The previous article analyzed the Japanese version of central air conditioners. This time we will talk about the domestic version of central air conditioners. Domestic central air conditioners started late. The major brands basically learned from Japanese products and relied on OEM or joint ventures to accumulate experience, which is very similar to the development of my country's automobile industry. "A gray line spreads thousands of miles." In the fierce market competition, the rise of a brand is not a one-day success, but comes from accumulation and accumulation. The reason why domestic central air-conditioning brands can "run" quickly is largely due to the long accumulation in the early stage. In recent years, domestic products have paid more and more attention to research and development, and many technologies have become mature. However, core components and technologies are still immature. For example, compressors basically rely on Japanese products.
1. Midea:
As the big brother of domestic home appliances, Midea is still very important. Midea was founded in 1968. After 54 years of development, it has become a global technology group integrating five major business sectors: smart home, building technology, industrial technology, robotics and automation, and digital innovation. It has invested nearly 45 billion in R&D funds in the past five years. (annual revenue accounts for more than 3.5%), with 28 R&D centers and 34 major production bases around the world. In 1999, China's household central air-conditioning market was basically dominated by Daikin. Midea, which had a keen market sense, actively cooperated with Toshiba on technology and introduced Toshiba's ultimate inverter technology into its own central air-conditioning products. Today, Midea has completed the acquisition of Toshiba's white appliance business and enjoys Toshiba's more than 4,000 patents in the air-conditioning field. It has gained both technical strength and brand reputation. With Toshiba's technical support, Midea has now mastered two key cores in the air-conditioning field, namely compressors and high-precision full DC inverter technology. Midea cooperated with Toshiba to establish Meizhi Compressor. Its excellent performance even allowed it to be sold back to the Japanese market and is now the standard configuration of Midea's home central air conditioners. Its Welling Motor, as a domestic first-line motor manufacturer, supplies to Midea's WeiLing Motor. Ling DC brushless motor greatly improves its performance and reduces noise. Midea's home central air conditioners currently mainly include the following series: Navigator, Ideal Home, MDS (Linglong), (TR+S, TR mini, and TRF have all been discontinued, skip them directly), and Cool Wind. Overall it looks like there are strong traces of Toshiba.
Midea’s central air conditioner has a 6-year warranty. Its after-sales service is like this. Whoever installs it is responsible for it in the first year. For example, if a dealer installs it, the dealer will install it in the first year. The dealer is responsible, and then Midea's own masters will be in charge, and the masters will be arranged by Midea's local authorized cooperation outlets. Midea's after-sales service is also second to none in the country, with fast response speed, 400 official customer service staff on duty 24 hours a day, and a Midea Service official account that can report repairs in real time.
1. Kufeng:
Kufeng central air conditioner is a product of Midea Refrigeration Division. It cannot even be called Midea central air conditioner. Now you understand what it means! There is no comparison between Kufeng and Midea's Linglong. The performance is good at lifting the hips, and the price is also cheap. There is really no need to buy it. In fact, the budget is limited and it is better to have a one-to-one air duct machine + split machine, which is much better than Cool Wind.
Conclusion: Take a direct detour when you see it.
2. MDS (Linglong):
MDS is now exclusively offered online by Midea. It is actually the former Linglong series and is the entry-level product of Midea central air conditioners. The pipeline connection method is branch pipe connection. As for the outdoor unit: the second-generation outdoor unit mold is full of cool wind; 160 and above has double fans, and below 160 has a single fan; the compressor is Meizhi's dual-rotor DC variable frequency; a 2.5-row condenser is used, and the back is to reduce costs The protective net is omitted; reverse dust removal is supported; the updated 2nd generation outdoor unit adopts Zhongshan Dayang DC brushless motor; the four-way valve and electronic expansion valve are both Sanhua; equipped with gold fins, known as hydrophilic More stable, corrosion-resistant and more durable (we don’t know how it actually works). In terms of the internal unit of the currently updated second-generation product: it uses a Welling copper wire brushless motor, and PTC electric auxiliary heat is externally placed on the side of the evaporator (so 3D air vents cannot be installed); the heat exchanger is upgraded to type C, clean and Forced exhaust; the internal unit has a self-cleaning function.
Summary: Compared with the first generation, a small part of the second generation has improved, but overall it seems to be a reduction in configuration, especially in terms of craftsmanship (mainly due to the HVAC change from Midea) It became Midea Refrigeration. Midea Refrigeration used to produce cool air, as you can imagine), but the core performance is still retained. Overall, the price/performance ratio is okay.
3. Ideal Home:
Ideal Home is currently Midea’s main product. The pipeline connection method is branch pipe connection. In terms of outdoor unit: the second-generation outdoor unit mold is full of cool wind; the outdoor unit starts at 120, all with double fans; the compressor is Meizhi's jet enthalpy-increasing dual-rotor variable frequency compressor, -25 low temperature continuous heating, high performance Powerful; uses a double-row 56-column condenser (1st generation double-row 60-column); the updated 2nd generation back eliminates the protective net in order to reduce costs; supports reverse dust removal; the 2nd generation casing is sprayed with an obvious graininess, and the sheet metal performance is obviously not as good as Generation 1; the motor adopts Welling DC brushless motor; the four-way valve and electronic expansion valve are both Sanhua; it is also equipped with gold fins. The internal machine of the currently updated second-generation product: the motor uses a Welling copper wire brushless motor; the PCB main board uses a 5-wire DC brushless, no electric auxiliary heat, and an optional 3D air outlet; the heat exchanger shrinks to / type, and the surface Coated with hydrophilic aluminum foil; the internal machine has a self-cleaning function. Known as an ultra-high energy efficiency ratio, the IPLV can reach up to 7.5, far exceeding the national first-class energy efficiency.
Summary: Due to changes in the production line, the second generation process has also been significantly reduced, but the core performance is still retained. Full DC brushless frequency conversion, the external unit has strong heating performance and the internal unit operates with low noise. Overall, the price/performance ratio is okay.
4. Navigator:
Navigator is currently Midea’s flagship product. The pipeline connection method is branch pipe connection. As for the outdoor unit: the second-generation outdoor unit mold is still full of cool wind; the outdoor unit starts at 120, all with double fans; the compressor is Meizhi's jet enthalpy-increasing dual-rotor variable frequency compressor, -25 low temperature continuous heating , powerful performance; adopts double-row 60-column condenser; the updated 2nd generation retains the protective net on the side and cancels the protective net on the back (reducing costs); supports reverse dust removal; the motor adopts Welling DC brushless motor; four-way valve and electronic expansion valve are all Sanhua; they are also equipped with gold fins; the motherboard heat dissipation uses refrigerant heat dissipation + air-cooled air duct heat dissipation + equal-spaced heat sinks, which is the ultimate experience. The internal machine of the second generation product: adopts Welling copper wire brushless motor; comes standard with Welling's DC condensate lifting pump; the PCB main board adopts 5-wire DC brushless; the heat exchanger adopts / type; the internal machine has the fourth generation high temperature Smart cleaning function. The biggest difference between the Navigator and the Ideal Home is that the algorithm supports Tianfu ground water, and can be equipped with floor heating, fresh air, and a central humidifier; the indoor unit can also be equipped with 3D air vents, and can also be equipped with smart eyes and no wind feeling.
Summary: It is a master of beauty. In fact, if there are no optional requirements for floor heating, fresh air, etc., it is absolutely fine to go to the Ideal Home; but if the optional requirements are large, the Navigator's cost performance is still worth buying.
2. Gree:
Zhuhai Gree Electric Co., Ltd. was established in 1991. The company started by assembling and producing household air conditioners, and has now developed into a diversified, technology-based global industrial manufacturing group. Its industry covers two major fields: household consumer goods and industrial equipment, and its products are exported to more than 160 countries and regions. It has built 15 air-conditioning production bases at home and abroad, and currently has 16 research institutes, 126 research institutes, 1,045 laboratories, and 1 academician workstation. In the early days, Gree used OEM production for Daikin air conditioners. In 1996, Gree organized top domestic professionals to establish a central air-conditioning R&D institution and began its independent research and development journey. In 1999, it successfully developed the first generation of intelligent multi-split air conditioners, and in 2002, it successfully developed the GMV digital multi-split air conditioner series and DC variable frequency multi-split air conditioners, breaking the monopoly of multi-split air conditioners by Japanese brands. In 2014, Gree took the lead in proposing a six-year warranty for home central air-conditioning products, triggering other domestic manufacturers to follow suit. It has its own independently developed Lingda compressor, but its performance is average; its Kaibang Motor is Gree's main motor supplier. Gree home central air conditioners currently mainly include the following series: FREE, Yaju, Star, Zhirui, and Shurui.
Gree's central air conditioner has a 6-year warranty. Its after-sales service is as follows: whoever installs it is responsible. If it is installed by a dealer, the dealer will first come to check. If If it is an installation problem, the dealer will handle it; if it is a product problem, the manufacturer will handle it. If you need after-sales service, you can contact 400. The official customer service is on duty 24 hours a day. Compared with Midea, the after-sales service and response speed are still inferior (you can feel this when you dial 400).
1. FREE:
It is Gree’s basic model, designed for small apartments. The pipeline connection method is multi-pipe, and the outdoor unit is a single fan. It adopts DC frequency conversion control technology and is equipped with Lynda rotary compressor. As an early product of Gree, its performance is now relatively lagging behind. There is nothing to introduce and it is not recommended.
2. Yaju:
It is the entry-level model of Gree central air conditioner, designed for small and medium-sized apartments. The pipeline connection method is branch pipe. External unit: All series have single fans; the compressor is a Lynda dual-rotor compressor with average performance; the motor uses Gree's Kaibang DC brushless copper wire motor with average performance; a three-row condenser is used, with a belt on the back of the condenser. There is a protective net, but the side sheet metal openings are small, which affects the air volume; the condenser fins are sprayed with a hydrophilic coating, but the workmanship is difficult to describe; after the update, the heat dissipation is reduced to air-cooled equidistant heat sinks; the fiberglass fan is rough in workmanship , and lacks noise reduction design; the electronic expansion valve is Dunan, and the four-way valve is Sanhua. In terms of internal machine: the motor adopts Shangqi and Wolong brushless DC motors, which one you buy depends on the user's luck; a V-shaped heat exchanger is used, but the size is small, and an external PTC electric auxiliary heat is used; a condensate water lifting pump is optional match.
Summary: Overall, the external unit is relatively simple and the internal unit has average stacking materials. Unless you can get a low price, it is not recommended.
3. Star:
The current updated version is Star II, which is the main model of Gree central air conditioners and is designed for large and medium-sized apartments. The pipeline connection method is branch pipe. Regarding the external unit: the overall welding process has been significantly improved; 80-112 has a single fan, and the external unit has the suffix H1, which is actually an older model; 120 and above has dual fans, and the external unit has the suffix H2, which is the true Star II; The compressor is a Mitsubishi Electric keel motor dual-rotor compressor with very strong performance; the motor is a Shangqi brushless DC motor with average performance (maybe due to luck); the fan is a three-dimensional blade simulated by CFD simulation and is quiet. Effective improvement; using 2 rows of 60-column condensers; it is worth mentioning that the shell sheet metal is sprayed with anti-salt corrosion effect to prevent rust; the motherboard heat dissipation uses refrigerant heat dissipation + air-cooled air duct heat dissipation + equal-spaced heat sinks, which is the ultimate experience . In terms of internal machine: The motor of the H series internal machine is a 3-wire brushless DC motor from Zhongshan Dayang (all H series below); it adopts a U-shaped heat exchanger with good heat exchange effect; the electric auxiliary heat and heat storage module are optional; Optional self-cleaning function (PS: The second generation is equipped with a P/H internal unit, remember not to be fooled into buying a first-generation internal unit P/A, as there will be a performance gap).
Summary: Overall, the welding process has been significantly improved, and the material stack is solid, especially the external machine, which is worth buying.
4. Zhirui:
It is the previous flagship product of Gree, designed for large apartments. The pipeline connection method is branch pipe. In terms of external machines: all series have double fans, starting at 140; the compressor is a double-cylinder double-rotor compressor from Lynda, focusing on large and small cylinders. It is said to "save half the electricity consumption", which is mainly based on the variable capacity developed by Gree. The dual-rotor compressor, when in a low-frequency state of 10% load, can disable one of the cylinders from operation, which is equivalent to halving the operating power (Gree's "variable cylinder" is consistent with Toshiba's "variable cylinder" technology in terms of research and development ideas , but due to the immature technology and mediocre actual performance, it is difficult to achieve the publicity effect), but in fact switching under various loads is not that easy, and the switching process consumes high energy. In addition, when the double-cylinder is running, due to the asymmetry of the large and small rotors, The operation is not smooth and the noise is loud; the motor is mainly Kaibang's DC brushless motor (there is a certain amount of luck); the fan is a CFD simulation three-dimensional blade with glass fiber; the shell sheet metal is sprayed with anti-salt corrosion effect to prevent Rust; four-way valve and electronic expansion valve are Sanhua and Dunan; condenser is two rows. The internal machine is basically the same as Star II.
Summary: The compressor product technology is not mature enough, the price is higher than Star II, and the cost performance is not as good as Star II.
5. Shurui:
As a newly launched product of Gree, the three-tube product focuses on temperature and humidity balance and is on par with Daikin VRV-P. A product that is currently Gree’s most high-end product. It is said to be capable of constant temperature dehumidification, dual temperature and humidity control, and dehumidification without cooling. The pipeline connection method is branch pipe. In terms of external machines: All series have dual fans, starting at 140; the compressor is Lynda's rare earth reluctance variable speed (sounds awesome? Actually...) dual-rotor compressor, naming it is an art; motor It is a DC brushless motor; it uses a three-tube condenser to achieve higher heat exchange efficiency; the fan is a bionic blade, which can effectively reduce air vibration and noise; what is more special is that the outdoor machine heat exchanger is a triangular double heat exchanger ( Normally it is L-shaped). In terms of indoor units: compatible with two/three-pipe indoor units. Three-pipe indoor units are divided into comfort, kitchen and bathroom indoor units (you can tell their respective uses just by the names). The three-pipe indoor unit adopts a U-shaped heat exchanger, which is in line with Daikin; the motor is a DC brushless motor; it has a temperature and humidity balance function; the IPLV can reach up to 6.4, far exceeding the national first-class energy efficiency.
Summary: As the first three-tube product launched in China, it is courageous, but its performance is still unclear (worrying that the technology is not mature enough). But the price is not much more expensive than Zhirui, so it seems that Zhirui's living space has been further compressed...
3. Hisense:
If What is beautiful is the strong Toshiba style, Gree is the strong Golden style, and Hisense is undoubtedly Hitachi style. Hisense was founded in 1969. It started from Qingdao Radio Factory No. 2, which produced radios in the late 1960s. It transformed from the military industry and achieved rapid development through introduction, digestion, and absorption. As of now, it has 29 industrial parks, 20 R&D centers, and products around the world. Exported to more than 160 countries and regions. In January 2003, Hisense Group and Hitachi Air Conditioning jointly invested in the establishment of Qingdao Hisense Hitachi Air Conditioning System Co., Ltd. in Qingdao. The company firmly adopted the dual-brand strategy of Hitachi and Hisense, and the two brands developed simultaneously. Hisense home central air conditioners currently mainly include the following series: A+, Honor Home, 5G Honor Home, and Ai Home.
Hisense’s central air conditioner has a 6-year warranty, and the warranty can be extended to 10 years for store sales. The only central air conditioning brand with a 10-year warranty. The after-sales service is as follows: If you have any problems, you can contact the dealer or call 400 official customer service to report for repair (24 hours on duty). The customer service will arrange for a local authorized outlet to come to check. The masters at the outlet are trained and authorized by Hisense. Hisense's after-sales response speed is relatively fast, much better than Gree and Midea.
1. A+:
A+ is a new model launched by Hisense in the past two years. It mainly wants to bring down the price and is mainly designed for small apartments. A+ is not sold nationwide and is divided into regions. Some regions are not sold, so there is no relevant model information on the official website. The pipeline connection method is branch pipe. The external machine structure adopts the joint venture brand EXPRO, which reduces the cost. It is all a single fan; the compressor is a dual-rotor compressor from Shanghai Hitachi; the motor is a DC brushless motor from Shangqi; in order to reduce costs, the proportion of imported parts is higher than EXPRO is much less.
Summary: Although the price is not high, I do not recommend it.
2. Honor Home:
How about saying that Hisense has a strong shadow of Hisense Hitachi? Honor Home’s external machine molds and production lines are directly adapted from Hisense Hitachi’s VAM mini , designed for large and medium-sized apartments. The pipeline connection method is branch pipe. In terms of external units: 140/160 has two types: single fan and double fan. Below 140 is a single fan, and above 160 is a double fan; below 180 is a dual-rotor compressor from Shanghai Hitachi, and above 180 is a dual-rotor compressor from Guangzhou Mitsubishi Electric. , a scroll compressor is used under 380V three-phase power; the motor is a Shibaura/Shangqi DC brushless motor; the electronic expansion valve is a Saginiya/Dun'an, and the four-way valve is Dun'an; the motherboard heat dissipation uses refrigerant cooling + air Cold air duct for heat dissipation; the condenser uses 2 rows of 60 tubes, with a protective net on the back.
In terms of internal machines: KF is an AC motor (noise 22 decibels), KFD is a DC brushless motor (quiet performance is good 20 decibels); and with the support of nanoe purification technology promoted by Hisense, the purification effect is obvious. Japanese Panasonic technology. Many well-known cars are equipped with nanoe purification blessing.
Summary: The outdoor machine basically uses the technology of the joint venture Hitachi, and the material ingredients mostly overlap with those of Hitachi. Overall, the stability is very high. Japanese products have been used in the market for many years, but the price/performance ratio is pretty good.
3. 5G Honor Home:
The upgraded version of Honor Home is basically the same as Honor Home in terms of hardware, and the model of the external phone is also the same. It mainly adds a built-in waterproof integrated antenna. The machine can be directly connected to the Internet and has its own network; in terms of software, the outdoor machine is equipped with an NB-loT communication module as standard, using 5G technology + Hisense cloud platform to create an IoT central air conditioner. The price premium of this product is not high compared to Honor Home. It can be used to purify formaldehyde in the house before it is renovated and enjoy a comfortable temperature at home. You can consider this product.
4. Ai Home:
Hisense’s newly launched flagship model further enriches smart home application scenarios based on the 5G Honor Home. There are two types of 140/160: single fan and double fan. Below 140 are single fans, and above 160 are double fans. The maximum is only 180. Aijia has expanded the intelligent module of the central air-conditioning PLC algorithm on the basis of the 5G network. Smart appliances and smart lighting equipment do not need to be wired separately. After powering on, they can be controlled by accessing the network through the Hisense Ai Xiangjia mobile APP (home appliances need to be connected PLC socket, so you need to buy a socket from a cooperative merchant!), which results in higher installation and design requirements in actual use. This product can be regarded as an attempt by domestic central air conditioners to create a whole-house intelligent integrated product. Since it has just been launched, the current user experience information is limited, so I don’t know the effect of use, so I won’t make an evaluation.
4. Haier:
Hisense is the style of Hitachi, and Haier is the style of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Founded in 1984 in Qingdao, China, Haier Group is the world's leading provider of better life and digital transformation solutions. Haier has established a 1N innovation ecosystem, 71 research institutes, 259 research institutes and design centers, 29 industrial parks, 122 manufacturing centers, 108 marketing centers and 240,000 sales networks around the world, with penetration into 160 countries around the world. countries and regions, serving 1 billion+ user households around the world. In 1993, Haier formed a joint venture with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to specialize in the production of small commercial central air conditioners. In 2016, Haier's central air-conditioning interconnection factory was officially completed and put into operation. It was the first central air-conditioning interconnection factory in the world and was selected into the first batch of advanced "lighthouse factories" in the world and the first in China. Haier central air-conditioning has 8 world-class laboratories including high-drop test tower, temperature difference heat pump laboratory, Internet of Things laboratory, etc. It has 9 complete machine research institutes, 4 basic research institutes, Internet of Things wisdom, air , plans to establish 16 major research institutes, and set up 12 R&D centers around the world. Haier's home central air conditioners currently feature the following series: Shijia, Mingjia, and Yujia.
Haier has a 6-year warranty for the whole machine. Haier’s after-sales service is as follows: whoever installs it is responsible for it in the first year. For example, if a dealer installs it, the dealer will be responsible for it in the first year, and then Haier’s own The master is responsible, and the master will be arranged by Haier’s local authorized cooperation network. Haier's after-sales service is also well-known in China. The response speed is fast, comparable to Midea, and 400 official customer service personnel are on duty 24 hours a day.
1. Shijia:
Shijia is designed for small and medium-sized apartments. External unit: all series have single fans; the compressor is a Mitsubishi Electric dual-rotor compressor, with air supplementation + secondary subcooling technology, the energy saving effect is increased by 8%, and the operating efficiency is increased by 10%; the motor is a DC from Zhongshan Dayang Brushless motor (Shibaura is also available, depends on luck); electronic expansion valve is Saginiya/Sanhua (depends on luck), four-way valve is Sanhua; adopts Haier MXSA inverter, infinite DC experience; equipped with Haier's Liangxinqiao technology, Direct cooling refrigerant heat dissipation, good heat dissipation effect; the condenser is double row, with a protective net on the back. In terms of internal machine: the motor is a DC brushless motor; without electric auxiliary heat, 3D air vents are optional; the condensate lift pump is optional; equipped with 3D sterilization cabin technology, Nano net ion sterilization and decomposition of PM2.5, with self-cleaning .
Overall, the hardware stacking is very solid and quite capable, but the problem is that the software is too slow, the electronic control algorithm is too inferior, the PLC automatic control is backward, and it feels a bit like a simple-minded person with well-developed limbs. Although the price is not high, the products are not enough. use.
Summary: Not recommended.
2. Mingjia:
In fact, it is the double-fan version of Sijia, designed for popular apartments. The materials used for the outdoor unit and the internal unit are similar to Sijia, and the materials are solidly stacked. The same problem The problem lies in the algorithm. Compared with Midea and Gree, the electronic control algorithm is indeed far behind, so it is not recommended.
3. Yujia:
Haier’s flagship model is upgraded on the basis of Mingjia. The main upgrade points are: 1. The fins are made of black gold with carbon fiber resin composite coating. Fins, improved corrosion resistance; 2. With 5G (NB-IOT) IoT module, easy to control. But the algorithm is still retarded.