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

Here at AC-Reviews.com, we’re really big on reviewing new cooling and heating products that offer value.  One brand that consistently offers that is NewAir, and this year, the company has come out with a new affordable portable air conditioner model, the AC-10000H.  Similar to the ever-popular AC-10000E, this new model for 2011 offers 10,000 BTUs of cooling, which is enough to sufficiently cool down a 300 square foot room.  But what makes it different from the “E” model is the inclusion of a built-in heat pump which allows the unit to work as a heater.

I recently received a NewAir AC-10000H from the manufacturer and found it to be a great unit for those looking to cool/heat a small room.  Overall I liked its performance and ease of use.  It was able to cool my living room (approximately 250 square feet) and was quitter than other units I’ve used in the past (my roommate thought it was a bit loud, though).   The unit comes with a remote control plus a dehumidifier function that can be used on its own.  I also tried using the heater function and can say that it works as advertised.

Positives:

• Powerful 10,000 BTU unit
• Good price (less than $350 shipped – look for current specials online)
• Works as a standalone dehumidifier
• Cools and heats

Negatives:

• Can be a bit noisy for some

The NewAir AC-10000H portable air conditioner can be found on different websites such as Air & Water, Sears, Amazon and more.

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.

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.

So fall is almost officially here. I know this site is usually focused on air conditioning, but given that we’re in heater season right now, I thought it would be appropriate to briefly talk about space heaters. Living in Southern California, it rarely gets low 60 degrees even in the winter but that doesn’t mean we don’t turn up the thermostat.

My home generally gets pretty chilly in the fall and winter, and I like using a portable space heater to stay warm in whatever bedroom I’m in.

When used safely and as a supplemental heat source, an electric space heater lets me keep a small area toasty without having to make the rest of my house feel like a sauna. Portable heaters come in a variety of sizes and fuel types, so choosing the right one generally boils down to the area you’re trying to heat and personal preference. Here’s an overview of some of the most popular space heater types:

Radiator Space Heaters

These are shaped like the traditional fixed kind and are filled with a type of oil that’s heated by electricity. Because oil retains heat well, these heaters are pretty energy-efficient. They actually give off warmth even after they’re switched off. Radiator heaters usually cover a small area, so they’re best for small bedrooms and personal spaces. I find that while they’re quiet and save energy, they don’t provide heat quick enough.

Quartz / Infrared / Radiant Heaters

These heaters use electromagnetic energy to heat objects and people rather than the air. They’re also pretty energy-efficient for this reason and because they don’t have fans, they’re relatively quiet. A lot of people tend to like these heaters because they literally heat up in seconds, but the glowing elements are a little off-putting, to be honest.

Fan Forced Space Heaters

These space heaters have built-in ventilators which blow air over heated metal coils. Although these are kind of noisy, they provide instant gratification. I have an inexpensive unit I purchased for less than $20 at Lowes and it’s still going strong. Because I’m a light sleeper, I definitely wouldn’t use this at night. The fan can get pretty annoying.

There are a lot of pitfalls concerning consumers when they purchase their very first portable AC. Here are a few tips to consider before you plug that air conditioner in and suspect it’s not working or not working hard enough.

1. Getting the wrong kind. A lot of consumers purchase a swamp cooler believing that it’s the same as a portable AC, which is simply not true. There are various kinds of coolers such as portable air conditioners, swamp coolers, dehumidifiers, etc. Call your manufacturer and/or seller to make sure you are getting the right kind of machine to do what you need.

2. Miscalculating BTU and room size. Although the product may say it can cool up to 600 sq. ft., it also depends on the placement of the room you want to cool. The BTU also helps you determine the power of the unit. If you are considering a portable AC for a sunny or warm room, consider 10% more BTU.

3. Exhaust. All portable ACs need an exhaust, unless you’re using a window fan (which is not the same as a portable AC). You must consider window size if it has a window exhaust, or a wall, or a drop ceiling.

If you follow these simple tips, you can save yourself a few headaches in getting the wrong item. Remember to call the products’ manufacturer or seller to get all of your answers clarified. Portable ACs are heavy pieces of equipment that may cost dozens in shipping costs. Save yourself the time, money, and anxiety by doing a bit of quick research and inquiry, and enjoy your portable AC!

Portable air conditioning units are more versatile than central AC units. They can be extracted away from a home and easily installed in another. They’re great for homes with poor insulation and apartments where the central AC system is malfunctioning or simply not enough. Although they cannot cool the whole house at the same time like central ACs, portable ACs offer you an economic alternative.

So let’s assume that you  have a central air conditioning system in your current home. Why would you need to throw $300 at a portable AC? During the hotter days, cranking up your central AC to cool down your bathrooms, bedrooms, and kitchen may seem like an unecessary thing, especially when you’re spending 8 hours in the living room! You are not only saving yourself a few dollars on your energy bill, but also saving the environment.

Electricity is mainly powered by unsustainable sources, like fossil fuel. Power plants can draw electricity from coal, petroleum, or oil. Recently there have been rennovations in the energy sphere, like wind-powered, hydro-powered, and solar-powered energy plants. However, 40% of the world’s energy still comes from fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels can take weeks to refine, but millions of years to make. The fuels are basically sludges of dead organisms that have been so thoroughly decomposed that there is nothing else that can be gained from it. Within a human lifetime, it is impossible to sustain the same amount of fossil fuel. We ultimately use more than we can produce.

Not to mention the air pollution these power plants emit. Due to our growing need for power without sustainable resources, the Earth is coughing up CO2. This is not even mentioning the amount of vehicles and other mechanisms that use oil, petroleum, or coal on a daily basis.

If anything, you should use a portable AC to conserve more energy and to also live comfortably. Remember, humans have lived in all sorts of climates without air conditioning technology! You can be both frugal and Earth-friendly by purchasing appliances like a portable air conditioner to reduce your energy usage.

I realize that window air conditioners have not had as much spotlight as the portable air conditioners, but I believe it’s now time! I have not had as much of experience with window ACs, other than while I was living quietly in Tustin several years ago. The apartment complex didn’t have a central air conditioning unit, although it offered central heat.

Window ACs are typically more powerful than their portable AC units. They may seem quieter, also, but keep in mind that half of the unit is sticking outside the window! Although I prefer portable air conditioners, I also believe that window ACs has its strengths, as boasted on a Walmart product site.

The 22,000 BTU Frigidaire has an Energy Star rating, which means that it operates with at least 10% less energy than other window air conditioners. It also can cool rooms up to approximately 1,435 square feet, which is the size of some two-bedroom apartments. It includes a reusable, washable filter as well as an energy-saving option to keep it from running up your energy bill while you are away.

One of its reviewers, “HotToCold”, quoted, “With the energy saver it turns off and on as needed, so when we aren’t home, and the temperature stabilizes, in the home it saves me tons of money, which I have seen on my first electric bill already.” The Frigidaire window air conditioner’s performance and exceeded the reviewer’s expectations. It should also be noted that the unit has almost paid for itself in savings, so the hefty pricetag should not be a detterent.