Royal Sovereign ARP-4009 Portable Air Conditioner 9,000 BTU Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We purchased the royal Sovereign ARP-4009 June 2008, used it last summer for about 3 months and didn't turn it on again until July of this year. It worked for about one week and stopped blowing cold air after that. The unit still turns on and produces air but it blows hot air. We realized that we had just missed the one-year Full Warranty period but the unit still qualifies for the Limited Five Year Warranty which the manufacture will replace the compressor (parts only). I looked up for Royal Sovereign's website for a service contact and they showed a total of 10 in California. I called two and were told by both that they do not service Royal Sovereign anymore. I called a 3rd repair shop which is approximately 45 miles from my house. I made an appointment and brought the unit in. They informed me after a week that there was a problem with the compressor and the condenser. Even though, the parts will be supplied by Royal Sovereign but their labor would cost $250. For the price, we could almost purchase a new portable air condition.
I don't understand how the unit would stop working after one year or to be exact, 3 months of usage. I am frustrated that Royal Sovereign does not have enough service locations which made it very difficult to compare price on the repair. The next closest repair shop to me is approximately 60+ miles away and a totally different direction from the first shop that gave me the estimate. And we only live 20 miles East of downtown Los Angeles!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Royal Sovereign ARP-4009 Portable Air Conditioner 9,000 BTU

Click here for more information about Royal Sovereign ARP-4009 Portable Air Conditioner 9,000 BTU

Read More...

Ha Sh AF-S120PX 12000 Btu Air Conditioner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This thing kicks more @$$ than a horsejockey. We used this to replace a GE 10,000 BTU unit we've had for a considerable time - the difference is night and day. Very, very cold air that has a ton of force behind it's airflow, it cools off a summer heated 13' x 16' room literally in seconds, and we live on the top floor of our apartment building, so that's saying a lot.
As far as noise goes, it's actually quite quiet, and you get used to the machine's minimal noise very quickly. Consider the noise level a soft-to-medium white noise at it's possible worst. I am partial to white noise, but if you're not, don't worry, this unit will be more than satisfying.
This is an EXCELLENT air conditioner for the price (looking back I'd have paid more if I had to, it's that good), and I recommend it to anyone looking for a window unit.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Ha Sh AF-S120PX 12000 Btu Air Conditioner

Click here for more information about Ha Sh AF-S120PX 12000 Btu Air Conditioner

Read More...

Fedders AZEY08F2A 8,000 BTU Room Air Conditioner with 3,500 BTU Electric Heat, 10.8 Energy Efficiency Ratio, Air Exchanger, Remote Control, 3 Cooling/Fan-Only Speeds and Energy Star Qualified Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Fought like the dickens to get this specific version because only one other on the market has the following:
... Controls on the left
...8000btu or less WITH HEAT (not heat pump, electric heat to warm you)
... Remote
The other costs hundreds more and is a Friedrich. I rarely turn on the AC and didn't want to spend that much more.AAFeders dot com has these in stock as of May 2010. Yes INCORRECTLY SPELLED. Delivery cross country is in just days.THE GREAT
Sometimes just a whisper OF QUIET but it can gurgle a bit like a tiny babbling brook.
When I cleaned up I realize this might be because the foam insulation strips were left off. If I find out I'll let you know in an update.
Heat is constant air sound like a white noise machine and though it feels only lukewarm, it actually will take the room to 86d degrees and roast you like a piglet in no time at all.
Cool feels fantastic, but I'm not having a hot day here yet.
THE NOT SO GREAT
The Fan Speed button on the control panel FAILS in every mode except cool. It operates in LOW ONLY unless I use the REMOTE to select Med and High speed fan activity.
NOT as QUIET as I wanted. At 14ft you don't hear it at all but at 12inches to 3ft it is loud enough to disturb low volume tv watching but it doesn't do any annoying groaning, popping or banging as it cycles. I'm a light sleeper and was able to sleep inches from it.
The picture if you see one where the louvers run the full width of the top of the unit THAT IS NOT RIGHT. That's the 10000BTU unit. This version has the older look with small set of controls top left taking up what would be some of the louver space.
The description says the louvers rotate up and down. Well they do rotate UP and back to neutral but NOT DOWN.
I'll post a pic so you can see. Global Industrial dot com had shown it right but is out of stock and took the listing down altogether.Haven't tested the AUTO feature. If it works well it will be a first for any heating or cooling appliance I've bought to actually have even a reasonably accurate thermostat function.
If you are wondering why I give it such a high rating, it is an inexpensive model at $308-315 (don't pay more than $375) and its annoyances/flaws are easy to deal with.
**MEASURING WINDOW OPENING**
Do notice the image added. The minimum height needed for this model is 16.25 inches and 16.5 would make it easier on your installer. It is not the 15+ stated on some store's tech sheet.
When measuring start ABOVE the lip some window frame have. Don't start down on the sill as the installation manual indicates. I did that and if I didn't have an installer who could reconfig my window the unit would have had to be shipped back!
Don't assume your window can go up where the bottom of the edge of the front most pane lines up with the bottom of the upper pane. You may have stops and other window elements that prevent the lower sash from rising that much. Really push it up all the way then measure, don't assume.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Fedders AZEY08F2A 8,000 BTU Room Air Conditioner with 3,500 BTU Electric Heat, 10.8 Energy Efficiency Ratio, Air Exchanger, Remote Control, 3 Cooling/Fan-Only Speeds and Energy Star Qualified

Click here for more information about Fedders AZEY08F2A 8,000 BTU Room Air Conditioner with 3,500 BTU Electric Heat, 10.8 Energy Efficiency Ratio, Air Exchanger, Remote Control, 3 Cooling/Fan-Only Speeds and Energy Star Qualified

Read More...

Lg Through-The-Wall Air Conditioner 8000 Btu Cooling Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I read all the reviews.Seems many have issues with noise.I have not.This unit is presently cooling a 500ft cottage with high 80s outsid,maybe a little underpowered for this home but still its holding 71* in here and comfy.
I do not find this unit loud,any more than normal.
Home Depot has this unit for 199$ and a coupon for an additional 20$ rebate from my electric company,bringing the cost down to 179$.
I could not have found a better deal.
Also Energy star rating is very good.Should save me a few bucks over my old 10K unit,if this one cn hold a temp in high heat.I think I will be fine.But as the unit is rated for 340 ft. room,if I were to use it in any larger area I would opt for the 10K.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Lg Through-The-Wall Air Conditioner 8000 Btu Cooling

Click here for more information about Lg Through-The-Wall Air Conditioner 8000 Btu Cooling

Read More...

Heat Controller, Inc. RAD-81A Room Air Conditioner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The airconditioner is very loud. Use it in a bedroom and you'll need earplugs if you are a light sleeper since it cycles off and on. It works extremely hard cooling a small bedroom. On the plus side, it is easy to install. I actually only needed one piece of wood on the bottom window frame. The weight of the unit holds itself in place with the window secured. In other words, I didn't need to modify the window! I live in Georgia and the summers are hot. I work midnights so I sleep in the heat of the day. I like the remote control feature. It's ok, but I wish I had shopped around a bit more

Click Here to see more reviews about: Heat Controller, Inc. RAD-81A Room Air Conditioner

Click here for more information about Heat Controller, Inc. RAD-81A Room Air Conditioner

Read More...

Sharp AF-S85PX 8,000 BTU ENERGY STAR Window Air Conditioner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This a/c has lots of functions and settings but holy cow, is it loud! I don't even normally mind a/c noise but this one is ridiculous.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sharp AF-S85PX 8,000 BTU ENERGY STAR Window Air Conditioner

Click here for more information about Sharp AF-S85PX 8,000 BTU ENERGY STAR Window Air Conditioner

Read More...

Friedrich XQ05M10 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I purchased this window air conditioner because I wanted a quiet unit for a small bedroom. The keyword is "quiet", and this unit was supposedly one of the most quiet small units available.
The good part. The unit is very quiet on the outside. This is a good unit if you do not wish to disturb your neighbors. It also makes little or no "water splashing" sounds, which is common in window units.
The bad part: It has characteristics that it should not have at this price. First, the thermostat has a loud "click" that is annoying each time it turns the compressor on or off.
Second, the unit has, in my opinion, an engineering flaw. If there is high humidity, water not only drips off the cooling fins (which is normal), but is also drawn into the air stream. The fan blows the air at high speed through a styrofoam air passage and into the room. Water droplets in the airstream hit the styrofoam at high speed, which creates a loud and annoying "pinging" sound. The intensity and pitch of the "pinging" is a function of humidity and blower speed. The pinging noise decreases, and eventually disappears, as the unit reduces the humidity in the room. If the humidity is high and the outside temperature is not too warm (common in Connecticut), the compressor will remain off for a sufficient time for humidity to return into the room. When the compressor cycles on to again cool the room, the pinging will resume until the humidity in the room is again reduced. This causes an annoying noise pattern that I find unacceptable for sleeping. There is no pinging if there is low humidity.
Third, the unit has a loud low frequency harmonic when the compressor first comes on. This sound tends to vanish after the compressor has run for several minutes.
And fourth, the quality control is not what it should be at this price. The centrifugal (squirrel-cage) fan is made of plastic, and half of one of its blades (ribs) was broken and missing.
Lastly, my emails and complaint letter to customer service were ignored.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Friedrich XQ05M10

Click here for more information about Friedrich XQ05M10

Read More...

Friedrich X-Star Series XQ06M10 6,000 BTU Room Air Conditioner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was looking for two small, extremely efficient window air conditioners because I had two small bedrooms that were on the same 20 amp circuit (previous owner of the house added the second room and just tied it in to the adjacent room's circuit) and I didn't want to have to worry about using the television, computer or any other combination of electronic gizmos in either room while both A/C's were on.
One room is my toddler's bedroom, so I was looking for a particularly quiet unit. Another window AC we had was only two years old and 5000 BTU and you could hear the compressor throughout the house when it went on at night.
Needless to say, these air conditioners are fantastic. They're SEER 12, which is as high efficiency as I could find in a window unit, and they are EXTREMELY quiet. There is a slight click when the compressor turns on, and because the fan is so soft on the lowest setting (which is enough to cool these rooms), I was afraid I wouldn't be able to sleep through it, but it turned out not to be a problem. It's definitely quiet enough that you get used to it, and my toddler (who DID NOT want an air conditioner in his room, but who can't sleep well in the heat) slept all night without waking up once the first night.
Installation is a snap. They come with a window sleeve. You just put the curtain extensions on the sleeve and install the sleeve in the window. I did had to screw a board into the sash because we have the newer vinyl windows with the thin lip that wouldn't support any A/C. After that, just slide the unit into the sleeve and put the face on. There are tabs in the face for left or right cord exit.
The only drawback is that the sleeve is very flexible/flimsy, and the shipping company (I did not buy from Amazon) bent/dinged both sleeves, so when you receive your units, make SURE you open and check the sleeves for damages BEFORE the trucking company leaves! Mine weren't damaged beyond my ability to hammer/bend them back into shape, but I shouldn't have had to do that to new units.
When you get your X-Star's, they will come in larger boxes than you are probably accustomed to for units in this BTU range. Open the box and the X-Star looks HUGE and you might think you'll never be able to carry it. However, there is a lot of space inside the actual A/C between the fan and the coils, and the unit is not that heavy. Perhaps all the space inside the unit is something to do with the newer environmentally friendly A/C freon -- maybe it required a design where they didn't cram all the components into a compact space. So while the unit looks big, it isn't any heavier than other units in this range. I'd still use two people just because of its size, but you could do it yourself if you can lift a typical air conditioner.
Plug it in and start it up, and the sound is of a commercial, solid unit that's meant to last years, not a junky cheap and noisy unit that will last a couple seasons before it starts struggling to cool and keeps you up at night with rattles in the cabinet.
Time will tell if these A/C's stand the test of time, but so far I'm one happy camper.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Friedrich X-Star Series XQ06M10 6,000 BTU Room Air Conditioner

Click here for more information about Friedrich X-Star Series XQ06M10 6,000 BTU Room Air Conditioner

Read More...

Frigidaire FRA126CT1 12-000 Btu Window Air Conditioner W / Temp Remote Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)New unit was very noisy. Rather than return it, it was easier to it take to a local warranty repair center. I kept Amazon in the loop just in case, and they were gracious in offering to exchange the unit if I chose not to have it repaired.
The repair center diagnosed the noise as a bad bearing in the fan motor. The blower motor was replaced, and the unit is OK now. The motor being bad right out of the box suggests that these units go through no testing at the factory, and quality control is low.
After the repair, the overall noise level is about average which is OK with me. Most of the sound is the air movement swish of the blower. There is very little compressor sound when it is running, and a light "clunk" when the compressor turns off.
This 12,000 BTU unit is the same physical size as the 8,000 BTU Frigidaire unit I am replacing. For what it's worth, the blower in the 8,000 BTU unit lasted two seasons. That might explain why Frigidaire has only a one-year warranty (which is really one season) on that part of the unit. Perhaps Frigidaire is trying to take over Haier's role as the industry purveyor of cheap appliances.
I later found out that LG has a five-year warranty on everything -- no need to buy an extended warranty. Frigidaire has five years only on the compressor, one year on everything else. The repair guy at the warranty repair center said he has seen only two LG units in the five years he has been there.
Having gone through multiple window units, I'll offer the advice that, in order to get the high EER ratings, these things (all brands) use delicate fins on the heat exchangers the design and spacing of which easily accumulate micro dust particles in spite of the filter. The moisture on the fins along with the dust encourages the growth of mold if the fins are not meticulously cleaned. But the delicate nature of the fins along with the presence of the electronic controls means you can't do like the old days where you took the thing out of the chassis and washed it out at the local car wash. Cleaning the fins now requires something like using a strong shop vac and a tooth brush to carefully comb fins clean at the end of each season.
In other words: It might have a high EER when you get it new, but it doesn't stay that way for long. It's too bad the EER is only for brand new in the lab, and no thought is given to the EER over a typical lifespan of the product.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Frigidaire FRA126CT1 12-000 Btu Window Air Conditioner W / Temp Remote

Click here for more information about Frigidaire FRA126CT1 12-000 Btu Window Air Conditioner W / Temp Remote

Read More...

Frigidaire 6000-BTU Mini Compact Window Air Conditioner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have this unit installed in the bedroom. A very quiet unit, can hardly hear the compressor kick on. Perfect for the bedroom....12x14. The noise is less than a box fan. I leave it running 24/7 and surprisingly does not effect the power bill a lot, seems real efficient. I had to adjust the tilt of the unit after the first install because of a sloshing sound from the fan in the rear of the unit. This was caused by the fan sloshing the water. The unit needs to be nice and level. The buttons on the front are easily cleaned, and the remote is the same way with its flat design. The filter comes out and is cleaned with out any effort. The unit does not have a fresh air/recirculate switch as some of the larger models. From the large amounts of humidity it pulls from the room, I assume its only recirculate. After a few days without any rain in a small room over night, it can leave you with a dry throat and irritated sinuses from the low humidity in the room.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Frigidaire 6000-BTU Mini Compact Window Air Conditioner

Click here for more information about Frigidaire 6000-BTU Mini Compact Window Air Conditioner

Read More...