AC-Reviews.com – Your Source for Air Conditioning Reviews

Summer’s coming to a slow, easy end, and the need for portable ACs doesn’t seem as urgent as it did when it was peaking three digits. However, you should not store your portable AC away so swiftly, because the chilly fall months and winter cold will set in!

Although it may be easier to simply bundle up and wear more layers to stay warm, using a portable AC can prove to be very handy when chilly days set in. Most portable ACs can reach temperatures past 80 degrees fahrenheit and have a heater function installed right in. If that’s not enough heat, remember that models also operate with a thermostat, so heating your room is not only easy but economically cheaper, too.

Running your central AC during the hot or cold months can run you hundreds on your energy bill. With a portable AC, you only warm up areas that need warming, such as your bedroom at night or the living room during evening hours. Portable ACs warm up spots and rooms without needing to expend large amounts of energy to heat the whole home.

So when thinking of an economic, cheaper way to stay warm or cool this year, consider investing in a portable AC for its many easy benefits. What’s even more, you can take it with you for extra cooling or warming when your central AC breaks down (or if you simply do not have one!)

One of the problems with central air conditioners is that they’re not efficient for smaller areas. With these ACs, you end up wasting more energy than you need to. Portable air conditioners are great because they don’t require as much energy, and you can find the unit with a BTU rating perfect for your space.

Though it hasn’t really been too hot in Southern California (I think we have 60-something degree weather in the morning!), a PAC is still necessary during the afternoon. Recently I came across the Sharp CV-10NH 10,000 BTU portable air conditioner. Although they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, I was mostly drawn to the CV-10NH because of the way it looks. This unit is so sleek, so sturdy-looking, I just couldn’t resist. Plus I called online retailer Air and Water and actually spoke to Luke Peters, who gave me some great buying advice on portable ACs (which lead me to this purchase).

Anyway, this PAC is perfect for areas up to 250 square feet. It cools quickly and quietly. A lot of portable ACs advertise its “whisper-quiet” operation, but many don’t follow through. Thankfully, the CV-10NH does. I barely even notice it’s on! What’s great about this appliance is that it also doubles as a dehumidifier. It can help you remove up to 60 pints of moisture from the air every day. The unit obviously has many more features, but right now I’m just going to focus on what I believe is one of the greatest: its bucketless condensate system. The Sharp portable AC connects to an exhaust hose, and the condensate collected throughout the day is released out the hose. This means that you don’t ever have to worry about constantly emptying buckets!

The Sharp CV-10NH is available at Air Conditioner Home and Air & Water.

Instead of talking about portable air conditioners like we normally do, today I’m going to talk about another type of air conditioner that has also been found to be extremely energy efficient and economical: window air conditioners. They are great for cooling down both small and large rooms alike. In fact, this type of air conditioner can range anywhere from 250 to 1,700 square feet, making them perfect for workshops, as well. Window air conditioners can also help you use up to 10% less energy than standard air conditioners, as most are rated by EnergyStar for efficiency.

Additionally, window air conditioners are very easy to install, as they all come with installation kits. In about 20 minutes, they can be installed and ready to go! They take up very little space, since they install into windows. Thus, window coolers actually vent the exhaust outside. Like with portable air conditioners, this makes the units more efficient. However, a feature unique to window air conditioners is that they don’t come with extra tubing, which actually ends up saving you even more energy.

Many times, window air conditioners include the use of an air filter and/or a dehumidifier. An air filter helps capture dust and other allergens for fresh and clean air. Dehumidifiers help remove excess moisture in the air, giving you more control over the humidity levels in your home or workshop. Both work together to prevent mold growth and improve breathing conditions for allergy and asthma sufferers.

I’m a big fan of reading reviews online (which is why we have this blog, of course!), so naturally I’m an avid reader of the website Unplggd. Yesterday, I came across their review for the NewAir AC-14000E. I was definitely interested, since we have reviewed quite a few of NewAir’s products. Unplggd claims that the unit is loud and large, but they would still recommend it. So, here’s my own review of the NewAir AC-14000E portable air conditioner.

As featured on www.air-n-water.com, the NewAir AC-14000E seems mostly to be just a new and improved version of the NewAir AC-12000E, which I reviewed earlier. The main differences are the size and the BTU rating. According to Air & Water, the AC-14000E covers a good 450 square feet with its 14,000 BTU capacity, while the AC-12000E cools only 350. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the more powerful unit could actually cover an even larger area. The portable AC provides cool air that is sure to drop the temperature by at least a few degrees in just minutes. It is MUCH cooler than the 12,000 BTU unit.

Additionally, the AC-14000E is actually smaller in width than its predecessor, so it looks a lot sleeker. However, the unit is indeed louder, just like Unplggd mentioned. On the other hand, though, I don’t think it’s really that loud. It seems about right for a 14,000 BTU unit! But by far my favorite part about this unit is its blue LED screen with electronic controls. It’s extremely easy to use, and it even comes with a remote! Even for a hefty price like $529, I think it would be worth it – but only if you have an area that’s at least 450 square foot in size. Getting this unit for a smaller area would just waste energy. You can find this unit at online retailers such as Air & Water Inc.

Two months ago, I mentioned that I purchased a Port-A-Cool PAC2KCYC01 for my friend on Air and Water in hopes of cooling his large workspace without wasting money. I thought we were expecting too much from it, but boy, were we pleasantly surprised! This evaporative cooler is indeed a very “green” way to keep everyone feeling comfortable. I visit the space quite often, and it was really obvious how much the unit has helped his workers stay cool, especially since the temperatures have been rising outside.

However, my friend mentioned to me that the best part about the PAC2KCYC01 is that it doesn’t use fan blades to move the air, so operation is quiet and doesn’t bother his workers no matter how high it’s turned up. He loves that its water tank can hold 16 gallons, a feature that saves him time and effort when it comes time to filling the reservoir.

The only thing about the evaporative cooler is that it’s rather large and it weighs a lot. But that’s to be expected, since it is a commercial cooler, not a personal one. Well, that doesn’t matter. Because it’s built from molded plastic polyethylene housing, we know that it’s sure to keep all my friend’s workers cool and comfortable for as long as they’re there.

DeLonghi’s a pretty well-trusted brand – and with good reason! Their products usually work really well, whether they are heaters, dehumidifiers, or portable air conditioners. So this week, I’ve decided to take a look at the PAC-A120E 3-in-1 portable AC and see if it’s as great as the rest of DeLonghi’s other products.

I am actually very amazed at how great the Penguino works. It provides really cool air and functions as a portable air conditioner, dehumidifier, and fan all in one. It uses the new R-410A refrigerant, which means that the unit is much safer and much more efficient than others that use the R22 refrigerant (which has been declared an ozone depleter, actually). Additionally, this unit installs really easily – it comes with a window bracket and an exhaust hose! And by reading the manual provided by www.air-n-water.com, I recently found out that it comes with a “sleep mode” that gradually reduces the power and turns off by itself. This is a great feature that I think will come in handy once temperatures start reaching 90 degrees.

However, the unit is a little larger than I expected, but it’s not terrible. I just had to find some space where we could place it without anything obstructing the air flow.

If you’re interested, you can take a look at the PAC-A120E 12,000 BTU portable air conditioner from Delonghi at the Wal-Mart website. It’s also up on Air & Water.

Nowadays, there are so many different brands of pretty much every appliance. How do you know which one is the best? Thankfully, in our current time in history, we have arguably one of mankind’s finest inventions – the internet. Here is what I found on how to find the perfect air conditioner for you, courtesy of the guides from Air & Water and Air-Conditioner-Home.

• Find out how much physical space you have. This step is crucial because you will need to know the type of air conditioner you need according to where you’re going to place it. If you don’t have much room, but you still want to cool down larger areas, you will need a portable AC with a higher BTU rating. Similarly, if you want to cool down smaller areas, you can get either a window AC or a portable one. Of course, you can always use a central air conditioner, but those cost more to install and maintain.
• Find out what your budget is. Depending on the brand you want and the size you need, you’ll have to pay a different price. As previously mentioned, the cost also depends on the type of air conditioner you buy. Don’t forget about maintenance costs, either. Normally, central ACs can be a pain to get fixed, while portable ACs can be much more economical.
• Find out how much area you need to cool down. Simply find out the square footage of your room, home, garage, or even industrial workshop and check out the portable air conditioner BTU chart. From here, you can tell how many BTUs your air conditioner should have. If you miscalculate or simply get the wrong size, you can be wasting a lot of money operating a unit that isn’t right for your personal space.

Websites such as Air N Water (where I’m getting this information from) have special layouts on their sites to guide you through the process, as well. On the sidebars, you’ll see that they have separate categories for BTUs, brand, type, and even cost. It doesn’t get any easier than that!

As we often mention in our posts, portable air conditioners shouldn’t just be cool – they should also be functional. Personally, I prefer the units that have more than just one function so I can use them year round. This is best because it saves me money. Rather than having to buy a different appliance for every season, I’ve got one that works throughout the year! Before, I discussed the benefits of the Soleus LX-120. But recently I found an even better model: the NewAir AC-12000H.

At first glance, the AC-12000H doesn’t seem too different from the Soleus unit. In fact, it really isn’t. However, it actually does most of the same functions better than the LX-120. The NewAir portable air conditioner, like the LX-120, cools down rooms with its 12,000 BTU cooling capacity. It also operates quietly. But where the NewAir model surpasses the Soleus one is its functionality. The AC-12000H features 4-in-1 technology that includes an air conditioner, a dehumidifier, a fan, and a space heater.

Additionally, the NewAir portable air conditioner is much more eco-friendly than the Soleus LX-120. Instead of using the old R22 refrigerant, the AC-12000H relies on the R-410A refrigerant that uses less energy and causes no ozone damage. As a result, the power consumption for cooling decreases from 1350 W to 1141 W. It also uses auto-evaporative technology, which reduces the amount of condensate and eliminates the need to constantly empty the tank! This is mostly convenient for people who, like me, hate getting up and wasting energy every half hour to remove the condensate.

The only downside to the AC-12000H is its price. It costs $439, which is a little pricey. But I guess the price isn’t really that bad, since you end up saving tons of money throughout the year from the energy-saving benefits. Plus, you get to protect the environment from ozone and pollutants!

You can easily find the NewAir AC-12000H on Air & Water’s website.

There’s a lot of talk about being “green” lately, and I admit I’ve fallen
into this marketing ploy.  One of my good friends owns an auto body shop
and needed a way to keep his employees cool without having to invest in anything
too expensive.  Plus, seeing as their workspace is out in the open,
standard air conditioning systems wouldn’t work anyway.

Being the Google expert that I am, I began researching cooling options for
his business and found that a lot of people rave about evaporative cooling.
Seemingly low-tech, evaporative coolers use water and a high powered fan to
reduce temperatures.  Because they don’t have compressors or use coolants,
they’re also considered very “green.”  Overall, Port-A-Cool evaporative
coolers seem to have a fantastic reputation that’s connected to residential as
well as commercial markets. Port-A-Cool
uses high powered blowers in their units as well as noise reduction technology
in their design. This has been a popular choice for evaporative coolers from
both residential and commercial clientèle for many years.

I called up their Texas office and spoke to a friendly sales representative
who was eager to answer all my questions about their product line.
Apparently they offer several evaporative cooler options in many sizes.
The representative on the phone specifically recommended some of their larger
commercial units for my friend’s business – specifically one of their newest and
budget priced units, the PAC2KCYC01 Cyclone 3000. This unit supposedly cools
areas up to 700 square feet.  At less than $800 retail, this looked a good,
cost-effective option for what my friend was looking for.

Per Alex’s recommendation, I placed my order with
Air-N-Water for the Port-A-Cool unit
yesterday.  While we haven’t received the product yet, we have high hopes
for this evaporative cooler and will definitely post our Air-N-Water reviews (or
complaints).
*Update: You can actually see a video of a Port-A-Cool in action on air-n-water.com ‘s YouTube channel.

There’s a lot of talk about being “green” lately, and I admit I’ve fallen
into this marketing ploy.  One of my good friends owns an auto body shop
and needed a way to keep his employees cool without having to invest in anything
too expensive.  Plus, seeing as their workspace is out in the open,
standard air conditioning systems wouldn’t work anyway.

Being the Google expert that I am, I began researching cooling options for
his business and found that a lot of people rave about evaporative cooling.
Seemingly low-tech, evaporative coolers use water and a high powered fan to
reduce temperatures.  Because they don’t have compressors or use coolants,
they’re also considered very “green.”  Overall, Port-A-Cool evaporative
coolers seem to have a fantastic reputation that’s connected to residential as
well as commercial markets. Port-A-Cool
uses high powered blowers in their units as well as noise reduction technology
in their design. This has been a popular choice for evaporative coolers from
both residential and commercial clientèle for many years.

I called up their Texas office and spoke to a friendly sales representative
who was eager to answer all my questions about their product line.
Apparently they offer several evaporative cooler options in many sizes.
The representative on the phone specifically recommended some of their larger
commercial units for my friend’s business – specifically one of their newest and
budget priced units, the PAC2KCYC01 Cyclone 3000. This unit supposedly cools
areas up to 700 square feet.  At less than $800 retail, this looked a good,
cost-effective option for what my friend was looking for.

Per Alex’s recommendation, I placed my order with
Air-N-Water for the Port-A-Cool unit
yesterday.  While we haven’t received the product yet, we have high hopes
for this evaporative cooler and will definitely post our Air-N-Water reviews (or
complaints).
*Update: You can actually see a video of a Port-A-Cool in action on air-n-water.com ‘s YouTube channel.