SMART SPENDER>BUYER’S GUIDE

Buyer’s Guide to Air Conditioners

The hot summer’s near and it’s time to turn the A/C on. If you’re buying an air conditioner for the first time or need to replace your ancient model, here’s a checklist of what to look for

By Carlos Gonzales

Thirty four degrees Celsius is not “warm.” It’s the “Sahara Desert.” Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration but summer nights can be awfully hot. Electric fans just won’t do it and if you’re still keeping your decrepit 80s- or 90s-era air conditioner, you’ll wonder if it has miraculously transformed into a heater or at least a glorified blower.

The average life expectancy of an air conditioner is around 10 years, after which it starts having more problems. The longer you hold on to it, the less sense to have it fixed since repairing it may not be cost-effective and will likely not do much good in the long haul. You might as well buy a new unit that’s much more energy efficient and will last a longer time.

So whether you’re replacing a unit or buying for the first time, there are five things you should consider:

1. Type

Air conditioners come in at least four types: window, split, centralized, and portable. Your choice depends on your space requirements and budget.

Window: This is the most common type for home use, particularly for small rooms, installed through a window or a hollow area of a wall. Pros: ideal for small rooms, relatively inexpensive, and easy to install. Cons: a bit unsightly, can’t handle big spaces.

Split system: A notch above window types are split systems, which come in either as a package (no outdoor components, but take up room space) or in separate components (indoor and outdoor). They can also be wall mounted, floor mounted, or ceiling suspended. A variant is a multi split system, which is similar to a split system except one outdoor component powers multiple indoor parts, thus is able to cool the entire house instead of just one room. Pros: cools bigger space better, sleek and compact design, quieter. Cons: more expensive, require professional installation.

Central ducted: A centralized system uses an indoor unit linked to an outdoor compressor unit that pumps cool air through flexible ductwork around your house. Pros: efficient, quiet, cools entire house. Cons: most expensive type, difficult to install.

Portable: The newer portable air conditioners can be rolled around the house. Pros: portable, cheaper, consume less energy, simple to install. Cons: less powerful, can’t be a substitute for standard types.

For most homes, a window type or split system is sufficient. But if you have a big house, centralized air conditioning may be a better option. For living rooms and kitchens, a portable unit will suffice.

2. Size

The most crucial factor to consider when buying an A/C is its size, which should be based on how big your room is. If it’s too small for your room, it will not be cool enough and your air conditioner has to work harder, thus consuming more energy and jacking up your electricity bill. If it’s too large, it may cool your room fast but it will feel damp and humid since there isn’t enough time to remove moisture. There are generally three sizes for window and split type units:

Small: For rooms smaller than 25 sq.m. Horsepower: 1.0 HP or below unit. Capacity: 8,440 to 10,550 kJ/hr (kilojoules per hour).

Mid-sized: For rooms between 25 and 44 sq.m. Horsepower: 1.5 or 2.0 HP. Capacity: 12,661 to 22,156 kJ/hr.

Large: For rooms between 50 and 72 sq.m. Horsepower: 2.5 or 3.0 HP unit Capacity: 24,266 to 35,872 kJ/hr.  

For most rooms, small- and mid-sized air conditioners are enough. Aside from the room area, you should also take into account factors like ceiling height, other appliances, natural light, number of occupants, and adjust the required cooling capacity and horsepower accordingly.

3. Features

This is what sales people will highlight to differentiate their models from competitors. So what exactly should you look for?

Inverter: This automatically adjusts the fan and motor speed of the A/C to cool down rooms quickly and more efficiently as well as maintain a constant temperature, which can save on power consumption. Models with inverters are a little more expensive but they can save 30%-50% in electricity.

Energy Savers: Look for a set of operating modes that help save energy usage, such as a timer, sleep mode, energy saving mode, auto restart, and the like.

Air Direction: You’re A/C is installed usually at either side of a wall, rarely at the center, so you need to direct airflow toward one side. Look for a model that has air flow control steps, air direction control, and a remote control.

Purifiers: Newer models have the ability to filters dirt and dust particles (even germs) to purify the air in the room as well as remove odors.

Dehumidifier: Removes some the humidity in the room without having to cool the room, so this should

There are other extra features that may appeal to you. Just remember that the more functions there, the more expensive.

4. Efficiency

Don’t just look for the initial purchase price but the total cost of ownership. The critical aspect is efficiency, which affects electricity consumption. What you should look for is an Energy Star rating, expressed in EER (energy efficiency ratio), which indicates how good an air conditioner is at turning electricity into cooling. For every point difference in EER, you save 10% in electricity cost. Air conditioners manufactured after October 2000 should have at least a 9.7 EER. To get the yellow Energy Star label, the unit must have a 10.7 EER.

5. Noise

Many air conditioners are noisier than your snoring spouse, which makes sleeping a bigger challenge. So if you’re a light sleeper, look for a unit that runs quietly in the background, not blaring scandalously. Some models indicate their low and high indoor and outdoor noise levels in decibels (dB). The lower the number, the quieter it is.

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Saving On Your Coffee

Budgeting for your caffeine intake can give you the best aroma for your finances. Find out how

By Lynda C. Corpuz

Coffee starts and ends the day for Australian and master mariner Robin Lockwood, 42 – one big mug of strong instant coffee with milk and no sugar before his shower, and another mug before he goes to work. (He can finish off a 500 gm. jar of about AU D60 in only two weeks at times). He also can have café latte (up to AUD 5 per order) with his steak and it would not give him any stomach problem. Before bed time, he can have another two mugs of his brand of coffee or pick up from Mccas (McDonalds) on his drive home and to cap his long day.

Whether it was plainly for the caffeine fix, how we like coffee varies – and at times, puts a strain on our budget.

Spending for your blend and brew

When Robin was in the Philippines, coffee was a must – and kept him company while waiting for his fiancée to arrive for their meet-ups. He would hang out at Bo’s Coffee Club in Glorietta and order, yes, a big mug of café latte, and read a book until his fiancée arrived. On occasions, he would have another round of his favorite blend with her. He has been to Kota Kinabalu, Singapore, Italy, France, the Mediterranean, Japan, America, and among other countries, and he did try those coffee offers each of those locations has. “Like how I enjoy quality, at times, pricey bottle of wine, I don’t mind spending for my coffee. I know what I want and my kind or brew, or the “proper coffee” (those offered in specialty coffee shops) versus the instant brands I like,” he says.

Ordering from a nearby coffee shop

As for the new generation of Filipino coffee lovers, it’s not just about having a caffeine fix, it is about a host of other factors that define how the coffee culture is very much a part of our daily lives.

For tax accountant Maria Cristina Salvosa, 27, a daily trip to Starbucks near her office for her favorite Chocolate Frappuccino is a planned spending. She adds, she goes to the US-coffee chain not because she has coffee as favorite, but more for convenience, as Starbucks is the most ubiquitous of them all. Despite being around in almost every corner, Starbucks gets full, so Cristina would go to either Gloria Jeans coffee (for brownies) or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for its tea offers. “Although I go to Starbucks everyday, I only have one round of my favorite blend. It has always been a planned spending since I have budget for that. And I spend about P700 for my coffee blend,” she cites.

Drinking for the ambiance

Brunei-based copywriter Earvin Charles Cabalquinto, 26, loves the local coffee chain Figaro, especially its SM North branch for its ambiance, and its coffee and pastries, of course. “Plus, I prefer experiencing the outdoors than the shop’s interiors,” he adds. His alternatives are Starbucks and Coffee Bean, because they are everywhere and more popular.

Boosting your day

Earvin adds he likes Oreo flavor blend because it boosts him when he is gloomy and it feels like it brings out the child in him. “Admit or not, coffee could also be a reflection of our childish cravings!” he exclaims.

Depending on the mood

Depending on his mood and availability, Earvin says he gets his caffeine fix from his favored coffee shops about a maximum of thrice a week. He admits it is a part of his impulsive purchases. “Sometimes, simply walking at the mall and seeing a group of teenagers hanging around while enjoying their coffee provokes me to buy one. Plus, the smell of the coffee makes me drool. It’s totally tempting and irresistible,” he reasons.

Satisfying crave

Donor relations specialist Anna May Patao Aldana, 32, she goes to Starbucks for Caramel Coffee Jelly or Seattle’s Best for Javakula, which she says is perfect for non-coffee addicts. She adds she goes to these shops only when she has a craving, since she doesn’t classify herself as a regular drinker. For her, going to the coffee shops are expensive. “So it should be a planned spending,” she points out.

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Brew Your Savings

Literally it is the latte factor – many of us dismiss that a grande café latte of P115 from Starbucks is not that much – but multiply that by five (being five working days a week, where most usually frequent these coffee chains), you spend P575 a week, P2,300 a month, and P27,600 a year – such money for specialty coffee alone. This is excluding your weekend trips to the coffee shops at that.

The following are suggestions on how to still have your coffee fix, and at the same, fix your budget:

Brew from home. Invest in a good coffee maker or an espresso machine, buy your bag of beans and have them grind (or purchase also a coffee grinder), get filters, and prepare your coffee at home. Some will argue that preparing coffee daily is more laborious than going to the store, but it is about making it a routine – setting up your coffee machine would be as easy as entering a shop, waiting in line, and having your coffee.

If you really can’t avoid going to the coffee shop, you may try the following:

Dig the perks. Most coffee shops offer rewards or gift cards that entitles you to a host of perks, like free brewed coffee refills, free add-ons like syrup for select drinks, free drink when you buy a whole bean, or free hour or so of Wi-Fi use. Some of these shops also offer online promos like free coupons, or coffee club meets and tours.

Try an alternative. If you only prefer your coffee as brewed, then it might save you buying from McCafé than Seattle’s Best. (McCafé is also now giving Starbucks a tough competition in the overseas market). Better, try the local coffee chains, like Bo’s Coffee Club, Figaro, or Coffee Dream, which also make blends comparable to those offers of foreign brands.

Share a drink. Depending on the store policy, it may be possible to request for your drink to split – say, order a venti and split in two glasses than buying two tall orders. Also, it would also be good to have a friend to share this similar drink with you – you get your coffee and you also get to enjoy it with a good company at that.

Be nice. Frequent customers like Robin, Cristina, Earvin, and May, on occasions get freebies from their favorite coffee chain. The key is to be the friendliest customer you can be. Baristas who know their customers well – from what time they come in to their regular order – not only serve them well, but also can, at times, give their loyal patrons freebies or perks and discounts.

Robin jokes, had he stayed longer in the Philippines and the Glorietta Starbucks baristas got to know him well, he would probably be having his café latte for free. “They were friendly with me right from the start, asking why I was there, and would I be regularly getting my coffee from them. I told them I was just on a visit, and still, the few times I went there, I was served all right, and chatted with often,” he cites.

Cut on your coffee trips. Better, save those trips to the coffee shops on special occasions, like meeting friends on Friday night-outs or hanging out on weekends, or a friend or relative from abroad comes home.

Truly, the coffee shops are more than just for coffee, they have become the mecca for most activities outside of home (usually after lunch or dinner, a movie, or touring the mall), and it would not hurt to spend for such deserved bonding or business-related occasions.

TABLE:

Your Coffee Shop Guide

Listed here are the coffee shops with most branches in the metro, with their coffee menu and prices. McCafé offers the lowest price for P50 for a regular espresso, while Starbucks’ lowest offer is P80 for a short brewed coffee (figure gathered as of January 15, 2009):

By Lynda C. Corpuz

Nurse Cristina Rotor, 27, spent about P8,000 buying holiday gifts for her grandchildren, friends, parents, and boyfriend (plus his parents and brother). Call center agent, Russell Macahilas, 31, meanwhile, spent on an appliance showcase of 32” TV, component, and refrigerator. The price: about P50,000 to P100,000 – all spent for her Christmas last year.

Cristina and Russell say that though they spent that much for 2007 holidays, it was a planned spending for them. How about you? Have you already set aside a budget for this Yuletide season? Or are you guilty of the following holiday spending mistakes?

Holiday hangover: You get “blind’ during the holidays. With the 13th, 14th, and whatever bonuses you receive during the end of the year, you somehow get lost with how much money you’re receiving. That financial blindness you’re having can be attributed to the misconception of the more you spend, the more you make people happy (by giving them gifts they probably don’t like in the first place).

Holiday check: Draw a holiday budget. Even Santa Claus keeps a list of what to give to those who are nice all year round (all right, Santa Claus may not true, but his gift-giving list is). Having such list will help you track of what you should buy (and for how many) versus what you would actually spend when you hit the mall, check a holiday bazaar, or brave your way to 168 in Divisoria.

Holiday hangover: You’re having “holiday guilt.” You just thought your homemade chocolate chip cookies suck and not suitable as giveaway or you think you should give a more expensive gift to your Mom because you’re closer to her than to your Dad, or you got an unexpected present from your grumpy boss or an office enemy. Such situations, among others, could put you on the spot and lead you to overspend, as you don’t want to deal with such holiday guilt.

Holiday check: Be guilt free. It’s always said that it’s the thought that counts, but at times, we overspend so as to please everybody this holiday season. But think of the global financial crunch, surely those you love (and are wishing to receive gifts from you) are also in the savings mode, and would probably not to expect much this so-called difficult time.

Holiday hangover: You procrastinate. True, there are mall-wide sales all year round, and you probably bought in advanced some of your Christmas giveaways from these, but you’ve been putting off sending those gifts, say, to your relatives in the province or in abroad.

Holiday check: Shop early, wrap fast, and send those gifts on time. The more you shop late, the more you have to content with overpriced items and deal with the throng of late holiday-shoppers like you. Also, send those gifts to faraway recipients before the Yuletide rush, or end up paying more for the shipping cost. While this country follows holiday economics (where public holidays are moved to the nearest weekend), Christmas is that one holiday that’s fixed here, so that should keep you in track to spread the holiday cheer on time.

As for Cristina and Russell, they will not have to deal with such holiday blunders, for they are keen not to spend that much, compared to what they spent last year.

For Cristina, she’s not sure if she’s going to spend that much again this season. “Because whenever I hit the mall and I see something that I know is ‘perfect’ for a particular person, I buy it right away, and that serves as my holiday gift,” she shares. But she’s sure she would still spend on toys, clothes, bags (for her), among other things.

For Russell, she says she will not spend that much anymore, or get anything that is too expensive. “I’m now saving for some travel options,” she ends.

By Carlos Gonzales

It’s a good thing gas prices are going down. But don’t expect this will go on forever. World oil is notorious for drastic price changes. So develop good habits of saving on gas now.

1. Don’t be idle. A big no-no: letting the engine run, with the air conditioning on, while waiting or parked. That’s actually more wasteful than restarting the engine. So, if you have to wait more than a minute, open the car windows and turn the engine off. In the same way, make your warm-ups short. Half a minute is long enough, so drive off.

2. Don’t be fast and furious. Don’t rev up your engine, even if you think you’re Vin Diesel. And be gentle on the brake and gas pedals. Hard stops and fast starts waste fuel.

3. Gas up properly. Buy gas at cooler hours, like early morning or at night, to reduce gas evaporation. Also, avoid buying higher octane gas than necessary. And don’t overfill the tank to prevent evaporation.

4. Don’t be a drag. Take out stuff you don’t need from the backseat or trunk. Every extra 100 pounds of excess weight reduces fuel economy by 1%-2%.

5. Take care of your tires. Make sure your tires are properly inflated; otherwise it will take your engine more effort and energy to run. It’s costly too, adding six percent to fuel consumption for every pound the tire is under inflated.

6. Tune up. Get a regular tune-up as recommended by your car manufacturer. That includes changing your oil and filters regularly, to keep the engine running smoothly. Poorly tuned engines increase fuel consumption by 10%-20%.

A young family shows how to be peso-wise
By Heinz Bulos

Raising a growing family is a challenge for anyone, and many just let their finances get out of control. Not the Ramoses. Cynthia Ramos, 35, and her family are savvy consumers.

They buy non-food items in bulk to pay for today’s lower prices. And they avoid the frequent trips to the grocery, which means more gas, more merienda on the side, and more effort. They always make a list and refrain from buying things not on it. For fresh food, they buy from the wet market, where it’s often fresher and cheaper than supermarkets.

When malls hold sales at 50%-70% off on children’s clothes and shoes, Cynthia buys 3 to 5 items for each of their two children, including items a size bigger for future use. She waits for major price reductions for shoes, bags, clothes and make-up. For house decors, they frequent Tiendesitas and Kanlaon, where they hunt for bargains and at the same time support cottage industries.

They’re role models for the environment too, as they recycle whatever they can. She says, “Our helper collects bottles of suka, patis, toyo, and newspapers and magazines. The proceeds go to our helper. You help someone and you also help the environment.” They also teach their children to conserve water, even employing that Barney song to remind them (“Oh, I never let the water run”). They save on electricity, thanks to their air-conditioner with timer and free fan. They cook for more than one meal and store leftovers in the freezer, since re-heating entails less time and uses less LPG. Cynthia sometimes arranges carpools with her neighbor or sister.

They often bring the kids to the movies, but they carry their kids’ snacks and drinks instead of buying exorbitantly priced popcorn and sodas at the cinema. They also avoid Timezone when they’re with the kids as it’s practically a money trap. Rather, they create fun games at home using existing toys and computer games, even using their own point system and giving out prizes.

They also time their vacations when low-cost packages are offered. “Try the Palakbayan packages of PAL for domestic vacations. Or try the Cebu Pacific seat sales,” she points out. And when she needs a little pampering, she gets a massage at home for just P200 to P250, half or a quarter of what it would cost going to a day spa. “You can even sleep longer,” notes Cynthia. “But be sure to pick one with a good reputation.”