Panasonic 2 Ton 3 Star Hot and Cold Wi-Fi Inverter Smart Split AC (Copper, 7 in 1 Convertible with additional AI Mode, Twin Cool, PM 0.1 Air…

 I assumed there is 4 way swing available in this model also as it’s available in the non hot and cold model.

I got really very disappointed as soon as the product got installed and I got to know that it doesn’t have 4 way available.

I can understand that it’s my mistake that i assumed but I am not able to understand why the hell Panasonic is not providing 4 way swing in their top of the line expensive AC !!!!!!!!!!

 Short Review –> Bought this exact model AC from local Panasonic dealer just over 2 months ago. It’s a poorly made unrefined product with multiple issues and offers very inconsistent performance and efficiency. The after sales service is abysmal as well. Don’t buy this product if you value your money.

Long Review –> Alright. Here it goes!

Buying Decision:- With over a decade of good experience with Daikin and having heard only praises of Panasonic, I narrowed down my choice to this AC and Daikin’s FTHT60 model. I chose this unit from Panasonic over the Daikin because this is a 2 ton unit while the Daikin’s a 1.8. Both being hot and cold and very closely priced.

Buying Experience:- The local Panasonic dealer was sweet and fast. Flawless service. Product delivered just 2-3 hours after payment and the price was 57k INR.

Post Delivery Inspection:- Being a DIY person with an interest in ACs, I had a look inside and was disappointed. The indoor unit had black greasy hand marks inside, and in the outdoor unit, I saw a simple capillary tube instead of an electronic expansion valve despite the PCB having a connector for the same (see attached pictures). The supplied power chord was of anemic 1.5 sq. mm thickness for a product rated 12.5 Amps max! The build quality and fit and finish in general is bad with very apparent and in my opinion excessive cost cutting.

Installation:- 2 guys came to install the unit the next day. They were the most unknowledgeable and ill-equipped AC folks I ever saw. They didn’t even knew what a vacuum pump is and what it does. They struggled through every step of the process and didn’t knew how things are done right. I helped them as much as I could but they ignored my suggestions even at the cost of making things more difficult for themselves. Silver lining was that they didn’t charge anything.

Performance and Efficiency:- This is the most inconsistent AC I’ve ever experienced in terms of performance and efficiency. It cools very well and the power consumption is absurdly low (under 300 Watts at what seems like the minimum compressor speed) for a 2 ton unit. But the moment temperature rises to and past the mid-30s Celsius, the performance is just average and the whole thing screams while the compressor whines pulling well over 2500 Watts from the grid! I know this ambient temperature Vs. power consumption thing is not linear but I’ve seen many ACs that are a lot more consistent performers at this game. I am yet to experience heating mode.

Refinement:- The indoor unit is noisy even when set to quite mode. As for the outdoor, the compressor whine and wind noise are not too bad but a loud gurgling sound ruins it all.

Features:- For me, it has all the features that I don’t need and none I actually want. It has all the WiFi stuff but it won’t tell me exactly how fast the compressor is going at any moment like my Daikin FTHT50 does and it displays the actual room temperature in fan only mode only. Also, the horizontal air throw direction adjustment is manual.

Issues:- 3 issues till now:-

1. Since day 1, this AC has had a loud and very annoying gurgling sound coming from the compressor side of the outdoor unit at slow compressor speeds (see attached video). This sound is also audible inside the room when the ambient noise levels are low.
2. After slightly over a month of use, the indoor unit fan has developed a very faint intermittent ticking sound.
3. The remote control has also developed a mind of its own. Sometimes, if I turn the AC on, leave it running of 5-6 hours, and then press any button on the remote, the remote factory resets itself!

After sales service:- I contacted Panasonic via their toll free number regarding the gurgling sound. They said that a technician will visit and check my AC “within 24 hours.” Well, it actually took them 6 days (with a lot of venting on the phone) and all their technician did was listen to the gurgling sound from the outdoor and suggest me to relocate the outdoor unit far away from the room so that the noise doesn’t reach inside.

My final verdict:- This is my first and last Panasonic AC. I would never advice anyone to buy a Panasonic AC based on my experience. The product is poorly made and the company behind it clearly doesn’t care about its customers.