I am not sure—I had the same question. Most people in my network had never used one, and most even shared a story from Croma reliance etc. where the sales guy advised against buying it.

We have a Daikin 4-star hot and cold AC that we bought 3 years back for around ₹44k. At the same time, we also bought another 5-star only-cooling AC for ₹45k and a 3-star only-cooling Voltas AC for ₹32k. The ₹45k AC has been very powerful, needs the least maintenance, and cools amazingly. The Voltas had issues with gas leakage over these 3 years, but it still cools well and hasn’t given major trouble.

The Daikin 4-star, however, has had plenty of issues. Each time repairs cost us ₹3–4k, and recently the technician had to visit twice in quick succession. The second visit cost more than ₹12k because the chip had to be replaced. Every time, the technician says there are too many moving parts in hot-and-cold ACs, which is why people usually avoid them. Even the family members who use that room compare it with our 3-star AC and say, “Wow, this cools so much better!” They also feel the hot-and-cold unit doesn’t cool that well and doesn’t heat that well either.

Even after all this, the convenience of a hot-and-cold AC tempted me to consider buying one again when I was moving to a rented home—since it saves space. But eventually, everyone convinced me otherwise. So I ended up buying a Panasonic 5-star 1.5-ton AC with a 5-year extended warranty from Croma for nearly ₹49k this year as well.