Air Conditioner (AC) Buying Checklist

1. If you are buying an Inverter AC, check the warranty on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board), the electronic that does climate control.
2. Look for a chemical coating on the condenser and fins (prevents salt deposit, rust etc.)
3. If it’s a split AC, vacuum the system to evacuate moisture and air (Connect the pump to the service port on the outdoor unit and get the Copper pipe vacuumed before switching on the AC for the first time). The pump should run for several minutes (I read 30 mins somewhere). Check with the service person before they arrive to bring the vacuum pump.
4. The installation charge is around Rs 1,500 (The company usually gives 3 Mts Copper pipe and electric wire).
5. Use a voltage stabilizer with the AC (costs around Rs 2,000)

P.S. – Inverter ACs are akin to climate control in cars, they automatically switch on/off to maintain a range of temperature. With traditional ACs, you might have to do this manually. IMO, one is not

P.P.S. – On most online articles I found stuff like, “measure your room size”, “window vs Split AC”, “check energy star rating” etc. I think that is something that most people would have decided already and the above list might be more useful as a final checklist.