Lasko 4916 Desktop Wind Tower Oscillating Fan

Love this fan, its small enough for my cubical desk and quiet not to disturb my phone calls and cube neighbors. My office runs hot and cold, with a 10 or 20 degree diffrence just down the hall. The lasko desktop tower fan sits in the cornor of my desk, not taking up much space but always ready. I like the fact that I can position the top and bottom of the fan so I always have a breeze, moving the air in my cube without a constant buzz in my ear or on my back.

Product Description

Lasko's #4916 Space-saving desk-top fully assembled Wind Tower fan

Features

• the two fan sections pivot for even wider coverage
• three speeds
• front-mounted electronic controls
• 6" X 6" X 14" tall
• ETL listed with patented, fused safety plug

Whynter 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner with Heater (ARC-14SH)

I have a home office in an attic that's sun-baked in the summer and drafty in the winter, and this powerful heater/air conditioner can quickly bring the space to a comfortable temperature year-round.

Unfortunately, the unit is quite loud. The AC fan (which runs continuously even when the compressor is off) is so loud I have to turn it off when making a phone call. And the heater (which turns off completely when not in a heating cycle) makes such a jarring noise when it comes on that I jump out of my seat every time. Since the AC noise is more constant, it wouldn't be a problem if it were further from my desk, but if I had this in a bedroom there's no way I'd be able to sleep with that heater noise. (Update: after using this for a year, I rarely notice the sound of the heater turning on in my office setting.)

Also, despite the unit being marketed as not needing a water tank or drain for air conditioning, it does occasionally leak water onto the floor. Placing a cookie sheet or an improvised aluminum foil pan underneath is an easy solution, but it took me a while to notice what was happening.

Despite these concerns, I'd buy the same unit again due to its environmental features. The dual-hose design makes it more efficient, and the coolant doesn't harm the ozone layer. Unless the noise would be a problem in your situation, I'd recommend it.

Product Description

The Whynter ARC-14SH portable air conditioner and heater is designed to provide quiet and efficient cooling and heating to any room, with no permanent installation. It features CFC free R-410A refrigerant, lead-free RoHS compliant components and patented advance auto drain technology which uses and recycles moisture collected during the cooling process to produce cool air. Dual hose operation provides fast cooling for up to a 500 sq. ft. space (ambient temperature and humidity may influence optimum performance).

Features

• Three operational modes: air conditioner, fan or dehumidifier
• Cooling (61°F - 89°F) and heating (61°F - 77°F) thermostatic control with digital readout, 24 hour programmable timer
• Remote control, upgraded plastic window kit (36" max.), carbon air filter and washable pre-filter included
• Dehumidifying capacity of 101 pints per day, 3 fan speeds
• Casters for easy mobility

Whynter 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner (ARC-14S)

I got this to supplement the window unit I've been using for years and ended up just completely replacing the window unit.
Very robotic design, it stands around 3ft tall and is in fact rather slim once you take it out of the packaging. Came with all the necessary accessories to get it running immediately. Hooking it up and putting the hot air vent where my window A/C used to be was extremely straightforward.

We usually power it up after my daughter returns from pre-school and set the temperature to around 74F. It usually shuts off at about 2am when the room and outside temps are nice and comfortable. The air is extremely cold around the unit and gets a good sized room down to a nice temp really fast. It seems very quiet during the day with all the other sounds and my daughter has slept like a baby ever since we got it. I does emit a low hum when it's cooling but otherwise the fan sound is not noticeable to me. You can turn it on high for a few minutes but after awhile, that's overkill. It does a great job on a low fan setting once the room is almost at the temp you want it at.

I really like the idea of not having to use central air like in our old apartment. I think over time the utility savings will easily cover the cost of the unit. The best part is I can bring it with us if we ever move.

It's worked excellently for a couple of weeks now and I may just end up getting another for our own room.

Whynter Eco Friendly 14000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner

Product Description

The Whynter ARC-14S portable air conditioner is designed to provide quiet and efficient cooling to any room, with no permanent installation. It features CFC free R-410A refrigerant, lead-free RoHS compliant components and patented advance auto drain technology which uses and recycles moisture collected during the cooling process to produce cool air. Dual hose operation provides fast cooling for up to a 500 sq. ft. space (ambient temperature and humidity may influence optimum performance).

Features

• Three operational modes: air conditioner, fan or dehumidifier
• Full thermostatic control (61°F - 89°F) with digital readout, 24 hour programmable timer
• Remote control, upgraded plastic window kit (36" max.), carbon air filter and washable pre-filter included
• Dehumidifying capacity of 101 pints per day, 3 fan speeds
• Casters for easy mobility

NewAir AC10000E 10,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner With AutoEvaporative Technology

I rated this 3 stars which Amazon defines as "It's OK" which is how I feel about it :)

* Size/Weight/Move-ability 10/10 -- I think the size and weight are fine, the unit is heavy (~50lbs) but not so heavy that you can't lift it from the box, it does have handles on the side to grab, and rolls in any direction on casters. It's not very large, about the size of a modern dehumidifier or mini-fridge

* Front Panel/Controls 5/10 -- The controls are straight forward and easy to use, the exception being that when you're in the "AUTO" mode you can not adjust the fan speed, it's a little odd. The big problem, and why I rate it 5/10 is that there are six SUPER BRIGHT LEDs on the front of the unit, as far as I can tell they serve no purpose whatsoever, they are simply there and they are on whenever the unit is on. When it's bright in the room it's not a big deal, but at night when you're trying to sleep this is a big issue, I'm probably going to have to cut out little wedges of electrical tape or something to stick over them. It comes with an IR remote that lets you control it as well. The display on the front will show the room temperature normally and when you are adjusting the temperature controls up and down it will change to show the desired temp for a few seconds. One note here is that the unit seems to stop cooling even when you're a good 5*F or so away from the desired temp--Example, it was 78* in my room last night and I set the unit for 73* it was running for a while but when the temp hit 77* the compressor shut off for a very long time and the room started to feel hot, temp went back up to 78* and it clicked back on... this may just be a quirk with my unit or something, but my window-mounted a/c will keep running until their ambient temp sensors equal the desired temp setting.

* Window Adapter/Hose 8/10 -- This is a single hose model, that means that it sucks air from the room to blow over the condenser (hot part) and then that air is blown outside; something to keep in mind is that you are sucking air from the room which means you are blowing your "conditioned" air outside as part of the normal process, as a result this unit will not cool a room as efficiently as a dual-hose model or a window/wall unit which both use outside air to cool the condenser--so this 10kBTU model will not cool a room as well as a 10kBTU window unit (it might be more comparable to a 7-8kBTU?). The window/hose adapters are decent quality, the only complaint I have is that I wish the adapter were "taller", my window sill is about 1" high, as a result the hose hits the sill before it the adapter hits the base, this isn't a big deal, but just wanted to note it. Another thing to note, some people complain about the window adapters not sealing very well--this one seems to do an OK job, the window just closes on the flat top of the adapter as a seal. The thing to keep in mind w/ these portable a/c's is that having a fantastic seal is not really expected or needed for the unit to operate, you get just as much air leakage around window mounted a/c's. The window adapter, hose adapter and hose are all well constructed and made of good materials--one tip: first screw the hose onto the unit, then screw the wide-mouth adapter thing onto the hose, THEN put the wide-mouth adapter into the window adapter, if you buy this you'll see what I mean :)

* Cooling/Air Output 10/10 -- Works great! Very cold air, and it blows the air fast out of the vent, much better then my window mounted units which feel like they just dribble out air sometimes

* Noise 7/10 -- First: It makes noise, all air conditioners do, if you need silence to sleep then you need another solution other then window/portable a/c's, I can sleep with the "white noise" of a fan/motor running. The unit is no louder then my 8kBTU window-mount unit when operating with and without it's compressor running; however, the reason I give it a 7/10 is that the unit tends to make more noise when the compressor turns on and off then my window unit does, in addition the compressor cycles on/off very often and for short periods, which exacerbates the issue. So far it has been waking me up, and that's not good, it remains to be seen if I can used to the noise, or this will become an awake-only unit.

* Draining 5/10 -- With low room humidity this unit should be able to exhaust most of the water out with the waste air, which means no draining... but with high humidity you need to drain the unit, this an issue on this unit because unlike other units it does not drain into a bucket which can be removed and dumped out. With this unit you need to put a "shallow pan", as the instructions say, under the drain cock and open it... well this pan needs to be really shallow (see my user submitted image) because the drain cock is only about 1-2" off the floor! I can envision this being a real nightmare to empty and I'm not looking forward to really humid days

Overall I think this is a decent portable a/c, and I'm hopeful that it will work out.

Summarized my main concerns are:
1) Does not have a bucket to empty, if it needs draining that will be very difficult w/o a bucket
2) Front Panel LEDs are super bright and always on, makes it difficult to sleep
3) Compressor makes more noise then expected when starting/stopping, this wakes me up at night

Summarized the pro's are:
1) Very good air output--lots of volume and pressure
2) Cold output! Great for spot cooling, move the unit near you and you'll freeze your butt off even if the rest of the room is warmer then you might like
3) Easy to move around on the casters
4) Reasonable price

Product Description

Take a break from the heat with the NewAir AC-10000E portable air conditioner! Featuring an incredibly compact size that takes up little room, this 10,000 BTU portable AC unit is the perfect spot cooling solution for bedrooms, small offices, and personal spaces. It also offers patented self-evaporative technology, which allows for hours of continuous operation without excessive condensate buildup. Best of all, the NewAir AC-10000E portable air conditioner eliminates excess moisture and comes with an air filter for cleaner, fresher air. Compact, Space-Saving Design This NewAir portable AC is incredibly compact and designed to fit most average-sized rooms. This unit is also ideal for areas short on space such as apartments and offices. Ultimate Comfort Air Conditioner This portable air conditioner offers 10,000 BTUs of cooling and easily covers individual rooms and areas. It's our #1 AC choice for cooling areas up to 325 square feet. Self-Evaporative Technology The self-evaporative condensate system allows for hours of continuous operation. The NewAir AC-10000E portable air conditioner removes much of the collected moisture by evaporating it into the exhausted air. Hassel Free Installation Forget about bulky window or wall AC units - the NewAir AC-10000E 10,000 BTU air conditioner is fully portable. It includes an extendable window kit that sets up in minutes.

Features

• Compact, space-saving design comes packed with a built-in fan, air filter & dehumidifier
• Dehumidifier mode helps control humidity levels & reduce excessive moisture in the air
• Includes a convenient remote control for making distant temperature adjustments simple
• 12 hour programmable timer is ideal for nighttime cooling & helps reduce energy use
• Reliable & effective cooling with years of top-quality ratings, makes this portable air conditioner a great addition to any home

Haier CPN12XC9 12K Portable Air Conditioner

I purchased this in June when I couldn't take the NYC heat anymore. My window unit broke at the end of last summer, and due the prohibitively expensive delivery/installation costs in NYC for a 4th floor walkup apartment with extra wide windows, I decided to get a portable standing A/C-- my first.

I'm sure a lot of the issues I'm pointing out here have to do with the fact that portable units are just not as efficient as window units, but this 12,000 BTU unit does not cool my apartment nearly as quickly as my mighty little 8,000 BTU window unit used to. The nice thing about the portable unit which is an advantage over my old window unit is that while I have it installed in my bedroom, I can blast just my bedroom only (8 ft x 14 ft) by shutting the door, or angle it to cool the living room only (20 ft x 22 ft), or to hit both rooms. The bedroom gets cool enough when I shut the door so that the unit is cooling my bedroom only (and the temperature reading on the unit can get down to 73 degrees); it is a challenge to completely cool the living room area on a really hot day, but that was an issue even when I had my window unit (also installed in my bedroom). When I do try to cool just the living room (essentially dragging the unit to the doorway of the bedroom and blasting it only into the living room), while the living room can sometimes cool down to a comfortable temperature, the bedroom then heats up because the PVC exhaust pipe leading from the unit to the bedroom window gets quite hot.

It is also very noisy. The first week, I could hardly fall asleep because of the noise. It is like sleeping near a generator. I guess I've gotten used to it by now, but I definitely think that it could have been designed better to be quieter. Also, even on low speed, it's just as loud as when it's on high speed.

Beware that all portable units will require some kind of exhaust pipe to be connected to the window so that the heat generated by the unit can escape. You only need a small window, however, much smaller than an A/C would need, so if you have a basement apartment with a small window, you'd probably still be able to accommodate this unit.

If you have a living situation that allows a window unit to be installed more easily and inexpensively, I would certainly recommend that. For those who cannot install window units for whatever reason, this portable unit is OK, but I wonder if there are more efficient, quieter units out there. Also, I sometimes wonder if I made the right decision to keep the unit because portable A/C's cost more than window units, and maybe I should have just sucked up the outrageous installation charges associated with a window unit which may have been a more efficient cooling system.

Product Description

A portable air conditioner makes efficiently cooling small spaces like bedrooms and offices easy when installation a traditional cooling system is not possible. The Haier CPN12XC9 Portable Air Conditioner makes it easy to cooler larger rooms too because it features 12000 BTUs of cooling power.

Features

• Refrigerant
• ROHS Compliant Free of Lead and Mercury
• Auto Evaporation Allows Continuous Operation without Water Removal
• 3 Modes Cool, Dehumidify, Fan
• 3 cooling and 3 Fan Speeds

Frigidaire FRA18EMU2 18,500 BTU Window-Mounted Median Air Conditioner with 16,000 BTU Supplemental Heat (230 volts)

I will start by saying that finally, after installing two of these units in my 1500 sf workshop, I am very happy with them. They cool and heat very efficiently and quietly and there are not many units on the market which have the power and features of this one.

However, it was a long road getting to the happy point I am at now. I initially ordered two of these from Amazon, and they arrived quickly but both turned out to have been damaged in shipping. This is partially the truckers fault but a good deal of the blame must be laid on the manufacturer who does not package this model with sufficient protection to withstand the typical abuse which cartons endure in truck freight. There is is only about 1/2" of styrofoam between the front and top of the unit and the inside of the carton, and no crush space whatsoever. So both units arrived with bent case frames and one also had a cracked front grill piece and bent interior pieces.

Amazon offered to replace them but were out of stock so after some discussion I agreed to keep the least damaged one (I was able to bend the case back into shape) of the two for a discount, ship back the other for a refund, and order a third unit from TheFactoryDepot, one of amazon's resellers.

Well, guess what? The third unit arrived damaged in shipping as well. After much more discussion, this time with TheFactoryDepot, they agreed to allow me to go pick up a replacement at their warehouse which was luckily only about 30 minutes from my home. This unit was undamaged and so I installed that one as well.

We weren't through with our troubles though because the 2nd unit I installed (the one we picked up at the warehouse) soon started displaying a trouble code on the panel and stopped cooling. So we had to call Frididaire to have it serviced under warranty. There 3rd party service company came to the house and repaired it but they had to order a part so this took about another 10 days. Finally, about 6 or 8 weeks after our initial order, we had two working units installed and they have been cooling and heating nicely for the past 2 to 3 months. The remote is great - it has all the controls to change modes, and control heating, cooling, thermostat, fan speed, energy saver, timer, etc. This is important to me because my units are installed 7 feet from the floor (to the bottom of the unit), and I have never needed to actually get up on a ladder to fiddle with the front panel - once you get the airflow louvers pointed the way you want there is no need for that.

I wouldn't recommend this model at all if there were a lot of alternatives, mainly because of the poor packaging, but if you need a heating+cooling unit this size and you are prepared to potentially deal with returns and repairs then this is the unit for you. I don't say that entirely facetiously - once we got all the startup problems solved these are very nice units. If you can find it locally or can pick it up from a warehouse I strongly recommend that as the packaging is very poor. That's the main reason I didn't give 5 stars.

Product Description

Your Title Here Frigidaire Window-Mounted Median Air Conditioner with Supplemental Heat Frigidaire's FRA18EMU2 18,500 BTU 230-Volt Window-Mounted Median Air Conditioner with 16,000 BTU Supplemental Heat is perfect for rooms up to 1,170 square feet. In addition to cooling, this versatile unit also offers a supplemental heat capability, providing you with an additional heat source when needed. It quickly cools the room on hot days while the quiet operation keeps you comfortable without keeping you awake. Features include electronic controls, full-function remote control, 8-way air direction control and multiple speeds. Plus, the fresh air vent and exhaust control removes odors and freshens the air while the antibacterial mesh filter cleans the air by removing harmful bacteria and airborne particles for a cool, comfortable environment. This unit requires a special 230V electrical outlet and will not operate with a standard 115V household electrical outlet. Window-Mounted Median Air Conditioner This SpaceWise Adjustable Design includes optional side panels that can extend so you can adjust the unit to fit your window. This 18,500 BTU cooling capacity / 16,000 BTU supplemental heating capacity median air conditioner uses a 230-volt plug and can quickly cool a room on hot days and nights. Plus, the Sleep Mode will gradually increases room temperature after being activated. The low power start-up conserves energy and saves you money plus, effortless restart automatically resumes operating at its previous settings when power is restored. Ready-Select Controls Ready-select electronic controls allow you to easily select your cooling options with the touch of a button. With the ability to cool an area up to 1,170 square feet with a 8-way comfort control design you have more flexibility and control with the direction of the air for your space. Plus, with 3 cooling speeds, 3 fan speeds, 3 heat speeds, 24-hour on/off timer and auto cool mode which allows the fan to adjust speeds as the room temperature changes, gives you cooling control exactly how you want it and on your schedule. Full-Function Remote Control The effortless full-function remote control allows you to set and maintain room temperature from across the room. The remote can operate the supplimental heat, energy saver mode, sleep timer, auto fan or fan only, and even the timer. Median air conditioner with supplemental heat for window-mounted installation Special 230V electrical outlet required (Unit will not work with a standard 115V outlet) 3 cooling speeds, 3 fan speeds and 3 heat speeds Auto cool mode allows the fan to adjust speeds as the room temperature changes Extra long 6 ft. three-prong power cord makes extension cords unnecessary

Features

• Window-mounted installation (Easy-to-use installation kit included)
• Special 230V electrical outlet required (Unit will not work with a standard 115V outlet)
• 18,500 BTU cooling capacity / 16,000 BTU supplemental heating capacity
• Supplemental heat provides you with an additional heat source when needed
• Cools rooms up to 1,170 sq. ft. with up to 5.5 pints per hour dehumidification

SPT WA-9020E 9,000-BTU Portable Air Conditioner with Remote Control

I have central air, but my bedroom upstairs is usually 5-10 degrees warmer than the other bedrooms (vaulted ceiling). This product works perfectly even though the room is much larger than 250sq ft. This portable AC only costs 50 cents a day to run, considerably less than running the central air. It's quieter than I expected and the air is very cold. The only thing I don't like is the instruction manual - just not enough info. The exhaust hose must be mounted properly to the outside through a window. All portable AC units create a vacuum in the room and if the exhaust hose is not practically air tight, more warm air from outside will come in than cold air blowing out. I have had it for a week now and it has yet to need the water reservoir emptied.

Product Description

Stay COOL and breathe fresher air with our WA-9020E. Enjoy many cool and comfortable summers with this air conditioner unit. Cooling, dehumidifying and fan features all in one. Powered by9,000btu cooling capacity, it ideally cools an area up to 250sq.ft. Uses new UL required LCDI Leakage Current Detection and Interruption, plug . Self Evaporating technology during the cooling process, water is extracted from the air into the unit. Most of this water is then recycled and used to cool the cooling coils and make it run more efficiently, cooling as well as energy. Exhaust hose installation required and all standard accessories included.

Features

• Portable 9,000-BTU air conditioner for rooms up to 250 square feet
• 50-pint dehumidifier; self-evaporating system; 3-1/5-pint water tank
• Digital thermostat with remote control; 2 fan speeds; 10.31 EER
• 62- to 90-degree F thermostat; 12-hour timer; air and carbon filters
• Measures 16 by 16 by 30 inches; 1-year limited warranty