Edit Aug. 4, 2018: the entire back panel is an air intake grid, but only the top half is filtered. That is asking for trouble. I noticed the A/C was struggling to keep up, which was not a problem last year, so I took off the back panel. I found the condenser coils were absolutely caked with debris. I did my best to clean it up without removing the entire outer shell since the front was attached to electrical stuff that I was unwilling to tamper with. After reassembling the unit, I saw a jerry-rig on YouTube, where a guy cut an A/C filter to size and taped it to the outside of the unit over the air intake, so that's what I did. It ain't pretty, but I don't care.
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My western-facing bedroom with enormous picture windows is an oven from May to November here in Houston, despite installing blackout drapes. This air conditioner is a godsend. I'm not even running it on high, but on medium speed. I've also got a Vornado fan going to evenly distribute the cool air. At last I can breathe again.
I also own a Global brand portable A/C, 10,000 BTUs. The Edgestar is superior in every way. Quieter--a pleasant white noise, whereas the Global is so loud that it took me a while to be able to sleep. I wish the Global unit was an Edgestar too.
I have had my umit for 2 very hot summers and this portable AC unit is my MVP! I do not regret the purchase and would buy mine again! 100 degree days are nothing for my unit. I have been able to keep a 500 fq. ft apartment box very reasonable during the hot humid days of july/august. My monthly bill - often running my unit sometime 24/7 - goes from $30/mo to about $90-100/month.
Kept my home cool all summer (approx. 700 square foot living / kitchen / dining area). Used small window units in the bedroom. My central unit died in May and this provided a much more cost effective solution. My electric bill went DOWN and that's running all three units as in zone cooling. This unit stayed ON ALL SUMMER and is still going strong. I have cleaned the filter twice and haven't had to empty the water reservoir yet! We've never turned it off. It's been great and would definitely buy again! Haven't used the remote much, but was fine when we did.
This unit is a little workhorse! I've been running to keep the first floor of my home cool this summer and have to say I'm impressed. It's been running almost constantly since mid-June and has maintained the house at 70 degrees F. with no trouble. The only time it seems to struggle a bit is on very hot and humid days (over 90 with high humidity). I've not had to empty the drain pan even once although a bit of "sweat" does accumulate near the unit's vents sometimes (again, only when it's very hot and humid). I bought it because I have an older home with absolutely no standard-sized window openings on the first floor. The window exhaust kit was simple to fit and install in my over-sized dining room window. It comes with flexible exhaust hose much like a dry vent hose that's about 4 feet in length. The hose could be a bit longer but other than that this unit is perfect!
This is working as expected! I live in a 2 room attic space separated by an open doorway, and the central air did not reach me at all last summer. I had fans going constantly for it to feel just "tolerable." I knew this summer would need to be different. I couldn't hang a window unit and this sits at one end of the attic and works well. I love the timer feature so it turns on about an hour before I get home to cool off the attic and then I leave it running all day/night when I'm home. It is a bit loud when the compressor turns on but no louder than last summer with about 4 fans running constantly, but no SO loud that it wakes me up when it kicks on or anything. I had no trouble putting the hose in the window and yes, the hose is solid and firm so it doesn't stretch super far, but it works great about 2.5 feet from where I vent it.
Feature Product
- 12,000 BTU (ASHRAE-128 Standard) / 5,500 BTU (DOE 2017 Standard) Cools up to 425 Square Feet (depends on heat load)
- 3 fan speeds; dehumidifier only mode option (90 pints a day); includes a washable pre-filter and one replaceable carbon filter
- Patented Auto-Drain System - exhausts most or all condensate automatically except under extreme humidity situation
- Adjustable digital thermostat with 61-89F temp range, remote control and caster wheels
- All portable air conditioners including this one must be vented using the included hose; Window kit (expands up to 55) and vent hose (expands up to 49)
Description
The Koldfront AP12000S-KF (formerly the Edgestar AP12000S) is a 12,000 BTU rated portable air conditioner that is capable of effectively cooling up to 425 sq.ft. of enclosed space. The unit includes an air vent hose and window kit that expands out to a generous 55” maximum. The AP12000S-KF offers features such as a 12hr programmable timer, dehumidifier function (90 pints per day), 3 fan speeds, digital thermostat control with a 61F to 89F setting range, remote control and caster wheels. The unit includes a washable pre-filter and one replaceable carbon filter to help control odors and pollutants. The unit features an internal condensate removal system that will handle all but the most humid environments saving you the trouble of manually emptying a water bucket. The AP-12000S-KF meets new RoHS standards that restrict the amount of certain toxins in electronic and electrical equipment. Furthermore, it also uses R-410A refrigerant for cooling, which does not contribute to ozone depletion.
Purchased this cooler after my central air conditioner stopped working for the 2nd summer in a row. It is very old. Last May 2017, I paid about $800 to get new parts and keep it going for the summer. . Repairman said a new one would run around $4,000. So after reading the reviews, I tried this out. Very happy. It is a little loud, but it keeps the living room and kitchen cool and reduces my energy consumption by a lot!. I have a small Daewood window conditioner in the bedroom as well. We live in Fresno where the temps run over 100 degrees during summers for weeks at a time. I watched a couple of U tube videos to set this up. Once guy went into great detail. Another guy explained it in 5 minutes and was easier to follow. Surprised that it works so well. I haven't used the remote control.
We have a very large Bungalow bedroom but unfortunately our central air doesn't cool down enough. This unit though has made this incredibly hot summer more than bearable. It's kept up with 90-plus degrees Heat and had our room at roughly 70 degrees all summer. Been very easy to use and has kept us comfortable. My only regret is not getting the unit that also has a heater in it, I know that since this thing has kept us so comfortable with the cold it would have worked great in my workshop in the garage for the winter.
It does a fantastic job at cooling a room quickly. Installation is easy. I do suggest insulating the vent hose as it does get hot and that heat will transfer back into the room. My only complaint was the noise level. 55 dbs while the compressor is running. When its on the fan runs non stop and only the compressor switches off and on. When the compressor does switch on/off it makes a loud "thunk" kind of sound. If you are trying to keep a bedroom cool at night it will keep you up unless you can sleep though quite a bit of noise. Otherwise it's a great unit that could easily keep a large room cool.. From what I understand all these kinds of portable units are fairly noisy so if sound level is a factor for you then I would suggest looking at a ductless unit.
I don't really have anything bad to say. It was bigger than I anticipated but thats fine and the window kit was a little finicky. It has been working well to cool down our 500sqft living/dinning room with a fan nearby helping distribute the air.
Will update if there is any issues.
Update: The back plastic part to open and put batteries into the remote won't slide properly back in after many attempts so we gave up and just tapped the backing in place.
Honestly- this has been the best purchase of all time. Yes, it’s kind of loud but I’m used to having a window fan on anyways and in Los Angeles, it’s always noisy. As for the quality of the unit, it works phenomenally. We have really high vaulted ceilings in our apartment and even then, we can turn it on and it cools the room down very quick. The remote is super cool because if I’m laying in bed and if I get too chilly I can turn the temperature up!
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