Suggestion needed on types of Split AC's?

Question

For a small room, i've heard from my friends that a 1.5 tonne Split AC (18000 BTU) is sufficient to cool the room. When i went to the dealer shop to look at various options, i found 1.6 tonne Split AC (18500 BTU) for a small price difference than that of a 1.5 tonne AC and also noted that it has many more features in it. Am i correct in purchasing a 1.6 tonne Split AC (instead of 1.5 tonne AC) because a 1.6 tonne AC cools the room quicker than a 1.5 tonne one (and it turns off once it reaches a set temperature) and hence, overall current consumed by 1.6 tonne will be less? Please advise what to choose when taken power consumption into account.

Answer 1

In general you should avoid oversizing an AC unit. The unit will work most efficiently when the size closely matches the load. That said the size difference you mention is quite small and so there is probably no important difference in efficiency due to sizing in this case. Therefore, you should base your decision on the extra features and the price difference.