Pick of the cool crop

These air-conditioners are an environmentally-friendly solution to staying cool.

TEXT Tricia Law

All air-conditioners come with refrigerant, also known as coolant. This chemical compound is contained within the system’s coils, and their job is to absorb environmental heat and provide refrigeration to the air-con unit.

As it travels through the air-con system’s compressors and evaporators, the refrigerant continuously shifts between liquid and gaseous states, chilling the indoor air in the process.

Among the many refrigerants, the R32, which is part of the HCFC (hydrofluorocarbon) family, has a number of benefits. For one, this organic gas has a lower global warming potential as it does not contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer. It’s also easier to reuse and recycle and has a high energy efficiency, thus reducing your energy bills.

For these reasons, air-con manufacturers prefer to use R32 in their units.

And these new-generation inverter air-con models are our pick of the crop for keeping our homes cool while being kind to the environment.

LG R32 REFRIGERANT AIR-CON

The compact design is perfect for HDB homes. Among its features are Plasmaster Ionizer+ (ARTCOOL MIRROR model), comprising a special sterilisation and deodorisation system. This system sterilises the air passing through the unit with over three million ions, thus removing unpleasant odours and protecting users from harmful particles that can negatively impact their health. Climate-friendly, it has a five-tick energy efficiency rating, and it integrates ThinQ so you can control and monitor it remotely, anytime, using your smartphone.

PANASONIC X-PREMIUM INVERTER R32 SERIES

This series of airconditioners boasts nanoeX air purification technology, which has been shown to effectively inhibit the novel coronavirus and various types of pollutants like mould, pollen and allergens; reduce unpleasant odours; and moisturise skin and hair. Plus, it has a five-tick energy efficiency rating from the NEA (National Environment Agency). It also includes built-in Wi-Fi so you can control the units anywhere, anytime; the new Aerowings, which provides airflow as far as 15m away; and iAutoX for faster cooling.