I special ordered this because consumer reports gave it good reviews on both sound and operation. From an operation standpoint, it is absolutely amazing. You could even say it works too well - cooling the room down to 70 when you set it at 75. It has great features, and will retain its settings if the power blinks. However, the problem with this unit is noise. First, the unit is so large that it shakes everything around it. In an old house with old windows, even a tightly secured unit of this size will cause rattles. But, this is easily fixed and not the main problem. The first few months it was nearly silent (probably the reason consumer reports gave it a good review), but now it is so noisy it often wakes me up at night. When the compressor is running it makes this annoying and loud swishing sound. The filter lid also ends up rattling. In the end I'm going to have to trash this unit I think, because it is simply too loud. This is too bad, because it works so amazingly well, and looks very stylish. View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
This is an excellent high-efficiency budget air conditioner for small to medium sized rooms. The fan speed is adjustable so that the unit can push cold air further into a room at higher speed. I really like all the options available in the controls. You can have it run as long as you want, or you can set it to run on an internal timer or according to an internal thermostat. The on/off button is easy to use and the whole control panel responds well to presses. I don't feel ignored by this control panel. In addition to setting the fan speed, you can set the thermostat from 60 up to 90, or you can set the unit to run the fan only, without cooling the air. Also, there is an energy efficient mode which turns off the cooling system when the thermostat reads the right temperature, but the fan keeps running for 3 minutes, to continue moving air over the inactive but still-cold compressor. Then at 10 minute intervals the fan turns on for another 3 minutes and continues like that until the temperature goes high enough to activate the compressor again. There is Clean Air button that turns on a little electric air purifier in the unit. A good bonus for allergy sufferers which I keep on all the time. There is a sleep button that works with the thermostat settings. When the sleep button is pressed, the unit continues operating. 30 minutes later, the thermostat is set 2 degrees higher. 30 minutes after that again, it is set another 2 degrees higher, so it is more efficient while you sleep. The unit will then operate with the thermostat at that higher level for 7 hours, and then turn off sleep mode automatically, returning to the original thermostat setting, before the sleep button was pressed. I don't know anyone who sleeps a full 8 hours, so the sleep mode can be deactivated with the press of the button. The unit reminds you when to change the filter by turning on a light. The reusable filter can be rinsed clean, and the button under the filter light can be pushed to reset the timer, which runs for 250 hours of operation before lighting again. There are two control features that I don't like so well. First, there is the mode selection button, which controls which of the three modes you are in: "Cool", "Energy Saver", and "Fan Only". I would have preferred two buttons, to go up or down the list, instead of only down. It's a minor pet peeve for me. Second, I think the controls beep too loud when pressed, and I don't think there is a way to adjust volume. Another thing I dislike is how the timer can only be set in half-hour increments up to 10 hours, and then 1 hour increments up to 24 hours. I would have liked to select smaller time slices, like 10 minute intervals. That makes it a longer process to program the timer, but gives me more control. However, since I normally use the thermostat mode, this is not really an issue for me anyway. Be careful about putting furniture directly in front of the plug. The plug itself looks good and the cord comes out the bottom, but the reset and test buttons are not placed deeply enough into the plug box, so they can be accidentally pushed. This may turn off your unit, and the instructions say not to use the test and reset buttons to control the operation of the unit. The unit seems to generate an average amount of sound. It does not sound any louder or quieter than an average air conditioner. View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
Frigidaire's FRA052XT7 5,000 BTU 115-Volt Window-Mounted Mini-Compact Air Conditioner is perfect for rooms up to 150 square feet. It quickly cools a room on hot days and quiet operation keeps you cool without keeping you awake. This unit features mechanical rotary controls and top, full-width, 2-way air direction control. The antimicrobial mesh filter with side, slide-out access cleans the air removing harmful bacteria. Low voltage start-up conserves energy and saves you money plus, effortless restart automatically resumes operating at its previous settings when power is restored.Do not block air flow to the unit from the inside with blinds, curtains or furniture. Make sure the unit is properly spaced outside from shrubs, enclosures, or other buildings. The capacity of the room air conditioner must fit the room size for efficient and satisfactory operation. Using the square footage of your space and the proper BTUs per hour, you are able to determine the correct cooling capacity of your room AC. Also, try to install the room air conditioner on the shady side of your home. A window that faces north is best because it is shaded most of the day. Lastly, be sure to close the fireplace damper, floor and wall registers so cool air does not escape up the chimney and into the duct work.  • Pleated quick-mount window-mounting kit included • Quiet operation keeps you cool without keeping you awake • Low voltage start-up conserves energy and saves you money • Optional Side Panels extend so you can adjust your unit to fit your window • Antimicrobial mesh filter with side, slide-out access cleans the air by removing harmful bacteria • 2 cool speeds and 2 fan speeds • Cools rooms up to 150 sq. ft. • Dehumidification up to 0.8 pints per hour • Effortless restart automatically resumes operating at its previous settings when power is restored • Eco-friendly R410A refrigerant • Extra long 6.5 ft. three-prong power cord makes extension cords unnecessary • Top, full-width, 2-way air direction control allows you to direct the air where you want it *Specifications subject to change without notice Area To Be Cooled (square feet)Capacity Needed (BTUs per hour) View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
I needed a spot to do my wood working and race slot cars. So my 450sqft, 2 car garage got turned into manland here in the South. I buried the ceiling and covered the walls and sliding door with insulation, then put 3 coats of epoxy on the floor(the cement dust was coming into the house in drifts). I needed a A/C unit to cool the space. I did a bunch of research on window A/C units. I'm retired from GE, and get HUGE discounts on GE products. Most of the units I found(including the GE models) were only modestly energy efficient The description goes into most of the key points, so I won't repeat them here, but a nice touch not described is the negative ion generation...it aids the collection of dust and makes the air quite pleasant(Like after a rain storm...all the negative ions makes it nice to breath). Installation was easy except for one caveat. The installation assumes you have a wood window unit. How you get around that is up to you. At $259, Lowes, Home Depot or GE couldn't compete, even with inferior units. I've been quite happy with my purchase. View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
I just moved into a new apartment, and - while the prior tenants had just bought a new air conditioner, it wasn't powerful enough (FYI; air conditioners can ONLY cool ONE room - and they really can't blow air around corners, so whenever you're looking for ANY a.c., always figure out what the square footage of your space is, and buy one that has the proper BTU's accordingly. You don't want an a.c. that doesn't have enough BTU's for your space). As it's always best to buy an air conditioner before summer, I wanted to get one now, that would do my large living room justice, and not have it 'straining' at it's top setting, just to make the room 'bearable'. I had a Haier previously (and the previous tenants had bought a Haier as well). I like them - they're economical, and they perform well. I found this one here at Amazon, and the price (for that BTU's) was very good for me. That's really my main concern (as well as the EER. You should always look for the best EER possible, because it means it'll cost you less to run it). The fact that this air conditioner comes with a remote was only an added plus. Some nice features are it's got a humidity setting, and I always liked air conditioners that you could set by TEMPERATURE - and NOT by LOW, MED, HIGH). It's more accurate, and also means, you'll have the machine operate ONLY when it reaches an uncomfortably high temperature (the government suggests 77?). At this point, I'd just like to make reference to another person's comment regarding the energy saver mode (he said - rightfully - that the a.c. turns off longer than 3 minutes). It DOES - HOWEVER, while I believe that's a mistake on HAIER's part regarding printing, what energy saver DOES do is it gets your room to several degrees below what you've set the a.c. for. It then cycles off UNTIL it reaches a degree below or so to what you set it for. This is NOT a fault of the machine. It's a GREAT MONEY SAVING feature. If you'd feel better, you can always turn off the energy saver feature and let it chug along non-stop. But once you understand WHAT it's DOING, you'll feel better knowing it IS saving you money. Put all this together in a nice, compact, window size (with added extendible side-fins to fit bigger windows) makes this Haier a winner. View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
I recently moved into an old house with no central air. The summers here are mighty humid and hot, with temps of 100 degrees during the worst of it. I purchased this 12,000 BTU window unit because it's affordable and easy to install. I wish this unit was offered with mechanical controls because I do NOT like the electronics (one more thing to break), but alas, it's only offered with the electronics. However, I was impressed with their ease of use. They are fairly user-friendly, but you may need a magnifying glass to see the little tiny printing on the displays. As to the chilling details, I was surpised and pleased with the cooling power of this unit. I also have the 5,000 and 6,000 BTU a/c's and those units never can pedal fast enough to keep up with the hottest days of summer. This unit (which has a much, much higher efficiency rating than its 5,000 and 6,000 BTU cousins) seems to be stronger, quieter and better built. I'm currently using this unit it to cool a 500+ square foot area with 16 massive windows (and a southern exposure) and 10' ceilings and thus far, it's doing very, very well. However, it is noisy. I don't mind some white noise but I have to turn the television way, way up just to hear anything. This unit arrives partially disassembled (which surprised me). The top bar and side pleats have to be installed. The styrofoam shipping blocks in the side vents are nearly impossible to get out. Ick. And the vents (where the air blows out) had to be installed. I had to use my bowling words and lots of upper body strength to get those &^%$ things popped into place. The accordian pleats on the side can't possibly last more than a couple years. They're thin and light and I was afraid of breaking them whilst doing the install! View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
The first two days I fell in love with this thing. It cooled off the room within minutes and I couldn't hear much more than a rush of air as it operated with a slight hum. So, on the third day I'm laying in bed and it sounds almost like the fan is grinding against something or rattling/scratching. I check everything out, all clear. Turn it on, and a few minutes later I hear the same sound. It's not a constant sound, but sort of pulsating and rather annoying compared to how quiet it was the first couple days. Quiet hum...rattle rattle...quiet hum...rattle scratch...It was definitely not like this initially and I ran it on energy saver for 3 days straight. The other complaint I have is the packaging. The power cord comes in a long plastic sheath for protection I guess. Well, whoever packed mine at the factory wrapped the cord all the way up into the unit to where it was secured with screws. I had no way to get the plastic off without taking the thing apart, so I ended up cutting it off with scissors and HOPING it doesn't start a fire. I have no idea if they put the plastic all the way up into the electric contacts or what, but it's still embedded in the unit. I'd have to somehow take the entire front cover off and take the screws out of the piece of plastic securing the power cord to remove it. Why would someone do this? Was it the same person responsible for building my unit that now has a rattle? Apparnetly I just got a lemon put together by people who don't care about their jobs. You'd think quality control would notice something like this, but I guess they don't care either. I gave it 3 stars because I'm sure there are people at the factory who do a good job and put out good units according to the other reviews. I wouldn't know personally. EDIT: I got a replacement unit from Amazon, and the noise is even worse! It started making the scratching/sputtering sounds after the first 1/2 hour or so. My bedroom is completely quiet, and who the heck can sleep with that sort of noise? And this second unit also makes loud ticking. I assume it's water dripping or something. But every few seconds I ear...TICK...DRIP. At least the first one didn't do that. And the dripping sound is even louder than the scratching sound. Maybe if someone has this unit in a room with lots of noise they won't notice as much. But in this small, quiet room it's completely unacceptable. I imagine that's where most people will put these. The plastic bag over the power cord is also all screwed up inside the unit and I can't remove it, just like the first one. They must have come from the same lot. They were probably on the same pallet. The person assembling them just embedded the plastic bag up inside the unit where the electrical wires attach, which can't be all that safe. Crazy. This thing is going back also. I'm never buying another air conditioner by Frigidaire again. I think I'll try a small Kenmore even if it's more expensive since the big one in my living room has never given me these kinds of problems. I would delete this review and repost with only one star but I'm not sure if they'd let me put a new one up. Don't get this scratchy, drippy thing unless it will be used in a noisy room. EDIT: I recently got the Kenmore 5200 BTU model from Sears (which is pretty much identical to this unit in design with subtle differences; they must have the same manufacturer), and after 3 days I'm not experiencing any annoying sounds. No loud scratching or sputtering. No dripping of any sort. Just a consistent, quiet hum when in the cooling cycle. I'm very happy with this unit. I guess the two Frigidaires I had were duds. The Kenmore is a little more than I paid for the Frigidaire at the time, but it's definitely worth it. I wish I saved myself the headache and got that to begin with. It gets my room just as cold and I can sleep! Too bad it also has that loud beep when changing settings, but that I can live with. View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
RESULTS--THE BIG SURPRISE!
So, I turn the thing on. A few minutes later the air is cold, but wait a minute, where's the compressor noise? I turned it to fan-only and the sound didn't appear to change. I turned it back to cool and finally, by listening very carefully next to the window, I noticed a very slight hum added to the fan, which is the quietest A/C fan I've ever heard. It quickly cooled that corner of the apartment, and even on low the air reaches 15 feet into the kitchen, which chills nicely too. On high, there's very normal sounding but unobtrusive fan noise; on low, it's amazingly quiet. I can talk on the phone right next to it, don't have to turn the TV up, and can hardly hear it from across the room. The fins don't do a great job of directing the air left and right, but I've yet to meet a window A/C that does better. However they do a good job of directing air upwards when you tilt the fin assemblies. The unit doesn't project air very strongly. It's enough to reach the very hot kitchen 15 feet away but not enough to circulate air well in the room on its own. My ceiling fan does that for me; a small fan directed straight at the ceiling of your bedroom will do the same for you. Because this is a desert I don't get sloshing noises, though it can feel a little humid if the compressor cycles off for a long time and the fan is running. I'm going to get another of these to replace the Sharp unit; that'll give me a total of 12,000 BTU's for a tiny fraction of the noise. Now that I know how incredibly quiet this thing is I'll also get one for the bedroom to replace the 8,000 BTU FAA084P7A, which is way too loud. TIPS (YOU KNOW YOU WANT THEM!) WAIT 24 HOURS!! Noone at the store will tell you this, and I don't even think it's in the user manual, but start off by making sure the compressor lubricant is in the bottom. Otherwise you're likely to permanently damage the compressor the minute you turn it on, which means it'll be louder and less effective. If you're absolutely, positively sure that the unit was stored and transported right side up, go ahead and put it in. If not, DON'T TURN IT ON until it's been sitting right side up for at least 24 hours. Reduce Vibration:
All window A/C units have compressors and fans, and all compressors and fans vibrate. The trick is to minimize how much vibration is transmitted from the metal A/C housing to the window and wall, both of which can vibrate like a drum. The unit comes with stick-on strips of open-cell foam to 1) reduce vibration and 2) seal off drafts. I always upgrade this to stick-on closed-cell foam tape like M-D Building Products Sponge Rubber Tape, 3/8-by-1/2-Inch-by-10 feet, Closed Cell, Black #06619 (you can find this stuff at any hardware store). I put it at the bottom and top of the metal A/C housing and anywhere else the housing contacts the window or wall. You'll be amazed at the difference this little improvement makes. The Right Angle:
Make sure the unit is installed at the correct angle. Use the slots in the housing that the accordion thingies fit into; they should be exactly perpendicular. The top of the housing may tilt down a little even when the angle is right, and the plastic front is rarely vertical; that's OK, they're designed to be that way. NOT doing this can make the fan and compressor louder or cause the sloshing problem people have if the thing is tilted so that water hits the fan. I've never had a problem with this in a normal wooden sash window, but if it doesn't automatically level itself, use shims at the top or bottom to even it up. View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.
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