Home Improvement Product Reviews

What a deal, July 5, 2010

I spent quite a bit of time researching A/C before purchasing. We live in Oregon and it doesn’t get too hot but there’s a month or two in the summer where the heat and humidity get oppressive in the house. I wanted an inexpensive, small, window A/C to increase the comfort. I wanted something small enough that I can store it the other 10 months.

So, after much research I ordered this model. I was going to get the 6K BTU model with the electronic controls but I figured I would get something super cheap and if it didn’t work I could use it as a single room cooler. Shipped free which makes this a pretty good deal. Arrived in about a week.

Installation was easy, following the instructions in the manual. I did have to install and remove the A/C about 3 times to get all the sealing right. In the box there’s a lot of different thicknesses of foam and foam tape. There is no specific instructions about what to do with this, except the stuff for the top gap of the upper sash. So, I experimented with various combos to get a good seal. We have recent vinyl windows with screens but no storms so the unit basically dropped right in. However, there are some gaps around the bottom in this configuration. I stuffed these with the thickest foam that came with the unit. This did the trick but didn’t look too great. Luckly I ordered extra foam tape as another reviewer recommended, and I used small pieces of that to caulk around it inside and outside, leaving the big foam inside. It actually looks pretty neat and professional. well spent

Anyway, the unit is installed in our main living room. We are in a 1940′s box bungalow so this room is about half of the width and length of the house. The bedrooms and kitchen connect to it. With it on HI cool/Max(7) the entire house has been very cold and huge amounts of water have been pulled out. We will see how it performs in the upcoming week of 95+ temps. We keep a few box fans around to circulate air so I can move the cold air around.

One thing is that I have heard mentioned on a few other models is that the fan catches water in the pan and spits it around. This is a feature and not a bug . The unit is designed to pitch backward slightly when properly mounted. Moisture removed from the room collects at the bottom. The fan blade is coated in rubber and it’s designed to suck water up and spray it on the evaporator coils. This facilitates some precooling of the outside air. It drastically increases efficiency. I would not drill drain holes, as other people have mentioned.

Summary:
0, and my house is cold AND quiet. You can’t say much more. If it’s not enough for the hottest day I might get one more and move them to the bedrooms. It’s very quiet on low but I like white noise.. I hope it lasts, even if it doesn’t I’d gladly pay another 0 in 2 years.

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Rises Above Expactations, June 30, 2010

By 

A. Mast (Northern Indiana, USA) – See all my reviews

  

I got it hoping it would keep my apartment cool-ER. I expected it to keep it comfortable, not cold. I also had a bit of a problem with size. The only window that opens in my house is a vertical sliding window, which Air Conditioners I can afford, aren’t made for.
Once I received it, I started to assemble and install. Originally I was going to leave the extensions off, since my window was only 18 inches wide, but after I got it and thought about it more, I realized they could still help keep it supported. So I put them on. They are about an inch inside the window, to help it from falling out. Also, I originally hoped to buy some wood and put that above it, but once I saw how sturdy it was with just the extensions, I put cardboard above it and plastic taped around the edges with duct tape. Very red neck, I know. It’s sealed with the help of some other bits that came with it to help seal it.
I installed it a little over 12 hours ago and my home is cold. I live in a house above a garage. Just a large living room, average bathroom and small bedroom. It’s 621 SQ Feet.(assuming I did the math correctly. 23 x 27 feet.) This is total, but there are 3 separate rooms here. (Also, I have a low ceiling, only 6.5 Feet.) I placed it in my only opening window in the living room and it keeps the bathroom cold which is closest, and my bedroom pretty cold too, which is farthest. A lot larger than advertised for. I didn’t care, I needed a little cooler than I had. Before, it was hotter inside than it was outside. I have it on high, but will consider turning it down, which I never thought I would do. I like the cold. It’s THAT cold.
For 0, I got an amazing air conditioner that perform WAY better than expected/advertised and it got here exceptionally fast too. It arrived 4 days after I ordered it with standard shipping and handling. I am a very happy costumer.

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Better than expected!, July 1, 2010

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Cassie Monteverde (Blacksburg, VA United States) – See all my reviews

  

I bought this a/c mainly because of the price. It has completely exceeded my expectations. It is cooling three rooms in the downstairs of our house (about 600 sq ft). And I have yet to change it over to “high cool”. It’s also quieter than I expected. Well worth it’s low price!

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