There were so few reviews of this product I was a bit worried about buying it. Well let me add a glowing review!
It has only been a few hours but so far I am just in love with the performance, appearance, quality and the fit and finish of this unit!
It is quiet and powerful with no vibrations or rattles (many reviews I read of other similar products had rattles/vibrations). It only took a few minutes to cool down my large living room then the compressor cycled off! I have no problem hearing the TV over it (unlike most window units big enough to cool this space!) The remote is very nice looking as well.
What impresses me the most is the window insert-- It is thick and robust providing its own insulation power with the exception of the part where the actual duct hole is. (Photo #1) They also include several extra insert pieces so you can mix and match to get the best fit for your window. Then to top it off the pieces interlock with slots so you get a very tight fit. (photo #2) Now the locking holes are about 1 inch apart so you could have a situation where when you get a tight fit in the window a locking hole wont line up. However, it would be an easy matter to drill a custom hole in the track where you need to get the perfect fit. Now in my case the thickness fit my window track so perfectly I did not even need the locking holes. (photo #3) In fact, it fit so tightly I did not even use the provided foam insulation tape on three sides. I only used the insulation where the window comes down on to the top of the window insert (Photo #4).
The duct is also robust and has a locking ring at the AC end and locking tabs on the window side. It is a stiff but flexible duct/ I don’t know the proper term but it clicks when you bend it then stays that way until you bend it again.
OH! One thing that I was really concerned about when thinking about buying one of these units was water drainage. With a window unit the water just drips onto the grass. These inside units have a catch tank. Some reviews on some similar products where rife with the horrors of trying to drain the water tank. I have read that in many cases the tank never needs to be drained so I was thinking maybe it is not an issue. However it is VERY humid where I live so I expect to have to do this. So I was relieved to find:
1) The drain is up high, roughly in the middle of the unit on the back side. Very easy access. (some units have a drain at the very bottom and tipping, etc. is required to drain them)
2) The drain has a ‘nipple’ so a hose can easily be attached for draining into an old milk jug or whatever...
3) The hose would be about the diameter of your finger so it would not be big and bulky.
So, if it turns out this unit does need to be drained I plan to run up to Home Depot and get some hose to fit then drill a hole in the window insert so I can just put the hose out the window with the hot air!
In fact, the only con I can think of to this whole unit is it would have been nice of them to provide that drain hose and pre-punch the hole for it in the window insert. On the other hand I may not need to drain it? I will update this review on if I do or if anything about my opinion changes.
Now, as I was writing this review I got cold and had to set the thermostat up some! THAT IS SO AWESOME!
UPDATE -- One month later and I have never had to drain water from the unit and I still love it. So adding the drain hose this is totally unnecessary!
After a decent amount of use, I wanted to give a review of this item and go into each area of it.
SHIPPING
Amazon ships this AC unit in its own packaging, no external packaging or padding. Mine arrived with all sorts of holes, dents and cuts to the box but the unit itself is fine. Many others do report it arriving cracked or even leaking oil/coolant upon delivery. With Amazon only shipping this with slow-delivery (5-6 days) it's definitely inconvenient to wait so long only to see it arrive damaged.
I did look at many other portable AC units and found all of them to have a mix of good and very bad reviews for similar reasons. This box is about 75 pounds and on a UPS truck it will get damaged easily from being thrown around.
PRICE
Price is pretty comparable to other 12000 BTU AC units.
The unit uses about 1320 watts per hour. To break this down, my electric company charges about 40 cents per KWH, that means this unit costs about 53 cents per hour to run. Definitely worth it at times, but even if used for 4 hours per day you can expect an increase of about 60 bucks per month for electricity. It adds up.
POWER
The unit runs off a standard 3-port (15 amp/115 volt) outlet. It requires ~11.5 amps to run, so if you're connecting it to an older circuit breaker you may run into issues with running other equipment alongside it (on the same circuit). EX: Running AC + TV + Surround sound on a 15 amp circuit.
LOOKS
The description says BLACK, the item photo looks BLACK. How come its grey in person? Not only that, the remote is silver and the power plug and exhaust tube are both bright white.
The design beyond that looks nice but nothing matches.
REMOTE
On to the remote, it's kind of neat in that it has a (non-backlit/black and white) display but also a bit annoying in that it often isn't in sync with the AC unit. If you press POWER on the remote, the remote control will turn on (and if youre pointing it at the AC, it will also turn on). If you're not pointing it at the AC when pressing power, the remote will turn on but not the AC unit. The remote lets you change the same settings as on the unit itself as well as a few others (like switching from F to C or auto-cleaning the unit).
I found the remote hard to read in the dark (such as watching a movie). The buttons on the bottom are pretty near invisible in the dark as they fade into the silver of the remote.
INSTRUCTIONS
Unit is very easy to install but the included materials are written terribly. Even the laminated sheets that come with a suction cup to attach to the unit are such poor english that it seems nobody bothered to even look it over. For a pricey item like this and a company like LG.. you'd expect that the printed pieces that you're supposed to attach to the AC unit would be checked.
INSTALL
Very easy. Plug the unit in, mix/match the included pieces to fit your window size and then attach the hose to the AC itself.
USAGE
Again, very easy. 4 modes: Cool/Fan/Dry/Energy Saver and 3 fan speeds (low/med/high)
Cool = AC + FAN
Fan = Fan only
Dry = Dehumidify
Energy saver = Cycle on/off regularly
AIR QUALITY
Very cool! With the AC on, you feel an immediate difference and turning it off (switching to fan) is very noticeable. It will easily chill a room down.
SIZE
AC units come in multiple BTU sizes. They're defined on this box as:
8000 BTU = 200 square feet (10x20 foot room)
10000 BTU = 300 square feet (15x20 foot room)
12000 BTU = 400 square feet (20x20 foot room)
14000 BTU = 500 square feet (25x20 foot room)
Im using this in a 10x20 foot room and still went with the 12000 BTU unit and don't regret it.
PROBLEMS
If you select "Fan" the compressor the AC turns off and it simply blows air (as expected). If you switch back to "Cool" it continues to only blow air (no compressor). Even cycling it on/off will not fix it, you need to unplug it and plug it back in.
OVERALL
Price is about on-par. Item works very well but is a bit iffy in some areas. I would recommend getting the extended warranty on it.
Shipping is also iffy, if you can find it local (or dont mind needing to possibly deal with an exchange) this is a nice AC.
Looks of the unit itself are nice but the whole combination of odd colors (grey AC, White vent tube, white power cable, silver remote control) is a bit odd.
The unit itself is pricey in the long-term due to the power usage. Even the initial cost is a bit much, but when you factor in the extra monthly costs, it only goes up. With that said, you can either deal with the heat and try to use fans all summer or pay the price and get a comfortable level of cool air out of it.
I received this and went to install it when I realized that LG gave me 50 inches of material and my window is 59 inches. No problem though, I got a 1" by 8" by 6' and cut it to fit. I cut an oval hole in it, painted it and installed the air conditioner. I liked the board I used so much that I did the same to another LG portable A/C that I use in my bedroom. I made it so that the exhaust hose was still inside the screen and the board that I used is much more secure than the flimsy plastic material supplied. I just used the oval cut-out section to attach to the inside of the board to attach the hose. (see photos)
I bought this one and the 8,000 BTU Frigidaire to supplement my central AC - this one is more powerful (seems a tad colder and blows a little stronger); however, the Frigidaire is quieter and nicer looking. The exhaust assembly on the Frigidaire is easier to install and seals better with the unit than this one (which is literally a round tube in a square connector, apparently the engineers are not aware of this aphorism??). I used packing tape on both to seal up the exhaust tubes to body attachment.
Dollar for dollar, an excellent value.
Bought this to cool our master bedroom which is much hotter than the rest of the house. It does a great job of making the room nice and cool and much easier to sleep in. I'm used to having fans on while sleeping so the noise from the air conditioner is not bothersome. Would recommend to anybody looking to cool down a good-sized room.
Feature Product
- Portable air conditioner with auto evaporation system
- 8000 BTU (ASHRAE-128 Standard) / 5500 BTU (DOE 2017 Standard)
- Uses a standard 115-volt/15 amp electrical outlet (6-ft. long power cord),Window Installation Kit
- Cools a room up to 150 sq. ft. with up to 1.8 pints per hour dehumidification. Water full indicator
- Top, inclined air discharge with auto swing louvers helps eliminate hot spots
Description
Room to room, house to house or home to work, LG’s portable air conditioner is the ideal climate-control solution for when you’re on the go. With a sleek contemporary design, this free-standing portable unit blends in with any room decor. Our auto-swing air vent technology makes sure you enjoy every bit of cool air by circulating the cool air more efficiently so no hot spot will be left untouched. The auto evaporation system allows for continuous use and with the programmable 24-hour on/off timer, you can control the temperature even when you’re not there.
In October 2017, the Department of Energy implemented a new test procedure to determine the BTU rating of portable air conditioners. The procedural change has adjusted the amount of BTUs allowed to be claimed downward by as much as 50%. There have been no internal changes to these units, and the functionality remains the same. Please refer to room size guidelines to find the portable air conditioner that best meets your needs. Dry air flow (CFM) 250Dry air flow (CFM): 250cooling power:8000
I decided to buy this unit because I don’t have central air conditioning and was using about four or five fans throughout my entire apartment which didn’t cool down my space when it gets really hot during the summertime. I didn’t want to buy a window unit because they’re too big and heavy for me to install my own & I wanted something that I could move around In my apartment or take with me if I moved and something that was easier to install on my own. This is the refurbished unit and so far it works amazing after installing it today. It cools down the entire apartment better than expected so I’m really happy with it and I’m just hoping it will last over the years and hold up because in some reviews I’ve seen that the portable units can break down easily and after all this is a refurbished unit. I’ll follow up later in the future if anything starts going out on this. I had to watch a few YouTube videos to install this on my own because i never had to done this before. My window panel is vertical. I’m a little skeptical about it in the window I placed it only because the neighbors kids tend to play out side and at times kick a ball into this window but this was the best place for the unit to be placed to get my entire apartment cooler as opposed to just my bedroom. I didn’t have that much trouble figuring out how to do this in my own and am glad I purchased this before the heatwave hits. I posted a few pics of how it looks inside the window and outside once assembled.
** Just in case you don't know, ALWAYS keep the unit standing upright. Like a refrigerator, tilting it sideways will get the coolant in places it shouldn't be. So I heard. **
Drawbacks (which are minimal and almost not worth mentioning):
Internal water tank (though it may be my fault) filled up pretty quickly the first night I had it though it was alot more humid than normal. The tank was full after about 4-6 hours. Had to drag the whole unit upstairs into the backyard to drain it, THOUGH I didn't have the room door closed and it drew air from upstairs essential trying to cool the whole house. Since then, it's been going for maybe 2 months now and haven't had to empty it since. You can also just hook up a hose and have it drain as it collects. 5/8's inch is the outside diameter of the hose you need (so the instruction manual says). Haven't done that yet and haven't really needed to.
The only (SMALL) thing is that you have to make sure the remote can see the sensor on the unit. Your remote may say it's at 72 but the unit may be at 73, and vice versa. Though you will hear it beep when it actually reads the remote and it will correct the temp to whatever is on the remote.
Also (good/bad... You decide), the fan is always on. Not sure if it's a setting or not, but whether the compressor is on or not, the fan stays on. About as loud as a box fan, maybe a hair quieter. An AC fan in a home just comes on when AC cools. Once again, it may just be a setting.
** Anyway, all the good things:
- This thing blows. :) 2 speeds for the fan.
- It has casters, so it rolls.
- Adjustable fins on top that will automatically adjust from sideways to nearly strait upwards, depending on fan speed.
- Set this thing at 71 or 70 in a 200 sq ft room, and you WILL need a blanket.
- It comes with the collapsible hose (maybe 5-6 feet of it with all the adapters to fit your window.
- You don't need any tools to set it up.
- Remote comes with batteries.
- In case you have to pick it up, there ARE handle indentations on the sides (like a cardboard box would have).
- Unit draws (according to box/manual) i.8 amps. I haven't verified this with my ammeter, but i'm guessing it only draws that much when the compressor starts.
- The 120v plug has a built in GFCI, so need to buy your own.
You can put in a 5/8's OD hose and insert it into one of the two drains to drain automatically. There are 2 drain plugs and when I emptied it, most of the condensation came out of the bottom one. Maybe a tenth of what came out of the bottom came out of the top one.
Well worth the $$!!
I think that after reading the reviews of this machine that a lot of people don't understand how this works. The leaking and lack of cooling is likely due to improper settings. If I would say anything bad about it I would say that it is quite complex as far as turning off and on the features that need to be done so. I know that when I first started it up I had to go back and re-read the instructions and fully understand how it works. I have had this for a year and it worked like a charm last year and I just installed it for the season this year. Put the vent in the window, plugged it in and, voila! it works just as well as it did last year. We will have 90 plus here for the next few days and even with all of our shade it still gets hot in here especially at night. Also, it cools way more square footage than the manufacturer claims. Anyway, it's relatively quiet and it doesn't cost all that much to run. While I haven't done an energy audit, I can say that my electric bill has been consistent and I see no spikes that would bother or alarm me. I turned it on less than an hour ago and just heard the compressor cycle off in a 400 sf room. Not bad if you ask me. Oh, wait. I just remembered that I had to tighten some screws in the squirrel cage shortly after I bought it and started it running. To me it was no big deal but I can see it being a major problem for some. Still, I give it 5 stars.
Its a great A/C, but you gotta watch it. What I mean by that is this.
1. Make sure to inpect it for broken piece's when it arrives ( Mine was ok). Amazon ships it raw without a outer box.
2. Window kit is easy to install, just watch YouTube tutorials for the best way.
3. The internal fan spits the air out in the side direction, position unit correctly.
4. Unit collects water and must be drained. If you run it alot, just try and do it every other day. If you do it that often, then its only about a 1/4cup of water each time. I put a little dish under the drain and im all done in about 2min. Take your time putting the drain cap back on, its fragile plastic. This is all alot easier then waiting forever and having to drain it outside( it weighs a ton).
5. Its is mobile and has wheels, but find a place for it and keep it there. It works better that way considering all the other factors I just listed.
Hope this helpfull.
This AC unit did not fail to impress me. I do not regret buying it! It cools my room fairly fast and I can fall asleep to the noise. Thank god I have it for the summer!
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