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

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.

So I’ve been frantically searching for an evaporative cooler in an attempt to be more “green.”  One of my coworkers purchased a portable unit from Air-N-Water.com and while I’ve bought from them before (their eBay store, to be fair), there have been a few negative customer reviews for them on the internet.  As an air conditioner reviewer and seeing as they mostly carry cooling products, I wanted to see if the company could clarify some of their CS issues.  I sent the following e-mail to their company in the hopes of their response:

Hi,

I’m interested in purchasing a swamp cooler from your company, but noticed that there are a few negative reviews from your company online — most of which involve damages that occur during shipping and the quality of your products.  I just wanted to know what happens if a product gets damaged in transit and how well your evaporative coolers really work.  Your staff has been helpful in the past and I’m thinking of purchasing a unit from you.

Thanks,

Alex

I received a prompt response within 24 hours and here’s what one of their staff members sent me:

Dear Alex,

As part of our ongoing efforts to provide a better customer experience, we thank you for your feedback and are aware of some of the negative reviews our past customers have left us.  We’re glad that you found our sales staff to be helpful and accommodating as we do try our very best to provide exceptional and personalized customer service to each and every one of our customers.  We’re also pleased that you have not let negative www.Air-N-Water.com reviews prevent you from purchasing from us.  Here are our responses to some common Air-N-Water.com complaints you’ve pointed out:

Air-N-Water.com Complaints Regarding Damages Occurring During Transit

Unfortunately, due to the size and nature of the products the company carries, damages occurring during the shipping process can occur.  Air-N-Water works hard to make sure shipments leaving the warehouse are packed properly so as to prevent damages.  However, should this occur, we recommend our customers follow these procedures.

For UPS / FedEx / Postal Shipments

If the shipment shows outward evidence of damage, open the package before signing the delivery form. Notify the local UPS distribution center or Post Office. Do not alter the carton or the damaged goods until an inspection by the appropriate agency has been made. The package will be picked up and returned back to Air-N-Water.com. The merchandise will be repaired or replaced at our expense.

Freight Shipments

If damage or loss is evident, Air-N-Water.com requests the customer indicate it on the carrier’s delivery form. Do not refuse the shipment – simply file a claim immediately with the carrier and then notify Air-N-Water.com.  Keep all packaging materials and the damaged goods until inspection has been made.

Air-N-Water.com Complaints Regarding Defective Merchandise

Many of the negative www.air-n-water.com reviews you’ve pointed out in your e-mail are related to the effectiveness of the evaporative coolers we carry.  While it’s true that evaporative (or swamp coolers) are great at providing efficient cooling using much less electricity, they’re most effective in hot, dry climates with low humidity levels.  Examples of such areas would be the American Southwestern states.  Unfortunately, some customers happen to purchase these products expecting them to cool just as well as central AC systems, and this simply isn’t possible.  We’ve created a very helpful portable cooling guide for our customers and suggest you take a look at our humidity chart to make sure an evaporative cooler will work in your area.

Again, I thank you for taking the time to e-mail us and for letting us respond to some common Air-N-Water.com complaints.  We hope you will decide to use us for all of your future cooling, heating, and purification needs.

Sincerely,

Gordon Lee

Air & Water, Inc.