nova 1 ton , 5 star which gave 3600W cc with input of 1050 Watts around 12300 Btu/hr. Then in LG itself I had two options zxya and nova, zxya had 4way swing and 3m micro filter and costed additonal 3ooo rs , hence i thought for normal home use the LG Nova 1 ton 5 star would be good and bought LG nova 5 star yesterday, product was delivered yesterday night and awaiting todays installation. Hope all goes well and the Ac runs kicking. Also in internet and other recommendations of technicians i found that copper tubing is far superior and retains more cooling than aluminium which in sharps brouchure is mentioned as opposite , please check that.
 

The Incinerator

Human Spambot
About Copper and Aluminium , general theory states that Copper conducts heat better and Aluminum dissipates better. So I believe a mix of both is better.
 

NIGHTMARE

ANGEL OF DEATH
My dealer quote 46K, he told me there is tax difference VAT & SAT. It was his price, thanks to Chinese phone I hear his voice when he talking to his boss.

@Rishi: Which stabilizer you are using and how much it cost you.
 
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rsk11584

Journeyman
Rishi,

While installing your AC did the technician conduct nitrogen leak test and vacummed the system before opening refrigerant.
 
OP
RishiGuru

RishiGuru

Broken In
Came upon two of the funniest air conditioner ads ever. Sure, humor is subjective—but some advertising over the years has been undeniably hilarious. These are made by Argentinean Electronics manufacturer BGH for their air conditioners.

Check them out.:)

BGH - Dads in Briefs Campaign



BGH - Summer Hater

 
OP
RishiGuru

RishiGuru

Broken In
Also in internet and other recommendations of technicians i found that copper tubing is far superior and retains more cooling than aluminium which in sharps brouchure is mentioned as opposite , please check that.

Recently I have observed a lot of hotly debated threads in different forums relating to the performance of:

1) The newly used all-aluminum micro-channel (canalicular tubed) condensers
2) The older round copper coil/tube with aluminum plate fin (bi-metal) RTPF condensers

By nature copper is a better conductor of heat than aluminum. All thermal properties of copper are better than aluminum. Copper is also costlier than aluminium. Aluminum’s advantage is that it is lighter and easier to machine.

RTPF condensers have serpentine internal coils to carry the refrigerant to be cooled. These copper coils are further assisted with aluminium fins when air passes through them. Let us consider three types of RTPF condensers:

RTPF-1: Copper coil with copper plate fin condenser (all-copper)
RTPF-2: Copper coil with aluminum plate fin condenser (copper-aluminum)
RTPF-3: Aluminum coil with aluminum plate fin condenser (all-aluminum)

Here definitely RTPF-1 (extremely rare in AC's) will have the best thermal performance due to (all copper) and most costly to implement. It will be followed by RTPF-2 (most widely used in AC's) and then by RTPF-3 where performance in concerned as price goes on decreasing. I have observed there are few people who have this conception or rather misconception that RTPF-1 and even RTPF-2 will have better thermal performance than the new micro-channel condensers variants, reason being micro-channels are all aluminum.

THEY ARE WRONG.

So let me state again for two identical shaped, volumes, face areas, and fin densities condensers one being RTPF-1/ RTPF-2 and the other being all-aluminum micro-channel, the micro-channel condenser will ALWAYS have better thermal performance. This is not just due to the metal used but by the inherent design advantages that micro-channel rejoices over RTPF.

All-Aluminium Micro-channel Condenser VS Copper-Aluminium RTPF Condenser

*imageshack.us/a/img213/5130/al2vl.jpg

Before we dig deeper let us revise the work cycle of an air conditioner in layman’s terms to get a full picture. Air conditioners follow a simple rule where they absorb heat from air situated inside the room in question and reject that heat to the outside atmosphere. For split ACs when the cross-flow fan situated inside IDU starts to rotate it sucks air from above the IDU passing it through the cold evaporator unit situated inside which is finally blown out from below where the louvers are situated to guide the cool airstream. While passing through the evaporators the residence time the air spends causes heat transfer from indoor air to the evaporator via convection. This heat absorbed is then carried by the refrigerant gas via dedicated copper pipes to the ODU situated outdoor and are finally ejected to the outdoor atmosphere via convection. The component that does this very important job is known as the condenser unit or heat exchanger. An outdoor fan is provided to aid the heat exchange by expulsing the air through the condenser fins. The overall efficiency of an air conditioner is highly dependent on how efficiently these heat exchange of the both indoor and outdoor takes place. And this is where the micro-channel all-aluminum condensers have a distinct thermal performance advantage due to their inherent design advantage.

Micro-channel condenser technology is not new. It was first introduced as a viable heat exchanger/ condenser option in the late 1980’s in the automotive industry. These types of condensers are used to replace R22 by R134A, R410A and R407C. The change in refrigerant type introduced new thermo-physical properties. What the industry required was a coil with heat transfer properties equal to or better than the oversized RTPF condensers were being evaluated – but with a reduced size, reduced weight and increased leak protection. Micro-channel coils brazed in a controlled environment offered the solution. Since that time, all-aluminium micro-channel technology has taken over the automotive industry.

With time environmental concerns garnered more and more interest recently there came a similar push in the residential air conditioner market where companies started to shift from older R22 to far more efficient and environmentally friendly R410A refrigerant gas. And with R410A the micro-channel all-aluminum condenser was dragged from the automotive industry.

Let’s be clear, R410A and all-aluminum micro-channel condensers go hand in hand. Micro-channel condenser coils are all aluminum coils with multiple flat tubes containing small channels (micro-channels) through which refrigerant flows. Heat transfer is maximized by the insertion of angled and louvered fins in-between the flat tubes.

Micro-channel Condenser Internal Design

*imageshack.us/a/img560/961/microchannels.jpg

The coil is composed of three components:

1) A flat micro-channel tube.
2) Fins located between the micro-channel tubes.
3) Two refrigerant manifolds.

These components are joined with two refrigerant manifolds using an aluminum-zinc alloy brazing material in a nitrogen-charged braze furnace to make the completed micro-channel coil. Coil circuiting is accomplished by placing baffles in the distribution manifolds to feed the refrigerant through the flat tubes.

The advantages observed over RTPF design:

1) Thermal performance: The higher heat transfer performance is obtained by the flat tubes, which maximize airside heat transfer, and micro-channels within the tubes. The micro-channels maximize refrigerant side heat transfer via multiple tiny refrigerant channels which provide increased primary surface area. Additionally, the metallurgical fin-tube bond resulting from the braze operation maximizes surface contact and increases the heat transfer surface area, further improving the heat transfer performance of the coil.

2) Corrosion protection: The corrosion potential with the all aluminum micro-channel coil is significantly lower than in copper/aluminum (bi-metal) RTPF coils as there are no dissimilar metals to initiate galvanic corrosion. This makes micro-channel coils an inherently better solution for coastal installations or any application where corrosion may be a concern.

3) Refrigerant charge: Micro-channel coils have a smaller volume, lowering condenser refrigerant charge by as much as 75 percent. As such, the use of micro-channel coils provides a more environmentally friendly solution for refrigeration systems to help reduce ozone depletion and global warming.

4) Durability and reduced leaks: Micro-channel coils require only one braze operation versus 50-100 manually brazed joints for RTPF, significantly reducing the likelihood for leaks. Additionally, the flat tubes serve as a fin guard to help protect the fins from damage.

5) Ease of service and repair: Micro-channel coils are easily cleaned and can be field repaired using a two-part epoxy process. These micro-channel coils are less than one inch thick allowing for easy removal of any debris that may be caught within the coil. This is not so with RTPF coils, which are often 2 to 3 inches thick with staggered tube patterns using corrugated fins which make debris removal difficult, if not impossible, in some circumstances. The durability of micro-channel coils also allows for pressure washing (using a broad spray pattern), which is not recommended with RTPF coils. Coil leaks, while unlikely, can also be easily repaired in the field using a simple process. An epoxy based sealant (such as red epoxy), a cleaning solution, a vacuum pump, a few simple tools, and a hot air gun is all that is required.

-------------------------

All-alumunium Micro-Channel Condenser Internal View

*img189.imageshack.us/img189/6894/imgprmicrochannel.jpg

With the advantages of all-aluminium micro-channel condensers stated above I believe it is clear that they offer to be a more performance oriented, durable and viable solution over the old RTPF design and hold to be the future of residential air conditioning solutions. They improve cooling performance (EER), condenser capacity and evaporator capacity compared to the baseline systems using a RTPF condenser. These contributions are caused by the superior heat-transfer characteristic of a micro-channel condenser, lower refrigerant-side pressure drop, and consequently lower condensing temperature - resulting in requiring less work from compressor increasing its lifespan.

Some time ago I made a comparison between two identical models having different types of condensers. One had RTPF (Panasonic CS-ZC15PKY) and the other all-aluminum micro-channel (Panasonic CS-ZC15PKY-3). Naturally the CS-ZC15PKY-3 had better performance.

Link: Panasonic CS-ZC15PKY-3 VS Panasonic CS-ZC15PKY

I hope no more explaining from my part is required regarding the use of all-aluminium micro-channel condenser in Sharp AH-XP18MV.:)
 
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abraham

Broken In
Dear RishiGuru,

Tried to send you a private message but looks like its not working since by "Sent" folder shows no messages. In case you have got the same, please excuse the spamming and repetition. Furthermore there was an error in the message since I mentioned 162 sq meter instead of 162 sq ft. Here's the message I sent:

Dear Mr. RishiGuru,

Thanks for an in-depth review of the Sharp 1.5T Inverter AC. Really appreciate the painstaking meticulousness of your research, but more than that, your willingness to share your findings, so that it can benefit all those who are wanting to invest in an AC.

Just would like to know your feelings about your purchase, now that almost 8 months have gone by. More than the technical aspects, I would like to know of your experience, specifically on the :
1. Performance of the AC- cooling, sound, problem free performance, etc.
2. About the after sale service which Sharp provides, and lastly,
3. The savings in electricity consumption- whether it is to the tune of 70% (as compared to the non-inverter models) as Sharp claims.

Am from Mumbai and I have been told that the after sales service which Sharp provides, leaves a lot to be desired. Of course, I have no idea as to the veracity of these complaints- whether they are real or perceived/subjective. But then, there are quite a few people who make the same complaint about the service and I feel that there possibly could be some fire responsible for all the smoke.

I am also planning to buy an AC and am evaluating different models and tonnage. Prima facie, I have narrowed down on two brands- Daikin and Sharp. Both are inverter controlled and have R410A as refrigerant. One main confusion I have is with respects to the tonnage. You see, I have bedroom which is 162 sq ft in area, not directly facing the sun and with floors above us. The Daikin engineer say that I have to go for a 1 ton AC ( FTKS35EVMA) whereas the Sharp Engineer says that a 0.75 ton Sharp AC (AH-XP 10 LV*) is the best choice. The reason for this he says is that, the latter Sharp model has a rated cooling range of 900-3280 watts. He says that the peak cooling range of 3280 watts is equivalent to around 0.9 T which is sufficient to initially cool down the room and then it gradually steps down to the minimum cooling range of 900 W to maintain the temperature. Is that true ? Or is he trying to confuse me because Sharp does not have a 1 T inverter controlled AC model. They have only a 1.1T. By the way the cooling range of the Daikin 0.75 Tonne model (FTKS25EVMA) is 1200-3000 watts.

Also which according to you would be a good time to buy an AC to get the best possible price ? Now to January ( winter/ off-season) ? Or some time in February/ March ( summer/ peak season). Some reviews say that off season is the best time to purchase since dealers tend to empty out old stocks and so give best discounts. Others, say that season is the best time when companies announce a lot of price deals. Which of this correct ? Of course, too early before the season means voiding the precious warranty period, since it is only from the season that the actual usage would start. By the way, I was quoted the following:

Sharp AH-XP 10 LV 0.75 Tonne-Rs.28,305
Daikin FTKS25EVMA 0.75 Tonne- Rs. 31,200
Sharp AH-XP13NRV 1.1 Tonne-Rs.33,291
Daikin FTKS35EVMA 1 tonne-Rs.38,150

Are the above good rates ? The initial cost is not a major factor in deciding between 0.75 T vs 1 T models. But the choice of a higher than optimum tonnage is going to push up my recurrent usage cost because of higher power consumption.

I know that my query has become quite long and apologize if it causes you any inconvenience. I shall be most obliged if you could help me by giving me good advice.

Cheers,

Abraham
 

The Incinerator

Human Spambot
Im using the 1.5 tonner Inverter and its amazingly efficient. Its electric consumption is criminally low. If the power company had a provision they would have sued Sharp. Even after using it for almost 10-12 +hrs on an average and some days almost 24hrs non stop its returning only a Rs 1350 bill.Some months where the average usage is low or 6-8 hrs for im getting a bill of Rs 750 max. Chills brilliant ,Im using it for a 266 sqft room and on top theres a roof:-o

The external unit so damn silent ,you wont believe.The build quality of the indoor/outdoor unit is bomb proof.Its the best AC available in India.
 

abraham

Broken In
Thanks Incinerator.

So this means that the Companies claims of up to 70% reduction in electricity consumption is true indeed !!

What about the service response of Sharp, specifically, in Mumbai ? Anyone with any experience on this ??

Bump---Mr. Rishi...awaiting your advice.

Cheers, Abraham
 

The Incinerator

Human Spambot
Service experience was damn good atleast in Kolkata. I just gave them a call regarding a loose screw in the cabinet due to transort and within two hours there was senior service guy knocking on my door :shock: The next day during installation the senior service guy again made sure over the phone that the installers vacuum my copper lines before firing my ac up:) Service wise excellent.

The 70% claim holds true if you run the AC at 26C all the time.And 26C does cool which is what I do after running it in 20C for 4 hours.Even at 22C it will be efficient as the AC consumes only 1440 watts max compared to convectional ones which consumes way over 1800 watts.
 

abraham

Broken In
Thanks again, Incinerator. That sort of settles it. Only two questions remain

1. What tonnage do I need for a 162 sq ft room. The Sharp 0.75 T AC AH-XP 10 LV or the 1.1T AC AH-XP13NRV. The Sharp engineer recommends the 0.75T since he says it has a rated cooling range of 900-3280 watts and that the peak cooling range of 3280 watts is equivalent to around 0.9 T which is sufficient to initially cool down the room and then it gradually steps down to the minimum cooling range of 900 W to maintain the temperature

2. When to buy to get the best deal -off season ( Jan/ Feb) or in season ( summer)

Any inputs on these questions ?

Regards,

Abraham
 
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