07 Jun

NewAir AC-10100E Ultra Compact Portable Air Conditioner Review

Product Review: NewAir AC-10100E Ultra Compact Portable Air Conditioner

NewAir AC-10100E Ultra Compact Portable Air Conditioner

Company: Amazon

Price Range: $350 – $400

Feedback: Read Consumer Reviews on the NewAir AC-10100E Portable Air Conditioner

Who Would Buy This: Those shopping for a versatile, ultra compact portable air conditioner which can cool and dehumidify rooms up to 325 square feet.

Features

10,000 BTU capacity

Ultra compact design

Two fan speeds

Push-button control panel

Auto-evaporative system

Full-featured remote control

Easy Installation

Consumers praise the easy set up of this AC unit, since it comes already fully assembled for your convenience and includes a window installation kit. The required installation time is estimated to be just 10 minutes, so this is amongst the most easy to install portable air conditioners in the market.

Note that this appliance has to be earthed so a 3-pronged electrical outlet is necessary.

Ultra Compact and Highly Portable

The NewAir AC-10100E boasts an ultra-compact design and a reasonably lightweight despite it’s powerful cooling capacity of 10,000 BTUs. This makes it ideal for living spaces where floor space is limited. The unit weighs 48.4 lb and measures just 29.75″ in height, 12.13″ in width with a depth of 15.13″.

The unit sits on four caster wheels and has a large handle topside at the rear, which ensures easy portability whenever you want to move it.

Cooling Performance

Where it matters most for many is of course cooling performance. The NewAir AC-10100E packs in 10,000 BTUs with an air flow of 218 CFM into it’s small chassis, giving it the cooling capability to quickly cool down spaces up to 325 square feet. One consumer even noted that it cooled an area sized 450 square feet to a satisfactory standard.

In dehumidifying mode, it can extract moisture from the air at a rate of 50.64 pints every 24 hours.

There are adjustable air louvers so you have some control over the direction of the airflow. The only caveat here is the angle of adjustability is limited so there isn’t a great degree of control over the airflow direction.

Controls

The control panel on the AC-10100E is pretty basic so its easy to operate. It features a small LCD display that provides a digital readout so you can keep on an eye on the current temperature setting.

There are seven push-buttons to control the various modes and functions. The buttons have small icons next to them which visually indicate what each button does. Some consumers prefer labelled buttons instead of icons, for easier reference. However, the simplicity of the controls means you’ll soon easily familiarize yourself with them.

The included remote control is full-featured so you can operate all of the AC functions effortlessly from wherever you are sitting.

NewAir AC-10100E Ultra Compact Portable Air Conditioner Controls

Modes and Functions

This AC offers 3-in-1 functionality so it can cool down a room, ventilate it or be used as a dehumidifier. Mode-wise, there are two fan speeds, including an auto fan mode and one cool setting.

Other functions include a 12 hour timer which can be programmed from 1 to 12 hours, plus a sleep mode, both of which provides added energy saving benefits.

Low Maintenance

A really nifty feature employed by this NewAir portable air conditioner is it’s self-evaporative technology. Essentially, this works by recycling water drawn from the air and then using it to cool down the inner compressor coils. This lowers energy usage and reduces the frequency you need to empty the water tank. So unless you plan using this air conditioner in a high humid environment, you should benefit from this feature.

Filtration

The filter system which comes fitted in this unit is an activated carbon filter. This washable filter traps dust and unwanted particles from the air to increase air quality, allowing you to breath cleaner air. The filter needs to be rinsed just once per month, so its easy to maintain.

Manual: NewAir AC-10100E manual

Guarantee: 1-year warranty.

Summary

The NewAir AC-10100E Portable Air Conditioner is a great performer that delivers quick, reliable cooling and dehumidification in small-to-medium spaces with minimal fuss. It’s small footprint, fast installation, high energy efficiency and low maintenance design are excellent aspects of this AC unit.

While it’s looks aren’t as sleek and attractive as portable air conditioners from the likes of LG and Whynter, it makes up for this with its small footprint, which is a desirable benefit for many who want a powerful, portable AC unit which takes up only little space.

06 Jun

LG Electronics LP0814WNR Portable Air Conditioner Review

Product Review: LG Electronics LP0814WNR Portable Air Conditioner

LG Electronics LP0814WNR Portable Air Conditioner

Company: Amazon

Price Range: $250 – $300

Feedback: Read Consumer Reviews on the LG LP0814WNR Air Conditioner

Who Would Buy This: Those shopping for a sleek looking, compact portable air conditioner to effectively cool down a small or medium sized room up to 200 square feet.

Features

8,000 BTU capacity

Free-standing design

LED control panel

Auto-restart feature

Auto evaporation system

Sleek, Modern Design

The LG LP0814WNR is a free-standing unit with a front venting design. The built-in swivelling caster wheels are designed for easy rolling across a variety of floor surfaces. Its white casing features sleek curves which gives this unit an elegant modern look that really looks the part in any modern living space.

It comes with a 6 ft length power cord which plugs into a regular 115-volt outlet. The manual states not to use an extension cord due to the heat it generates, so the lengthy power cord is welcome.

Cooling Performance

This LG unit features an 8,000 BTU cooling capacity which gives it the capability to cool rooms as large as 200 square feet at a reasonably quiet noise level of 55 dB on its highest fan speed.

Although this model doesn’t feature automatic louvers, it has 4-way air direction so you can manually adjust the direction of the air both vertically and horizontally by simply adjusting the louvers at the front of the unit.

It’s dehumidification capabilities allow it dehumidify a room at a rate of 2 pints per hour, which is a very good rate for a portable air conditioner.

Controls

LG have designed the controls on this model to be simple to operate, so user-friendliness is given high priority here. The topside control panel features six large buttons and an LED display which produces a bright, clear readout of the temperature and other settings.

The included infra-red remote control gives you convenient control so you can operate any of the settings from the comfort of your armchair. The only drawback is the remote control doesn’t have backlit buttons so using it in darker areas isn’t so easy.

Modes and Functions

The modes available include two fan speeds, two cooling speeds and a Dry mode to lessen room humidity when no cool-down is needed.

Additionally, there is also a sleep mode which increases the temperature by 1 degrees Fahrenheit every 2 hours to help lower energy usage during night hours.

There is also an Auto Cool setting that lets you pre-set the unit to your desired temperature so the thermostat will monitor the room temperature and adjust the fan speed accordingly. This in turn helps conserve energy because it ensures that the fan speed always runs at its optimal setting.

The 24 hour On/Off timer is another convenience feature present in this AC. This allows you to pre-set the unit to turn on or off when you want it to. The delay timer can be set in 1 hour increments from 1-24 hours.

Auto-Restart

This is a convenient feature. If you encounter a temporary power failure, the unit will automatically restart itself once power has been restored, so the current settings are kept without you needing to reconfigure them.

Filtration

This LG Air Conditioner comes equipped with an air filter for basic filtration to provide cleaner air. The filter is washable for long lasting use. As per the manufactures guideline, the air filter should be vacuum cleaned once every fortnight to ensure optimal performance.

Manual: LG LP0814WNR manual

Guarantee: 1-year warranty.

Summary

The LG Electronics LP0814WNR Portable Air Conditioner has a nice balance between form and functionality. It meets the needs of those who want a portable air conditioner that has elegance, simplicity and quick proficient cooling ability, while still having an affordable price tag.

Although its 9.0 EER rating isn’t as high as most window AC units, this model is still on par with many of its portable competitors in the market. So from an energy efficiency perspective it meets the mark.

If you have a modern home or apartment and are looking for a simple, non permanent solution for your cooling needs this summer then the compactly sized LG LP0814WNR qualifies as a worthy choice.

04 Jun

Frigidaire FRA053PU1 Portable Air Conditioner Review

Product Review: Frigidaire FRA053PU1 Portable Air Conditioner

Frigidaire FRA053PU1 Portable Air Conditioner

Company: Amazon

Price Range: $250 – $300

Feedback: Read Consumer Reviews on the Frigidaire FRA053PU1 Portable Air Conditioner

Who Would Buy This: Those shopping for a mid-range portable air conditioner that provides efficient cooling for small rooms up to 150 square feet.

Features

Spacewise Portable Design
5,000 BTU capacity
Ready-select controls
Antimicrobial mesh filter
Full-function Remote Control

Spacewise Portable Design

This air conditioner features a Spacewise Portable Design which means it’s been designed for easy portability; an important feature if you intend to use it in multiple rooms. The large top handle, built-in side handles and sturdy castor wheels allow you to move this unit between rooms with consummate ease.

Cooling Performance

The cooling capacity of this AC is a respectable 5,000 BTU which enables it to deliver efficient cooling for rooms up to 150 square feet. This makes it ideal for small to medium sized bedrooms or even a home office.

Reviewers cite it’s quick cooling proficiency. After running it on the highest cooling setting for just 1 hour, this unit can reduce your room temperature down from 90 degrees to 75 degrees, so you can quickly get into your comfort zone.

In addition to cooling air, this unit also has a dehumidification mode which can dry air in humid environments at 1.1 pints per hour.

Energy Efficient

The Frigidaire FRA053PU1 has a reasonable Energy Efficiency Ratio rating of 8.5, providing energy efficient cooling to save you money over time. Additionally, it’s low power start-up is designed to ensure this air conditioner uses minimal power each time you start it up.

Convenient Controls

Operation of the unit is made easy with the user-friendly ready-select controls which are located at the top of the unit for convenient access. The large soft-touch buttons are well designed for simplicity.

A fully functioned remote control is included so you can adjust the fan speed and temperature setting or any other settings from anywhere in the room. The remote features a nice backlit LCD display which gives you a handy visual overview of the settings from the palm of your hand.

Flexible Settings

There is a good degree of user-configurable settings provided to give you customised cooling. The three main settings comprise of a Cooling mode, Dry mode and Fan mode. The fan only mode lets you use the unit just as a fan, which is nice for those less than sweltering days. The cooling mode can be set to auto or manual, depending on whether you want full control over the fan speed and cooling temperature.

Users can select between three cooling speeds and three fan speeds, to meet specific cooling needs.

The swing air direction control feature can be turned on to direct air up and down by oscillating in a slow motion for optimum cooling performance.

It comes equipped with a 24-hour timer, which gives you the flexibility of being able to set the unit to turned on/off at your convenience. There is also a sleep mode which helps conserve energy. It slowly increases the temperature every 30 minutes for 7 hours, then reduces it back down to the pre-set temperature setting.

Filtration

As standard, this AC comes with an antibacterial filter that works on removing bacteria and odors to give you a fresher, cleaner room environment. The air ionizer gets rid of pollen and other air impurities which is a great thing if your an allergy sufferer.

The filters can be accessed at the rear top of the unit for convenient access for cleaning or replacing the filters. The control panel has a filter clean light which reminds you when the filter needs cleaning.

Manual: Frigidaire FRA053PU1 manual

Guarantee: 1-year warranty. 5-year warranty on sealed system.

Summary

The Frigidaire FRA053PU1 Portable Air Conditioner offers good value for money for a low-to-mid range portable AC unit.

Its lightweight, relatively compact and has a good rugged build quality both for the unit itself and the included installation hardware. Furthermore, its easy to install and maintain, and comes packed with plenty of enticing features for your convenience such as its multi-speed fan, timer and sleep mode. With its noise level rating of just 55 dB, you can run this in the bedroom without being disturbed by excessive noise.

If your looking for a portable AC that can quickly and effectively cool areas up to 150 square feet then we highly recommend adding the FRA053PU1 to your short-list.