Fabulous. Wonderfully cool. Great price point. We put bars in our upstairs windows so that the kids wouldn't fall out, and then I realized I had no way to put a window unit in. Fortunately this style works great and this unit has a number of nice features such as rollers and a clever drainage tube so that you can push it over to your bathtub or just hang the tube out the window to drain it periodically. We used it all summer and when I tried to drain it in the fall before storing, there was no water accumulated, so I guess it just doesn't build up as quickly when it is not hanging outside in the heat. It probably is more energy efficient for that reason as well. Others commented on the window insert portion not fitting. I just cut it down to size with a hand saw and it worked perfectly. Read more
I had serious misgivings about this purchase, but i am very glad i bought it! Based on the design, with the drain plug too close to the floor to fit a bucket or pan underneath, i worried about emptying it. Like most folk, i don't have a floor drain on the main floor of my house, which where i want it. But it's been running daily for nearly 3 weeks during very hot & humid weather, and hasn't needed emptying yet. I worried that it would need daily empties, like a dehumidifier, but apparently not! For very infrequent emptying, wheeling it out to the deck will work fine. It's pretty noisy when the compressor is running, but the cool air it puts out makes that seem justified. Cools fast and very efficiently! It would be nice if the exhaust piping was insulated, as it radiates a bit of heat during the cooling cycle, but i expect that would add to the price, and i was glad it wasn't a budget-buster! Portability isn't straightforward, as the exhaust hose and its window fitting create extra work if you're moving it from room to room. (if that's your plan, make sure all the concerned rooms have the same size & type of window so that one adjustment will fit all) All in all, this unit is excellent value for the price and, thus far, a very efficient air conditioner. Read more
I was able to slowly carry this 40+ lb. AC unit up two flights of stairs in my townhome. The AC blows out cool air to help me sleep, so I am happy that I got it for that function. However... 1. It is really, really loud! I already sleep with a white noise sound machine, so I like a little background hum to fall asleep to. However, this AC sounds incredibly loud. It's probably suitable for an office, not a bedroom. 2. Attaching the exhaust hose on one end to the hose connector, and the other end to the windows kit adapter was the most difficult part of setup. Both end attachments are supposed to easily screw into the exhaust hose. In reality, it was very difficult to do that! I nearly gave up. 3. The adjustable window kit is either too small, or too large for a typical window! To compensate, I had to cut out a piece of cardboard to fill the gap (see pics). If I had used the provided extender, it would have been too wide for my window. 4. The base of the windows kit adapter is too large when placed to sit on my window sill. It forces an opening gap (see pics). In turn, the whole base is misaligned and gaps are evident everywhere. Horrible design. Read more
third a/c i've ever bought, 2nd standing one. i picked this one specifically because of the small footprint. we have a black and decker for the living room but needed something smaller for the bedroom. i haven't gotten to run it too much, but it did a good job cooling the room! the other a/c we have uses a screw to hold the fittings in place, not the little flip switch this one has, so i hope that holds up over time. set up: the book is not very clear how to set it up, in my opinion. i was not sure which direction the vent plugged into the sash fitting (flat side down), and couldn't figure out what the screw was for (i guess additional support for the vent staying in place, except it doesn't seem to do much, there). maybe if i wasn't pouring buckets of sweat at the time it would have been easier. none of the sash fittings ever fit our windows. they are made to be long for vertical openings, i guess. i do not have a fancy saw, or any power tools. however, i do have a big knife. if you do not have tools, figure out where you need to cut the sash to (remember it cannot cover any part of the vent opening, as the vent can't plug in). i'd advise leaving it as long as possible in case you move it to a bigger window someday. turn it flat side down, and make as deep two notches as you can in the fitting (the one without the vent hole). then put the fitting on a sturdy flat surface, with the notches at the edge of it. i used our end table. and press. it will snap pretty easily. :) not too jagged, either. i slid the side i snapped into the vent fitting so it's hidden from sight. cooling ability: cools the bedroom well! i haven't tested if i can use fan science to send the air to the next room yet. noise: kinda noisy. they are all noisy. don't believe it when people say they're sooo quiet. it doesn't get quiet once the room is cool like the black and decker one we have does. remote: easy to use. button labeling is very clear, unlike the manual. overall content! if it fails the summer, i'll update this. Read more
