Buy-It In Israel

Air conditioners – indispensable for every home in Israel

Posted on 25. Mar, 2010 by Buy-It In Israel Staff in Miscellaneous

©iStockphoto.com/Maksym Kravtsov

As the summer approaches, temperatures are climbing and humidity levels are reaching a high that make even shade uncomfortable, the time has come to think about investment into new or additional air conditioning systems. The summers in Israel have in recent years been hotter than past ones, and as new apartments in Israel are now bigger, more machines are needed to keep them cool.

Every year there are newer and more efficient models and the price of systems has also fallen slightly, while at the same time customers are prepared to pay more for “green” machines in light of rising energy prices. On average Israelis are spending around NIS 8,000 on air conditioning systems in their homes.

Olim (new immigrants) are entitled to to buy Israeli manufactured items tax free, within Israel.  This currently applies to Israeli manufactured refrigerators and air conditioning systems on which new immigrants will not have to pay the 16% VAT, which is levied on the sale price. The new immigrant discount for air conditioners needs to be used within the first three years of making aliyah.

On average households in Israel today have two air conditioners. In Israel there are 3 major companies manufacturing air conditioners, which are Tadiran Air Conditioners Ltd., Amcor, and Electra Air Conditioning Ltd/Elco . There are other smaller companies such as Pereg, Arie Krool Engines Ltd., etc., although almost all of them market air conditioners of the major companies.

The main differences between the companies and the models are in the design, efficiency, and features. The three main features to consider when selecting a system are loudness, strength of the cooling engine, and the ability to heat in cold weather since these systems are used also for heating.

More specifically the choice of the system will depend on how much space of an apartment needs to be cooled in order to determine the power needed. The higher the BTU value, the stronger the air conditioner is. As a general rule, it is recommended to have a cooling capacity of 25000 BTU for a space of 50 square meters. However, it also depends on the layout of an apartment, if it is a closed room, or if it is opened with a staircase etc., the usage of the space and the number of people using the space. For example, a closed room used as a bed room will need less BTUs.

The majority of air conditioning systems used in Israel are split systems, where the compressor is installed on the outside and the fan on the inside. This type of installation has the advantage that you do not have to make large holes in an apartment, and the noisiest part of the system is not in installed in the living room.

In terms of models there is a choice between using a floor model or a wall model. The former is generally a bit bigger and has a greater variety of model choice. In recent years, the wall model has become more popular since it has the advantage of being tucked away high on the wall and as such does not take away living room space. In most cases, the unit is placed over a window so that it is not taking any wall space either.

The trend of environmentally-friendly systems coupled with rising energy prices has spurred the demand for “green” air conditioning systems in Israel. A few years ago, Electra brought the inverter system, which was pioneered in Europe, to its air conditioners. To save energy, an inverter lowers its power consumption to 10% after cooling a room, unlike traditional models, which simply turn off. When the room needs to be cooled again, the machine automatically returns to normal output. The inverters save energy because the machine is always on. A large percentage of consumption is used when starting up, so traditional machines consume more power every time they turn on again. Although air conditioning systems that have inverters are more expensive they are growing in popularity.

For some customers depending on the usage buying portable air conditioners can be more efficient. The portable device pushes one horsepower, while stationary devices often push more; they can fit in the backseat of a car, so people can bring them from home to work.

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