Panasonic ECONAVI AERO Z-TKR Series
Verified81 reviews
Worst airconditioner I've ever used – I put the heater on in the morning (all auto settings) then, instead of cutting out when the thermostat kicks in, it starts blowing out cold air instead. Same applies with cooling. Have tried other settings, e.g. heat or cool mode, but then you need to keep manually turning the temperature up and down to regulate the room temp. And to turn it off,… Read more
you need to push the on/off button 3 times before it totally switches off! I do not recommend this model, very confusing to use.
Excellent air conditioner – Very good cooling and heating performance. Although it takes a little bit of time for the heating to start up. Heats the home very good and cools the home well in summer. I like the slim design of the Panasonic ECONAVI and it's features and remote control. I like how there aren't lights on the front either Show details
I had these Panasonic 5Kw and 1.5 kw units installed in my place. They cost me around 6k for supply and installed. Soon after installation in less than 3 months 1.5 kw units installed had an issue abnormal vibration and unit started shutting down with no rhyme or reason. Called Panasonic and they came and replaced the main unit acknowledging that… Read more
compressor was faulty. Now the 5Kw unit having the same issue. It shuts down automatically with a massive bang noise. It sounds exactly like compressed air running through a small hole. Also another thing I noticed is that remote controls of these aircon consume more power than any other remote. Even without using them and the max part about 6 months. I choose Panasonic over Mitsubishi due to their reputation for reliable consumer products Since they first started as National and National Panasonic. I still believe Japanese technology is far superior than any other country. However outsourcing these reputable Japanese brand for manufacturing and assembling to countries where skills and attention to technicality is lacking makes good Japanese consumer brands their demise. Same thing happened to many Japanese Brands like Hitachi, Sharp, Nakamichi, Aiwa, Sansui, any many more. These brand don’t exist anymore or bought by Chinese companies to market their products under Japanese brand name. I will not buy anything Panasonic and I should have gone with Mitsubishi aircons as they still have better quality and durability compared to Panasonic aircons. People who are reading this pls learn a lesson from my expenses!
Reviews with attachments
The best I've had – Perfect for both heating and cooling. Performance is better than I could have hoped for. The hearing is excellent. I turn it off after an hour as it heats so well. So keeps running costs well down. Summer cooling is fantastic and doesn't send my electric bill sky high. Easy to use, remote control is well designed but is lacking a indoor… Read more · 1
temperature button which I had on my LG air conditioning in previous home. Would be beneficial to add this Panasonic. Price of unit was great and the 4.2 kw cools and heats a 40sq room efficiently.
Panasonic Split System Air Conditioner Fault – I have three Panasonic split system air conditioners which I purchased around the same time three years ago. Recently this unit and another I have which is the same size developed a crack on one side of the large vane that opens when you turn on the unit. Both have now cracked and split apart from the unit in the exact same place. Panasonic… Read more
representatives were very rude on the phone and told me that I must have damaged the units myself. I have never manually opened this vane so that's impossible. The last conversation was them promising to have a manager contact me but that was weeks ago and still nothing. The other smaller unit in one of my bedrooms is fine and has no issues so I believe this could be a manufacturing fault with the larger units.
Positive reviews
Now never hot or cold – Purchased a 3.5kw reverse cycle unit for the media room that is on the western side of the house. In summer the room was quite hot. This unit cools without a problem. Has a quite auto function with ability to increase the fan speed plus a built in economy sensor that detects movements to minimise unnecessary operation when the room is vacant. Economical with the inverter control. Show details · 1
Good but outside unit is noisy – This 5kW Panasonic has very good energy efficiency (i have monitored it) and it heats and cools quickly. My only complaint is the buzzing noise coming from the outside unit. It appears to be only on the heat cycle and even on heat it isn't all the time, maybe 50% of the time. The unit faces a neighbours house and the buzzing noise may a problem in the future for me. I can also hear it inside my house. Show details · 1
Worth every penny paid! – This unit has a lot of features compared to others and the price is very reasonable. Very energy efficient (4 & 4.5 stars) and it look very nice on the wall. Keep us warm during frosty nights and cools us during dry humid days. Though I can hear the fan blowing the air but it doesnt bother us. Mums Panasonic airconditioner is already 20 years old and it is still running! Will buy another Panasonic in the future. Show details · 1
Negative reviews
disappointed – I both this unit before Christmas. Been installed after NEW Year. the unit can"t drop the temperature more than tree degrees, when the temperature is 35 degrees in the room with working all time more than a four hours. Thought that the Panasonic is reliable brand and can satisfied my needs. i will never again buy anything from this brand in further. Show details
Poor heat distribution – As I suspect is the case with most split systems, this unit performs poorly as a heater. The unit does not provide warmth at floor level, where the temperature is 6 degrees C lower than the temperature at head level. I will have to install an additional fan, to redistribute warm air down from the ceiling to the floor. In cold climates, this… Read more
problem could be addressed by ignoring the manufacturer's advice and installing the indoor unit much lower than 2.5 metres above floor level. I have raised this issue with Panasonic, and with the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Airconditioning and Heating.
Hi Leon, thanks for the review, as I'm sure you can… Read more (+1 reply)
Powerful model – I had this model installed in July 2019, in a 2 bedroom brick veneer unit with insulation in the walls, and ceiling. The roof is tiled. The unit is in Vermont, one of the coldest suburbs in Melbourne. The unit was installed by my landlord, so I had no say in the model etc. It was installed in the lounge room/kitchen/dining. The wall faces NE.… Read more
The unit has a lot of windows. I have the blinds down on most of them to try and insulate them a bit. The issues people are talking about regarding the fan turning on/off, is mainly due to the ECONAVI setting. This setting uses a sensor to track any movement in the room, and another sensor to track sunlight intensity, to reduced energy use. The fan will also turn off if the set temperature is reached. If you set the fan speed to 'low' and switch off ECONAVI, then it should act like a usual AC and keep blowing continuously. I have lived with this AC through four seasons, and if I had a choice of what to install I would have more than one 'head' unit. Either: a multi-head system with 2 heads, or two separate units. One in the main living area, and one in the main bedroom. This AC system is at the powerful end of the model range, and is meant to cool/heat more than one room. The problem with that is how to get the cooled/heated air to the other rooms. The AC needs to be turned up higher than required to have an effect on my bedroom, especially for cooling. My bedroom is to the right of the lounge room/kitchen/dining, down the hallway. Approx. 12 metres from AC head to bedroom rear wall. For cooling in summer, I had to turn the temperature down about 2-3 degrees, and put the fan on maximum, for about an hour before bed, to try and reduce the temperature in the bedroom. As a result, the lounge room becomes too cold, and the noise of the fan is very loud. I also have to use a separate fan in the hallway to 'push' the air down the hall. For heating the rest of the year, I adjust the fan direction up in the evening to get some heated air to the bedroom, which is usually around 19-20C before hand. I have to leave the AC on all night, usually set at a lower temperature than during the day, but with the fan directed more for the hallway (to bedroom), otherwise the bedroom drops to 16C. With this method it is usually 19-20C in the morning (8am). I have to vary this depending on how cold the day/night is, and what month, i.e. July is the coldest, so the AC temperature might be left at the daytime setting all night. Due to the layout of my unit, and the position of the AC head, I have to sit side on to it, about 1.5 metres from the wall, and about 1.5 metres from the centre of the AC unit. The noise of the fan is noticeable even at the lowest setting, probably due the size of the AC unit (quite large), so if noise is an issue, or you will be close to the AC unit, I would recommend a smaller AC unit. When left in the ECONAVI setting, the on/off fan power saving uses the medium/high speed, so it goes from off, to loud fan. This is probably what people find annoying. It sort of defeats the purpose of having a continuously variable inverter system: to mimic those old box AC units, that are either on 100% power, or off. I have found that turning off ECONAVI, and setting the fan speed manually to the low setting (one bar), is the quietest method for comfort. It does reduce the airflow somewhat, i.e. air is not blown as far due to the lower fan, so the temperature might have to be increased to compensate. Altering the fan angle makes a difference as well. I usually have the heated air fan angle pointed down to maximum when I am sitting in the room to heat the most used area quickly. If the lowest fan setting is not enough, setting to the next two settings is still quieter than the default ECONAVI fan blast, but the noise is noticeable, and can be intrusive when watching TV/listening to music, once above the lowest setting. I think this model is a compromise, it's designed to be larger with a more powerful fan so it can heat/cool larger areas, but if that increase in size and power takes away from comfort and livability, is it worth it? I say, no. For my unit, and needs, I would much prefer two smaller head units. One for the main living area, and one for the bedroom. Quieter the better, especially for the bedroom. With this AC unit and the design/layout of my unit, the bathroom, toilet, laundry, and 2nd bedroom (facing SW), are all at about 16C if the doors are closed. With the doors open it only gets up to about 18C for 9 months of the year. So, even with two smaller AC units, the rooms would still be cold. This unit has gas central heating, but it uses 90 MJ/hour when on (no variation in output, either 100% on, or off), so the cost is about 2-3 times the cost of an electric AC unit. The best system would be a ducted split system, but much more expensive to install, etc.
Hi David, thank you for your very detailed review. You… Read more (+3 replies)
Recent reviews
Continual Problems but Panasales Customer Service even worse – Had the unit put into our bedroom around 2 years ago, and firstly door wouldn't close upon turning it off and kept resetting itself back to default temp. Trying to organise a service call from Panasales in Brisbane was worse than pulling teeth. Every excuse why they couldn't come for 3-4 weeks and finally the day before the booking I called them… Read more
to inform them I would be out for 1 hour from 7-8am but home rest of the day. They told me that they wanted to be there at 7am and refused to be flexible even after waiting weeks for them to turn up. When they finally turned up 6 weeks later, the technician told me that the installer probably dropped the unit and couldn't fix the swing door not closing properly and was just our bad luck because they couldn't prove it was dropped. My wife now won't sleep in the bedroom when it's on now because it just blows cold air straight on to her.
On a positive, it does blow cold conditioned air.
Hi Owen, sorry to hear about the experience you have received in relation to service of the air conditioner.
Great upgrade from Fujitsu – Replaced Fujitsu of similar size with this system. Quieter running of both inside and outdoor units. Easy to use remote. Quick cool setting works well. So far, so good! And in Queensland eligible for PeakSmart rebate Show reply
Find out how Panasonic ECONAVI AERO Z-TKR Series compares to other Split System Air Conditioners
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Excellent – I have the Panasonic 2.5 installed in my bedroom. Excellent. I have one question. Do I need to run the “dry” mode after running it all night on cool. .? I live in tropical Queensland. Show reply
Noisy from day one and no help from Panasonic – From the first time we switched it on we had a ticking noise from the inside unit (sounded like a rotating blade was hitting something solid) and also the fan on the outside unit made noises like a helicopter in our backyard. Also, we inside inside unit plays a tune after being on for a couple of hours. Panasonic sent their contractor out twice… Read more
and said they couldn't fix any of the problems and I needed to contact Panasonic direct. Panasonic said I needed to take videos and send to them of all the issues before they could action anything else. Two months down the track and multiple phone calls have still not resolved the issues. I have spoken to my installer who said he has 5 other customers who have the exact same issues with the same model and Panasonic are of no help. This is obviously an issue with this model that Panasonic do not want to take responsibility for.
Don't waste your money or time – System puts out air about 5 degrees cooler then the air going in but according to the so called technician that spent about two minutes, the our side unit is OK so bad luck, suck it up and put up with it, pathetic at best. December 12th 2019 Update: Full of crap So their so called technician who came out, sent report to Panasonic with incorrect… Read more
information so, get call from Panasonic saying nothing wrong hahaha, have request to have someone with any idea about split systems to come and do a decent inspection, problem with Panasonic is they don't exist.
Perfect for bedrooms! – We recently had these installed in our two kids bedrooms. Super quiet! So effective! Simple easy to use controls. Great in SA heat & didnt blow out the power bill. No more hot sleepless nights! Show details · 1
Cool air cool styling – I purchased this split system to replace an old one. It is a sleek design and very easy to use. It is sup8et quiet and quick to cool down my home. I would highly recommend to others . Show details · 1
Super Quiet – We are Panasonic fans. We were surprised at how quiet this air con is. We have other older Panasonic air cons & they are a lot noisier than this one. It even goes up & down by half a degree EG 22, 22.5. Dual sensor, it also turns itself off automatically & back on when it requires. Perfect size for our home office. Show 3 replies
Great unit – Have 2 of the units installed. They are made in Malaysia. No major problem so far. However the indicator lights on the indoor unit can be annoying at night. Got them during the ebay promo from power land with free delivery. Show details · 1
Do not install in a bedroom, makes clicking creaking noises – We have one of these installed in a bedroom, the fan keeps switching off and on repeatedly, and when the fan is off the unit makes clicking and creaking noises which are very disruptive to sleep. As far as I can tell there's no way to just keep the fan going. (I'm also not sure if it actually has an inverter in it - if it did I wouldn't have thought it would switch on and off like a duty cycle.) Show details
Hi Alex, sorry to read about your experience with your… Read more
Cools down and heats up quite well, but strange noise bothers me – I had this unit for about 2 years and from about half year ago every time when i turn on and turn off the unit, there are strange noise like plastic being hit or crushed, or the fins cools down after heated or I don't know what actually makes the noise. The noise is actually quite loud it goes for a while even few minutes after shut still appears once or twice. I am not sure if this is under warranty. Do you guys have the same issue???. Thank you Show details
Hi Uming, the air conditioner has a 5 year warranty,… Read more
Find out how Panasonic ECONAVI AERO Z-TKR Series compares to other Split System Air Conditioners
Know better, choose better.
Good product – I live in Melbourne Victoria, this is a very good product. However you need to find your own installer for the product from your local paper. The store where I bought the product can arrange installation but they will try to charge you double if not triple the price of installation. Still working well and no issues after 3 years. Show details · 1
Fan on / off – Why does the fan keep going on and off it drives us mad ! We have 6 other aircons different make where at night you turn down to quiet and the fan just keep running very quietly. Lucky this one is not in our bedroom! As I would throw it out. We were advised that the new 7.1 kw unit was the quietest on the market. Not at all happy . Greg Show details
Hi Wilgreg, thank you for the review, please contact… Read more
Decent however a little loud at night – Really good cooling during the summer using for heating in the bedroom (got 3 installed) and find them a bit noisy even on quite mode. unit seem cheaply made and creeks through then night But heat and cools well lots of features and reasonably priced ($1,200 installed per unit, got 3 installed) Show details
Hi James, thank you for taking the time to provide your honest feedback.
Very quiet and the powerful mode is useful to get on top of the heat when I first come home – Replaced an existing split system with this product and the noise reduction was amazing. Other than that it works as advertised and easily cools the recommended room size. I live in North Queensland so obviously I can't comment on it's heating performance. One thing to note with split systems is that I've had multiple issues with installations, so I think we should make sure we are not blaming manufacturers for installer mistakes. Show details · 1
Works as advertised – Despite buying Panasonic ECONAVI AERO CS/CU-Z50TKR in the middle of 2018 we ended up installing it only in December. It was a tough choice what brand AC to buy. The market is very competitive now and Mitsubishi (electric and heavy industry) along with other competitors sharpened prices considerably. The decision came down to Panasonic energy… Read more
efficiency. None of Panasonic's competitors (within similar price range) had same or better energy rating. What also helped, we had previous model of current 5kw Panasonic system that we were happy with. The AC works as advertised. Reading other people reviews I'd like to point out (besides obvious manufacturing faults) what differentiate this particular model from what people used to in previous models or other brands. 1. It does take time for hot or cold air to start blowing. The reason is. The element inside AC will get appropriate temperature first to prevent blowing hot air out when it is hot or cold air when it is cold. 2. It does take time to start full cooling or heating unless you force it into "Powerful" mode. The reason is that, to get rated efficiency the inverter of AC compressor ramping up slowly (actually very slowly). As I have house electricity consumption monitor I notice that after starting AC its power consumption is very low and slowly ramping up to operational mode within couple of minutes. 3. Any bigger than 5kw units, even from Panasonic are suffering from poor(ish) energy consumption. If you choose this model because of its energy consumption and is undersized for area it need cool/heat it won't cut it. Considering my first 2 points above it will make it even worse if undersized. 4. Noise level is very low, but "Powerful" mode make it noisy, which is kind of expected as AC pushed to work at maximum capacity. I think we are lucky enough that we didn't need to use Panasonic support or repair for any units purchased, so I can't comment on that. However, if we'll encounter a fault I'll come back and update my review with our experience. All of our room ACs are Mitsubishi Heavy Industry which we are very happy with including MHI support. If they'd have unit as efficient back in 2018 I'd probably go for MHI. Saying that, we did not have any troubles with current Panasonic model. Based on our experience I would recommend it to others if efficiency is important to you and price is right.
Panasonic warranty - beware – Purchased and paid nearly $3000 for installation of a Panasonic aircon from a local business in a large country town well before Christmas and summer 2018. The unit was faulty on first use. After numerous frustrating phone calls it took 7 weeks (across the hottest period) to replace the faulty component. I was told along the way I had to pay a… Read more
travel fee for the repairer which eventually amounted to $376! I knew nothing about this charge at purchase and understood that a warranty guarantees repairs at no charge. Panasonic insisted this is consistent with the contract (maybe some very fine print?) and that I just had to bear the cost. Unhappy, I asked to speak with management. Several days later they offered to pay half but absolutely no more. I asked what had I done to incur this charge? No clear answer. Still waiting for them to review recordings of phone calls...... While the calls were always polite and professional, there was a clear reluctance to meet even half way and I seem to be at a stalemate for the total cost. In 63 years I have never made any consumer complaint before and I am finding this to be a very unpleasant experience. Be very wary of Panasonic warranties!!!
Excellent - Panasonic 2.5 KW Split System Air Conditioner (Cool Only) CU-Z25TKR – Purchased this Panasonic Cool Only Split System for my master bedroom just over a year ago. The 2.5KW size is perfect and with living in a hot city (Perth), have found it cools my room very quickly. It has the Econavi function to save on power, and all the other functions are easy to navigate on the remote. It has a timer and powerful or quiet… Read more
mode. Filters are easy to remove and clean. I have other Panasonic split systems in my home and have found they don't make a lot of noise from the fan motor unit outside which is great. The remote also has a check button which can be used if you experience a fault with the system and this will show a code, so you can check what the problem may be. Can definitely recommend.
Great air con! – We love our Panasonic air conditioners. We now have this model is all of our children’s bedrooms. It’s the perfect size. It’s a quiet machine that works well to heat and cool and I find the temperature very accurate. Show details
So glad to have on those hot days – Bought this unit due to the excessive heat we have experienced over the last few summers. Cools down efficiently & quietly. Haven’t noticed any huge increase in power bills, cools down large living area & whole house if all windows & doors are closed to stop cool air escaping. Show details
Best decision this summer! – I don't know how I survived before I got this installed. Moved into a new house over the Christmas break, during a typical Queensland summer peak. Didn't realise until after I'd moved in there was no air-con in the master bedroom. Shock! Horror! Got onto the Airconditioning Experts and had this little beauty installed. Super quiet while running, cools quickly and efficiently. Low electricity usage and excellent value for money. Show details
Worst customer service – I bought a brand new air conditioner on 9 January 2019 and got it installed on 18 January 2019. Since then air conditioner did not run for five minutes. Panasonic is not giving me replacement air conditioner whereas sending technician again and again to my place. Technicians are unable to fix it but doing experiments. Despite spending $1669 for… Read more
air conditioner I am not enjoying it in Canberra's hot summer.
I will never buy any Panasonic product.
Does the job – Does the job faily well, cooled the room on a hot summer day set to 23. Power consumption is excellent. Getting the right setting is a bit finicky and if fan set to Auto it's way too slow. Better to be set manually. Didn't try heating as of yet. I prefer the Mitsubishi units from experience Show details
Efficient, quiet & cool – Extremely happy with my new air conditioner - I have a large open home with lots of windows and glass doors and high ceilings. This A/C is super quiet, cools the room within seconds and flows into adjoining areas. It's coped easily during a very hot summer. Easy operation, slimline design which blends into the room nicely. Show details
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Hi cjbinja, Thank you for sharing your experience and… Read more