Consumer Council｜Hitachi’s air conditioner claims that its cooling capacity does not match the energy efficiency label

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Written by: Ouyang Dehao

2021-04-15 10:00

Last update date: 2021-04-15 10:26

Summer is approaching, and many families are about to replace their air conditioners to welcome the hot summer. Inverter split type air conditioners have become a popular choice for the public in recent years.

The Consumer Council announced today (15th) the latest investigation report, which refers to the testing of 14 inverter split air conditioners commonly known as "half-horse", and found that one of Hitachi's air conditioners claimed to have a cooling capacity nearly 18% lower than the actual air conditioner. %.

The Mitsubishi air conditioner, which has a higher cooling capacity than claimed, has the weakest dehumidification effect of the air conditioner.

The Consumer Council also found that during the warranty period, taking the service of cleaning indoor and outdoor units in the urban area as an example, the cost can range from 1,000 to 3,000 yuan, and the charge in the suburbs can be as high as 4,250 yuan.

The Consumer Council tested 14 inverter split air conditioners and found that some air conditioners failed to meet the requirements of the "Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme".

(Provided by the Consumer Council)

The 14 inverter split air conditioners tested by the Consumer Council this time claimed cooling capacity from 3.2 kW to 3.6 kW. The energy efficiency labels of all samples were marked as Class 1, and the prices ranged from RMB 5,980 to RMB 11,980.

Among them, 4 models have included the basic installation fee, while the rest will be charged an additional fee of 1,750 or 11,980, or depending on individual stores.

An air conditioner from Hitachi failed to meet the standards.

However, for consumers, the cooling capacity of air conditioners is of utmost importance.

The Consumer Council’s test found that Hitachi (RAS-DX13DK/RAC-DX13HDK) claimed to have the lowest cooling capacity of 2.64 kilowatts, which is 17.6% lower than its claimed 3.2 kilowatts, failed to comply with the "Compulsory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme". "Requirements.

According to the Consumer Council, the test results have been submitted to the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department for follow-up.

In addition to Hitachi’s air conditioner, there are also 4 sample models with a cooling capacity of 0.5% to 2.5% lower than the product claim, including Thailand’s Daikin FTXM36SV1N/RXM36SV1N (-0.5%) and Malaysia’s Lexin brand RS -RE12UK (-1.7%), Chinese-made MS-12HRF8A (-2.5%), and Chinese-made York YDEK12/YDDK12 (-0.5%).

The Consumer Council pointed out that although the above air conditioners still comply with international standards, there is still room for improvement.

The committee found that the dehumidification effect of the highest wind speed gear of various air conditioners in a standard environment is uneven.

(Profile picture)

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' maximum air supply is only 5% of the cooling capacity can dehumidify

In addition to the cooling function of the air conditioner, it also has a dehumidifying function.

The Consumer Council found that in the standard environment, the dehumidification effect of the highest wind speed gear is uneven for each sample. For example, it claims that 27% of the cooling capacity of the Carrier 42/38QCEP12VE/38QCEP12VE made in China has dehumidification effect.

On the contrary, although the air conditioner of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries SRK35ZSH-S/SRC35ZSXH-S has the highest air supply volume, that is, the highest cooling energy efficiency, only about 5% of the cooling capacity produces dehumidification, which is the weakest dehumidification effect among many air conditioners. .

In addition, energy efficiency directly affects electricity bills. According to the estimation of the Consumer Council, if it is calculated at 1.2 yuan per kilowatt-hour of electricity, assuming that air-conditioning is used for 180 days a year and turned on for 12 hours a day, the annual electricity bill for each sample varies from 657 to 1,023 yuan. Wait, the difference is 366 yuan.

That is, the air conditioner with the lowest and highest energy efficiency has a difference of 56% in electricity bills each year.

Among them, the lowest required electricity bill is 657 yuan, which is the most efficient Mitsubishi air conditioner, while the lowest-efficiency Hitachi air conditioner performs the worst, requiring 1,023 yuan.

However, in terms of price, the Mitsubishi air-conditioner with the highest air volume and the most energy-saving is the most expensive of the 14 models at 11,980 yuan; while the Hitachi air-conditioner with the lowest air volume and the highest electricity bill is cheaper. 8,330 yuan.

Among the various air conditioners, the cheapest is Samsung AR12TXHAAWKN/AR12TXHAAWKX, which is only 5,980 yuan.

The Consumer Council also stated that the wind speed has a great influence on dehumidification. If consumers want a stronger dehumidification effect, they can choose a lower wind speed.

(Data Picture/Photo by Gao Zhongming)

Discovery Bay cleaning service charges up to $4,250

The Consumer Council also reminded the public to pay attention to the warranty period and annual maintenance fee.

Only 3 air conditioners have a warranty period of up to 2 years.

Half of the compressors in air conditioners have a 5-year warranty, and the remaining 7 models only provide a 1- or 3-year warranty.

But after the warranty period, the annual renewal fee is 620 to 1,500 yuan.

During the warranty period, all agents provide free on-site inspection services for users in urban areas, but additional fees are required for remote areas.

However, after the warranty period, the on-site inspection fee in the urban area ranges from 370 to 950 yuan, with York air conditioners being the highest.

Even during the maintenance period, the charges for some services are also very different. Take the service of cleaning indoor and outdoor units in the city as an example. The cost can range from 1,000 to 3,000 yuan, of which Carrier and Toshiba are the highest, and Tung Chung is 3,000 yuan. The suburban Discovery Bay charges as much as $4,250.

The Consumer Council also stated that the wind speed has a great influence on dehumidification. If consumers want a stronger dehumidification effect, they can choose a lower wind speed.

However, low wind speed will make the refrigeration performance not fully utilized and energy efficiency is low, so it is not recommended to use low wind speed gear frequently.

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