This is the story of our Honeywell MN12CES Portable Air Conditioner. This story gets a little lengthy, but I didn't want to leave anything out, so you know exactly what to expect from this air conditioner. We purchased this portable air conditioner on July 17, 2016 during a heat wave for our apartment bedroom. We live in an apartment with a wall air conditioner in the living room and the bedroom gets really hot in the summer time (89-91 degrees). I did a ton of research before purchasing this air conditioner, I knew it was a little larger (in terms of BTU) then we needed, but I thought that more is always better, and I was right, because it cools better than our GE wall unit in the living room. We run our air conditioner year round and keep the apartment between 64-68 degrees whenever possible due to allergies.
The day our air conditioner arrived it was well packaged to prevent damage during shipping. The UPS guy had no trouble lugging it up the stairs alone, though if you have to pick it up and move it it's actually kind of heavy, just under 70 pounds according to our bathroom scale. It has wheels, and they aren't those little half white wheels that come on appliances, but they are actual roller/caster wheels so they roll easily on carpeted bedroom floor.
When you open the box, the following is inside: Honeywell MN12CES portable air conditioner unit; Remote control; 1 plastic window bracket panel adapter; 2 plastic pins; 1 plastic hose connector; and one plastic hose. I thought I had everything that I needed when I purchased this air conditioner, but I didn't.
The window bracket panel adapter is what needs to fit in your window. Fully closed it will fit a window 19" tall or wide. Fully extended it will fit a window 46" tall or wide. I live in an average apartment, so I assumed that this kit would work for my bedroom window, which is pretty small overall. It did not work, and was not long enough. I called Honeywell to see if they offered any kind of extra length available for free or purchase, but they their window bracket panels do not link together. What I mean is that if you have the included window panel kit and buy a second one, they can't be hooked together (easily anyway). Basically, if your window is larger than the 48" you are on your own to figure something out, and Honeywell did not offer any suggestions. Our window is 56" tall.
We went to Home Depot. I'm not huge on home improvement products, and I talked with a guy near the air conditioners who showed me a kit that would fit my window which was $200! Having just shelled out over $400 for an air conditioner, I wasn't about to spend $200 on a window kit. He suggested some cheaper, "rigged" alternatives like a wooden or foam panel. Unfortunately, my apartment complex won't let you piece anything together like that, so I wasn't sure what to do. I did the only thing I could think of at the time and ordered another window bracket kit from Honeywell, even though I knew it wouldn't connect to the existing kit. The additional window kit was $32.
When the window bracket kit arrived, I paid close attention to the bracket included with the air conditioner and it has these tiny, thin, flimsy, lightweight plastic "pins" that hold the bracket together. Let me rephrase that, they are supposed to hold the bracket together. However the pins don't lock into place, so they pop out if you barely touch the window bracket. I knew there was no way they would hold up overtime. I used Scotch Permanent Outdoor Mounting Tape and slid it in between the non connectable panels of the two kits, and BAM, I was left with one long piece, perfect for our window. I did push the plastic "pins" into place for good measure, I vacuumed one of them up a few weeks later and we never found the second one, they definitely did not stay in the bracket panels. You put the window kit in the window, with the screen in place, which is great because it keeps bugs out of the exhaust hose.
Speaking of the exhaust hose, it is made of plastic, all one piece, and extremely flexible, like a giant bendy straw. It's 5" in diameter, 12" fully closed and 48" fully extended. You snap the hose on the back of the air conditioner, snap the window bracket panel adapter onto the other end of the hose, and then the adapter is what snaps into the window bracket. Getting the adapter to snap into the bracket is a bit awkward if the bracket is already in place, but it snaps in tightly and stays securely once you get it in. When you are figuring out where to position your air conditioner, keep in mind that the exhaust hose cannot be at a ninety degree or any type of steep angle, or the exhaust doesn't properly vent out and can break your air conditioner. You want it to kind of make a "ramp" from your window to the back of your air conditioner.
Also not included was something to put around the window bracket for a tight and waterproof seal. If you don't put anything around it, and you have straight windows, you probably won't have a problem. If you have slightly crooked/weird/abnormal windows like we do, you let your cold air outside and you let the bugs inside without something to seal the gaps around the window panel. I purchased M-D Building Products High Density Foam Tape 23111 (1/2"x3/4"x10') and not only did it make for the perfect seal, but it did not require any additional adhesive, and stuck to both the window frame and the window panel easily.
With the air conditioner ready to go, we turned it on, set it to air conditioner mode, turned it down to 62 degrees, closed the bedroom door and left the room at a hot 89 degrees. Five minutes later, the entire apartment went dark as the circuit breaker had tripped. Apparently bedroom circuit breakers in our apartment building are 15 amps, and this air conditioner was not happy with the 15 amp breaker at all. As it turns out, the plugs in the dining room are on 20 amp breakers which are perfect for this air conditioner. We contacted Honeywell, an electrician, the apartment manager, and the apartment maintenance team and we were told that we could purchase an extension cord to use with this product. I had always heard/read that you SHOULD NOT use an extension cord with an air conditioner, apparently that's because people buy a low quality extension cord and plug in their air conditioner and it ruins the air conditioner. We purchased the recommended extension cord for $105, it is the Ridgid 50' 10/3 Heavy Duty Contractor Grade Indoor/Outdoor Extension Cord). We've had it plugged in ever since without any electrical problems.
We turned the air conditioner back on and the bedroom temperature was now 93 degrees. 2 and a half hour later, the bedroom was a cozy 68 degrees with an outdoor temperature of 109 and a living room temperature of 78 with a wall air conditioner. This air conditioner actually cools better than our wall air conditioner in the living room. In temperatures up to 118 degrees outside, this air conditioner keeps the bedroom a cozy 68-72 degrees when it's set to 62 degrees. In the winter time, this air conditioner keeps our bedroom 51-56 degrees which is perfect comforter weather and we run the air conditioner instead of the heater in the winter months. We love a cold apartment.
We run our air conditioner 24/7/365 at 62 degrees. It has increased our electric bill with SDG&E by $100 a month. It did not bump us into the next usage bracket, which is great since there are only two brackets now. The awesome thing about this air conditioner is that there is NO water to drain out, and no condensation build up on the air conditioner cabinet. They say in high humidity areas you may need to drain the water, but in our case (desert in Southern California) not only have we never had to drain it, but when you check the drain, it's bone dry. This unit will dehumidify up to 70 pints of water a day, so if the humidity in your room causes more water than that, you probably need a dehumidifier, or at the very least you'll have to drain the air conditioner.
In the winter months, the air conditioner created a new problem because it adds a significant amount of cool moisture to our bedroom. We have one of those weather station things which measures temperature, humidity, and so forth. The humidity in our bedroom jumped from 31% prior to owning this air conditioner to 86% after owning this air conditioner. My allergies noticed and I was coughing non stop. The towels in our bathroom smelled musty even after one use with leaving the bathroom fan on for a half an hour after showering. We ended up having to get a dehumidifier to run in our bedroom during the winter months. In the summer months, we usually do not have a problem. I say usually because the summer of 2017 has been the most humid desert summer that I ever recall.
In terms of noise, this is not a quiet air conditioner. In our last apartment we had a window air conditioner (which aren't allowed in our current complex) and it was much louder. If you don't like noise, you will notice this air conditioner while it's running. It comes in between 52-56 decibels, depending on when you measure it. When the compressor kicks on it's right at 59 decibels. I'm used to it now, but the first two nights, I would starter awake when the compressor kicked on. My significant other slept straight through it. We are used to running air conditioners and fans, so the extra noise was not a huge deal for us.
It comes with a remote control, which requires 2 AAA batteries, which aren't included. I am not a fan of the remote control. It's small, which in our house means you'll set it down and never see it again, and it doesn't bark like our RCA t.v. remote does when it's lost, laugh. The buttons are not back lit, so if you need to adjust the temperature in the middle of the night, you have to turn the light on, so you may as well just get out of bed and adjust it, which you can easily do in the dark. We never did figure out which side of the control panel the remote sensor was on, though we think it's the far right side. The remote struggled to work from 5' away and did not work at all from our bed which is 8' away from the unit.
6 days went by and the air conditioner started getting loud. It was a clattering or rattling noise. We came to learn that this sound means the filter is dirty. The filter is supposed to need cleaning every two weeks, but ours will only go 4-6 days depending on how dusty and dry it is outside. Summer 2017 has been both dusty and humid, which is rare for our area, and we are having to clean the filter every 3 days. Once you clean the filter, the air conditioner returns to it's normal running noise, which isn't quiet, but is not earth shattering either. We tried vacuuming the filter to no avail, it definitely needs to be rinsed off. We decided to buy an extra filter, which was $21.95 from Sylvane who sells Honeywell parts.
For almost a year, we had an always cool bedroom. We cleaned the air conditioner regularly, kept it dusted, changed the filter often, and the air conditioner happily cooled our bedroom. Fast forward to July 2017, a little bit before the one year warranty was up, and the hottest day on record in over a decade (120 degrees outside). At 1:30a.m. during a sound sleep we heard a thudding, spinning, thundering, blade ready to chop your head off, helicopter rotor type sound. It scared the living heck out of me, though I tried to ignore it, thinking it was a neighbor, because nothing we owned could make a sound like that. My significant other was not so optimistic got up, turned on the light, and realized the awful sound was our air conditioner. It was not only making really loud noises, but it was rattling our window, and we had to turn it off to avoid waking up the neighbors. A half hour later it was already 93 degrees in our bedroom (as opposed to 71 degrees when we went to bed) so we retreated with blankets and pillows to the couch and decided to troubleshoot it in the morning.
The next morning, we went through all of the troubleshooting tips and suggestions. We called Honeywell. We did not get any answers. I got on the Internet and found out that usually the noise comes from some type of broken blade. I thought that the company would send us a blade or something and we'd be good to go, but that was not the case at all. Apparently you don't just replace the blade, because it's in a complete housing, so I figured they would send us a new housing. I was wrong. I shot Honeywell an e-mail and didn't hear back for almost a week. Because we were in the middle of a bad heat wave, and we were spoiled by our bedroom a.c. I bit the bullet and ordered another one on Amazon, figuring the manufacturer warranty would take weeks to resolve.
Honeywell e-mailed us back 9 days later asking for photographs. Then said they were going to replace the unit and we needed to cut the cord off the unit and then take more photographs. To me, it would have been easier to replace the broken part, but that is apparently not how this manufacturer works. I expected them to ship out a replacement in 6-8 weeks, but to my surprise they shipped a replacement unit out the next morning (brand new, not refurbished) and it arrived a few days later. Before recycling the old unit we took it apart, there was in fact a broken blade, that looked like a fan blade inside, Google was right.
In the meantime, while waiting for Honeywell's response, the air conditioner from Amazon arrived. We set it up. All though it's the same model number, it is an updated version and instead of a single filter there are now 2 filters (one in the top at the back of the unit and one further down the back of the unit). We set it up and our replacement from Honeywell arrived 2 days later because there was a shipping delay with Amazon, go figure! Since we'd already been using the Amazon one, we decided to keep them both so we'd have a spare. We are also contemplating moving soon, and having 2, one for a second bedroom, would not be the end of the world. The timing was fantastic on Honeywell's part, one of the best manufacturer's that I have ever worked with, which is why I am only docking one star for the problem. Incidentally, the new unit from Honeywell also has 2 filters, so I believe that is the updated new design, with the same model number, despite the Amazon description still reflecting the older model.
I'm optimistic that our first unit was a lemon, and that now we won't have any problems, or maybe I just want that to be the case. The price on the unit varies greatly, the first time we paid $419, the second time we paid $499. Of course, both purchases were in the middle of summer during a heat wave. Of course air conditioners never break in the winter time, only during a heat wave, or at least that's been our experience. We love our air conditioner, except for the filters, which are a pain in the neck, and if left uncleaned cause the unit to be significantly louder. We have a couple of extras, rinse them once a week, let them dry, and just pop a new one in when the old one is dirty. Just make sure the filter is dry first! We are loving the cool sleeping weather even during the hot summer months.
Let me start by saying I don't have any air conditioning in my house and our bedroom is in the loft so it can get kind of hot up there (who am I kidding... really freaking, I'm drowning in a pool of my own sweat hot up there). I do have a balcony with a sliding glass door. Yay! But no windows as the ceilings are vulted. :'( Now the unit comes with a window installation piece, but I thought that I'd be smart and buy the sliding glass door installation kit...that was a $100... I know... $100... but when you're as overheated as I am $100 is a small price to pay for even a mirage of hope in the desert that is my bedroom... however for $100 they must have thought that I through my sweat stung eyes would also overlook the fact that it didn't fit!! *throws off second story balcony in a fit of rage*
Bound and determined to have this thing installed before my husband came home I got out my trusty measuring tape and went to Lowe's. I then stood about 10 feet away from the man at the cutting mill yelling out measurements. He was very nice. $15 in wood, and 20 feet of large rubber weather stripping later...boom! Custom Sliding glass door fixture! Works amazing and doesn't look too bad if I do say so! *Self chest bump*
My husband, my two dogs and of course most importantly me can now enjoy a cool dry bedroom! FINALLYYYYY!!!!!
Had this for about 6 months now, and it's still putting out awesome cool air! Just note, once you hear a weird sound coming from it, you need to pull the reusable air filter from the back and rinse the dust off with water. There's also a filter near the bottom back of the unit that needs to be cleaned every few weeks.
Fast easy setup for IQ over 60; doesn't make too much noise, unless you're used to living in the forest atop a great mountain in eternal winter; blows cold air forcefully; keeps my 450 sq ft, 11 ft ceiling Brooklyn studio at 72-74 in 90 degree heat. Looks great, seals the deal on all my dates, getting engaged as a result of this unit. Buy it, stick the hose in the window, plug it in, turn it on, and recreate the Little Ice Age while you await armageddon.
Best air conditioner I've ever had. Takes it a little while to cool down a very hot room, but the air feels fresh and clean when the room begins to cool down. I've had this sucker running since I've purchased it, and my electricity bill was the lowest it has ever been. I would highly recommend.
Feature Product
- [POWERFUL, SAFE & DEPENDABLE] Cools rooms up to 400-550 sq. ft. Thermal Overload protection for added safety & peace of mind.
- [EASY INSTALL & MAINTENANCE] Washable Filter designed to protect from dust & hair to extend product life & performance. Filter cleans easily under a faucet for easy maintenance. Full set window kit included for quick & easy installation for vertical and horizontal windows (Max. hose length is 4 feet).
- [DESIGNED FOR COMFORT] Enjoy simple digital control with 3 fan speeds, 24 hour energy saving timer & remote control included
- [3-IN-1 APPLIANCE] Powerful cooling in the summer, Dehumidifier for humid days (removes up to 66 pints/ 24 hours with continuous drain option for long unattended operation), Fan circulates air for everyday comfort.Exhaust Hose Diameter: 5 inch
- 12000 BTU (ASHRAE-128 Standard) / 6500 BTU (DOE+ 2017 Standard)
Description
The Honeywell MN12CESBB 12, 000 BTU portable air conditioner has a sleek, modern design cooling and dehumidifying areas up 350-450 square feet. With 3-in-1 technology, 3 electrostatic filter and an environmentally safe compressor, this portable air conditioner delivers optimum cooling and dehumidification. It also has a fan-only function. The full-function remote control allows you to operate each feature from across the room. Unlike a fixed AC, this unit requires no permanent installation and four caster wheels provide easy mobility between areas. Plus, the auto-evaporation system allows for hours of continuous operation with no water to drain or no bucket to empty. This MN12CESBB comes with everything needed including a flexible exhaust hose and an easy-to-install window venting kit. The window vent can be removed when the unit is not in use.cfm163
Best money Ive ever spent. I bought this as a back up air conditioner. For crazy hot summer days and emergency back up to use with my generator. I love the fact you can set it up for continuous use by attaching a hose to the unit.
This unit cools a large bedroom wothin minutes. Honestly this feels more like a 15,000 btu. If youre thinking about it just buy it!
I have had this unit set up for a week and it seems to work well, although I haven't had to use it much yet. The only feature I wish this had is an energy save (Energy Star) mode that allows the fan to turn on/off automatically to maintain a specific temperature. It does not. The compressor will kick on when needed for cooling, but the fan is always on when on A/C mode. The timer should help save power, but sometimes I just want my place to cool off without a fan running full time. I knew that this was not a feature when I ordered this unit, but I didn't realize how much I liked using this mode on other A/C's that I've owned.
I ordered this portable AC unit in advance of the summer months, and I didn't realize that their standard window kit wouldn't fit my 6-foot tall windows. When I wrote the company, they sent out a kit that would fit the window, free-of-charge. I totally expected to buy the kit, but was just amazed at their customer service and willingness to take care of me like that. Since installing it, I could not be happier. It runs efficiently, cools my bedroom down immensely, and the fan is a great option to run when you don't need that much cooling. Five stars from me, y'all! :)
I don’t spend much time at home during the week and always hated turning on the house AC when I get home from work. Takes a long time to cool down and I feel like I’m wasting all the cool air throughout my house when I really only need it in the living room and bedroom when I sleep. Got this portable ac on sale last year and set it up in my room. I switch it on about 20 mins before I go to bed and my room is as cool as ice by the time I’m ready to sleep. I switch it off in the morning and go to work – saved over $40 on my electricity bill just by not turning on the whole-house ac! Best purchase I ever made- will get another one for the living room this year.
This air conditioner worked really well at first. It was a little hard to install, because the tube is shorter than the one that came with the other standalone AC we own. We keep having problems with the tube not wanting to stay attached to the plastic piece in the window. It does cool very well, but our room has started having a damp mildew smell to it. We tried emptying the drain pan, running it on dehumidifier mode, etc., to no avail. The “buttons” on the front to turn it on and adjust the temperature are touch screen type. This makes it have a cleaner appearance, but I am constantly and accidentally changing settings with my legs walking past. This doesn’t affect the use any, but it does get annoying. The remote is a really nice feature to have, and so is the dehumidifier setting. All in all, it is a decent air conditioning unit.
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