Air Conditioning & Dehumidifier: Brands, Costs, Importing, Quality

Domingo646

New member
Jul 31, 2016
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Hi, I've visited the DR and am relocating there for one year. I was nearly hospitalized for heat-related issues while I was there.
I know what heat stroke can do. The humidity and heat was new to me. I developed rashes, etc.

It was bad.

Can you please post your monthly A/C cost here? Including the size of room, duration, province, etc?

I told my fiancee I can use fans and drink fridge cold, bottled water. She said it will help, but it's not enough.
She saw how much I suffered because of the heat and humidity. My body did not respond well.
My fiancee tells me the medical costs will be high and the public hospitals are terrible.
She insists we buy an air conditioner and I agree with her.

I told my friend "I'm not returning here without a dehumidifer". "Good idea," he said, after living in the country for years.

I'm looking at Chigo, Samsung, LG, Excell units. The prices range from DP$15,000 to DM$30,000 and over.

My questions are:

1. Is installation included? Doesn't it need to be connected to a hose/pipe/tube and does every apartment offer one?

2. What are the economic costs of running one A/C for a normal sized bedroom in a Dominican residential area?
9 hours during the day, and another 9 for night while we sleep? I"ve been reading a thread here on DR1.com, and the contributers suggested LG is best on energy consumption,
and costs never run more than 940 to 4000 pesos/monthly, which stunned me. I've been telling my fiancee Canadian and American costs,
so I said it's too expensive. But Dominican costs seem much lower.

3. My air conditioner in Canada cost me $300 and it's a stand alone unit on wheels. Do these units exist in the DR?
If not, I'm thinking about importing one or two to the DR. Is that a bad idea? What about the import tax, customs, etc?
These units are huge and heavy. It's like half the size of a fridge. The only air conditioners I saw in the DR were long, large horizontal units always installed at the top of a wall.
Some stores, homes, liked to use those enormous propeller-sized fans (Tecnomaster) that are pretty good and affordable.
They sell for DM$2000-3000 used and DM$6200 new at Plaza Lama.


4. Are dehumidifiers sold in the DR?

5. Does the A/C I buy influence the generator/inverter I can buy?

6. Can I buy used? (I know after-sales support/customer service in the DR doesn't exist.)

7. Which brands should I focus on and which should I absolutely avoid?
 
Last edited:

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
113
Electricity everywhere in the DR is expensive. ACs use 220V. If you have to buy an AC, a 20 SEER AC with an inverter to adjust condenser speed can save the extra purchase cost with electricity savings in under a year in most cases. Standard AC that have only one operational condenser speed, eat electricity like kids at the sample table in a candy store. An AC in the bedroom is first priority. Then elsewhere if the budget or the rental accommodations afford such luxury.

Fans, you can't have too many. Ceiling fans, pedistal fans, fans on counters. About the only place I don't have a fan blowing air across my sweaty face is in the shower. The permanent gloss on one's skin from sweat here is called "your Dominican sheen". When it's really bad, I have a fan on my left and on my right.

Drink lots of water. Get a water cooler. A pitcher of water takes too long to get cold in the fridge after emptying and refilling it.

Speaking of water, a dehumidifier is probably not the best use of your electricity pesos. It's pretty humid in a lot of areas in this country day after day. If the gizmo manages to suck all the water out of the air, as soon as it shuts off, the levels will rise quite quickly again. As a newcomer, you will suffer with the heat and humidity for about 3 months until your blood thins. Then it's bearable. You don't completely forget about 70 degree days when a light windbreaker was worn at home, and sometimes you wish for a few of those, but acceptance that you are going to be hot and sweaty becomes the norm and you adjust your schedule and outlook.

* Inverters generally don't power ACs. You need high end equipment and a crap load of batteries to run a 220V appliance on an inverter without solar panels.
 

windeguy

Platinum
Jul 10, 2004
42,211
5,966
113
TCM is a common lower end Chinese brand sold here. Think parts availability. They have parts for that, but if you are here for only one year, it probably does not matter.

For power consumption we need to know how much power your unit will draw over 18 hours of use and then multiply that by 10.86 DR pesos per KwH

Let's guess your high efficiency modern unit draws 750 Watts and runs on average 10 hours a day based upon the power cycles to keep things cool.
That would be about 2,500 RD per month at 10.86 RD/KwH 10 hours a day for 30 days. If it runs almost full bore almost 24/7 then double that estimate.

It is not likely you will be running your AC from an inverter unless you get a big inverter and large battery bank, or your power is off only for very short periods of time. Few people run their AC from inverters since you would also need a 220Volt output from that inverter.
 

LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
23
38
Hi, I've visited the DR and am relocating there for one year. I was nearly hospitalized for heat-related issues while I was there.
I know what heat stroke can do. The humidity and heat was new to me. I developed rashes, etc.

It was bad.

Can you please post your monthly A/C cost here? Including the size of room, duration, province, etc?

I told my fiancee I can use fans and drink fridge cold, bottled water. She said it will help, but it's not enough.
She saw how much I suffered because of the heat and humidity. My body did not respond well.
My fiancee tells me the medical costs will be high and the public hospitals are terrible.
She insists we buy an air conditioner and I agree with her.

I told my friend "I'm not returning here without a dehumidifer". "Good idea," he said, after living in the country for years.

I'm looking at Chigo, Samsung, LG, Excell units. The prices range from DP$15,000 to DM$30,000 and over.

My questions are:

1. Is installation included? Doesn't it need to be connected to a hose/pipe/tube and does every apartment offer one?

2. What are the economic costs of running one A/C for a normal sized bedroom in a Dominican residential area?
9 hours during the day, and another 9 for night while we sleep? I"ve been reading a thread here on DR1.com, and the contributers suggested LG is best on energy consumption,
and costs never run more than 940 to 4000 pesos/monthly, which stunned me. I've been telling my fiancee Canadian and American costs,
so I said it's too expensive. But Dominican costs seem much lower.

3. My air conditioner in Canada cost me $300 and it's a stand alone unit on wheels. Do these units exist in the DR?
If not, I'm thinking about importing one or two to the DR. Is that a bad idea? What about the import tax, customs, etc?
These units are huge and heavy. It's like half the size of a fridge. The only air conditioners I saw in the DR were long, large horizontal units always installed at the top of a wall.
Some stores, homes, liked to use those enormous propeller-sized fans (Tecnomaster) that are pretty good and affordable.
They sell for DM$2000-3000 used and DM$6200 new at Plaza Lama.


4. Are dehumidifiers sold in the DR?

5. Does the A/C I buy influence the generator/inverter I can buy?

6. Can I buy used? (I know after-sales support/customer service in the DR doesn't exist.)

7. Which brands should I focus on and which should I absolutely avoid?

Ok, first of all are you moving into her apartment in the DR or are you renting an apartment yourself? Why are coming to live in the DR if you have a very hard problems tolerating the heat and humidity. I'm assuming you will be living in Santo Domingo? This is probably the worse place to be in the DR in regards to air quality, humidity and heat. If you don't have to live there I would consider a beach area were it is not so stifleing. In the Winter months it is much more confortable. One air conditioning unit in the bedroom is nice at night but then that is the coolest time of day and perhaps an overhead fan and a window fan would keep your room comfortable. Unless you plan on staying in the bedroom most of the day that will not solve your problem. You got a heat rash last time you were here. Did you have sun screen on and were you spending a lot of time in the direct sunlight. You should avoid this at all costs. It does take time for your body to climatize to the weather. Overhead fans and window fans are a good bet to keep the air circulating in the apartment. Bring some aloe with you and also 1% hydocortinsone to put on your rash, if needed. If you stay for a year you will also have to pay overstay charges at the airport as you go through immigration. The tourist card that you buy when you first arrive is only good for 30 days. As far as importing an airconditioner the cost of shipping would be prohibitive and the duty you will pay will also be very expensive. Buy in the DR when you arrive or hopefully be you arrive. Good luck and good travels.
 

Drperson

Well-known member
Sep 19, 2008
1,061
290
83
It's too bad people don't design houses or apts to provide naturalventellation and cooling. It helps if you have a breeze too.
 

Domingo646

New member
Jul 31, 2016
82
0
0
20 SEER AC with inverter.....noted.

I learned the hard way. Fans, can't have enough. :)
I had the same thoughts about a water cooler. It's on my shopping list.
I can manage 3 months as I adjust my schedule and monitor my health more closely. I made the mistake of too much time in the sun,
not enough suncreen, and walking instead of a taxi.

Thanks for your input, because it helps.

Have you ever had mechanical failure/issues with your A/C that required a repair?


Electricity everywhere in the DR is expensive. ACs use 220V. If you have to buy an AC, a 20 SEER AC with an inverter to adjust condenser speed can save the extra purchase cost with electricity savings in under a year in most cases. Standard AC that have only one operational condenser speed, eat electricity like kids at the sample table in a candy store. An AC in the bedroom is first priority. Then elsewhere if the budget or the rental accommodations afford such luxury.

Fans, you can't have too many. Ceiling fans, pedistal fans, fans on counters. About the only place I don't have a fan blowing air across my sweaty face is in the shower. The permanent gloss on one's skin from sweat here is called "your Dominican sheen". When it's really bad, I have a fan on my left and on my right.

Drink lots of water. Get a water cooler. A pitcher of water takes too long to get cold in the fridge after emptying and refilling it.

Speaking of water, a dehumidifier is probably not the best use of your electricity pesos. It's pretty humid in a lot of areas in this country day after day. If the gizmo manages to suck all the water out of the air, as soon as it shuts off, the levels will rise quite quickly again. As a newcomer, you will suffer with the heat and humidity for about 3 months until your blood thins. Then it's bearable. You don't completely forget about 70 degree days when a light windbreaker was worn at home, and sometimes you wish for a few of those, but acceptance that you are going to be hot and sweaty becomes the norm and you adjust your schedule and outlook.

* Inverters generally don't power ACs. You need high end equipment and a crap load of batteries to run a 220V appliance on an inverter without solar panels.
 

Domingo646

New member
Jul 31, 2016
82
0
0
Ok, first of all are you moving into her apartment in the DR or are you renting an apartment yourself? Why are coming to live in the DR if you have a very hard problems tolerating the heat and humidity. I'm assuming you will be living in Santo Domingo? This is probably the worse place to be in the DR in regards to air quality, humidity and heat. If you don't have to live there I would consider a beach area were it is not so stifleing. In the Winter months it is much more confortable. One air conditioning unit in the bedroom is nice at night but then that is the coolest time of day and perhaps an overhead fan and a window fan would keep your room comfortable. Unless you plan on staying in the bedroom most of the day that will not solve your problem. You got a heat rash last time you were here. Did you have sun screen on and were you spending a lot of time in the direct sunlight. You should avoid this at all costs. It does take time for your body to climatize to the weather. Overhead fans and window fans are a good bet to keep the air circulating in the apartment. Bring some aloe with you and also 1% hydocortinsone to put on your rash, if needed. If you stay for a year you will also have to pay overstay charges at the airport as you go through immigration. The tourist card that you buy when you first arrive is only good for 30 days. As far as importing an airconditioner the cost of shipping would be prohibitive and the duty you will pay will also be very expensive. Buy in the DR when you arrive or hopefully be you arrive. Good luck and good travels.

Hi LTSteve,
We're renting an apartment together. She plans to move out of her apartment and we will search for an apartment together.
The A/C would be shared by six people; the two of us and her four children. After I leave in one year, I want to be sure her A/C will function for their benefit. I don't want to put money into a system only to
find out it needs repairs in 6 months, 18 months, etc. I'm living in the DR to be with my fiancee, build our relationship, to study Spanish,
and to learn more about the DR. I'll be in Romana for most of my stay. My time in Santo Domingo will be unpredictable as my schedule will have to adapt
to changing conditions. Romana is a small city. I did not have sun screen on the day I was nearly hospitalized. I was spending a lot of time in the direct sunlight.
That was a big mistake. I'll bring aloe and 1% hydocortinsone with me. The overstay charges appear to be DM$6500 pesos if the info. here on DR1 is still applicable.
It looks like bad news for importing an A/C. I wasn't surprised.

I got more than heat rash. I got a pretty bad, nasty sunburn. My friends looked at me and cringed. It took some time before I could convince two of them I was not
going to the doctor. I put sunscreen on immediately and avoided the sun more. It was a mistake to stay in one place in direct sunlight as long as I did.
Hard lesson learned. It can never happen again.
 

JayinRD

Member
Apr 18, 2013
411
11
18
All I can say is I recently bought a $350 bedroom unit for my girlfriend. The increase in her electrical bill is more than I expected. She uses it maybe 6-8 hours a night and it is costing me $40-50 more per month.
 

JayinRD

Member
Apr 18, 2013
411
11
18
"a 20 SEER AC with an inverter to adjust condenser speed can save the extra purchase cost with electricity savings in under a year in most cases. Standard AC that have only one operational condenser speed,"

It looks like I didnt do my research and I bought the standard A/C that eats up luz. For you A/C experts, is there any way I can adjust the standard A/C I bought to the above?
 

reilleyp

Well-known member
Dec 12, 2006
1,190
663
113
Hi LTSteve,
We're renting an apartment together. She plans to move out of her apartment and we will search for an apartment together.
The A/C would be shared by six people; the two of us and her four children. After I leave in one year, I want to be sure her A/C will function for their benefit. I don't want to put money into a system only to
find out it needs repairs in 6 months, 18 months, etc. I'm living in the DR to be with my fiancee, build our relationship, to study Spanish,
and to learn more about the DR. I'll be in Romana for most of my stay. My time in Santo Domingo will be unpredictable as my schedule will have to adapt
to changing conditions. Romana is a small city. I did not have sun screen on the day I was nearly hospitalized. I was spending a lot of time in the direct sunlight.
That was a big mistake. I'll bring aloe and 1% hydocortinsone with me. The overstay charges appear to be DM$6500 pesos if the info. here on DR1 is still applicable.
It looks like bad news for importing an A/C. I wasn't surprised.

I got more than heat rash. I got a pretty bad, nasty sunburn. My friends looked at me and cringed. It took some time before I could convince two of them I was not
going to the doctor. I put sunscreen on immediately and avoided the sun more. It was a mistake to stay in one place in direct sunlight as long as I did.
Hard lesson learned. It can never happen again.

Expect the unexpected . Most likely whatever you buy will need some kind of work in 18 months. If she is moving in 4 kids, expect a few more family members when you return. Make sure all bills are in her name in case they do not get paid.
 

RV429

Bronze
Apr 3, 2011
1,574
1
36
Some good advice here. I would not worry about having a/c for her and family as they are more than accustomed to not having it. Make it work for you.
 

DRob

Gold
Aug 15, 2007
8,234
594
113
I'd recommend a few things, most of which have been already stated, so I'll summarize:

1. Choose a good location. Santo Domingo's air quality is very unpleasant, particularly in the summer. Consider Santiago or another higher-elevation location, as it is naturally cooler in the mountains. If you want to be close to the beach, consider living on a hill, as it's slightly cooler, and you might catch some nice breezes.

2. Choose a good time. Is there a reason you "must" be there for a full year? I understand if you're renting your home out, but if not, consider seven or nine months, and avoid the hottest times of the summer.

3. Have you fully considered the impact of taking on a household with five members. That's a lot of - everything, really, including higher power bills. And going from living by yourself to a VERY full household will be quite a transition.

Anyway, best of luck to you.
 

21yearsinDR

New member
May 29, 2013
115
0
0
We bought a while ago a Panasonic inverter aircondition 18.0000 btu at Corripio. I think it was 56.000 pesos including instalation. The best aircondition ever...
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
We bought a while ago a Panasonic inverter aircondition 18.0000 btu at Corripio. I think it was 56.000 pesos including instalation. The best aircondition ever...

Me too. I bought two of 18000 btu of Panasonic , 70% savings on energy apparently. They are quiet, cool well, and the two of them raise my bill maybe with 4000 pesos, using them with some common sense. Expensive but worth the money.
 

Mauricio

Gold
Nov 18, 2002
5,607
7
38
On dehumidifiers. I bought some years ago a dehumidifier from Nedoca. Formerly a local brand but now a brand name owned by Corripio for equipment they have manufactured in China and Mexico among other countries. Works well and is not expensive.
 

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,671
1,133
113
Have you ever had mechanical failure/issues with your A/C that required a repair?

Everything breaks eventually. I've been fortunate but I have heard of corroded circuit boards in units installed close to the ocean. General maintenance can help. Try to install it somewhere out of the rain and the direct sun. Have someone come out and check the operation once a year. It's not like at home where the AC is off 8 months out of the year.
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
113
A good floor fan keeps me comfy at night. I would try that before getting all involved in the ac mess. Living in an apartment with four Dominican kids is what I could not handle. This is going to be a highly educational experience for you. Best of luck.
 

wuarhat

I am a out of touch hippie.
Nov 13, 2006
1,378
89
48
It sounds like you're overreacting. You got sick because you stayed in the direct sunlight, not because it's too hot there for you to survive. You don't need AC just stay out of the sun, drink lots of water, and don't over do it with the exercise. You can bring down one of those 60" golf umbrellas they are great for rain or shine. Get some good fans too, one for each bedroom, maybe two for yours. If that's not good enough just get a small AC for your room at night and give the kids the fans. The kids and fianc?e don't need anything, anything extra will be gravy for them. You probably don't need anything either other than common sense. Stay out of the sun.
 

Domingo646

New member
Jul 31, 2016
82
0
0
Expect the unexpected . Most likely whatever you buy will need some kind of work in 18 months. If she is moving in 4 kids, expect a few more family members when you return. Make sure all bills are in her name in case they do not get paid.

The 4 kids travel to Santo Domingo for their fathers and education. They'll stay with us for most of our duration.
I expect all bills will be in her name, as before. I could expect one family member since the others are not in the DR, or too far away.