any advice on buying a window AC unit?
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Other comments seem to have covered the advice around checking insulation and system charge, so I'll say that if you need to get a window unit make sure it's an inverter unit; they're typically advertised as ultra-quiet. The reason you want an inverter air conditioner is purely the efficient gains you get over a traditional on/off compressor; they use around half the electricity in some cases for the same cooling.
All of the U-shaped units from various brands use inverter tech, but they might be hard to find because a lot of them are rebranded Mideas. LG's ThinQ "dual-inverter" units are also very good, I have one that's served me well for a couple years and it's very quiet. You can barely hear the compressor start up at all aside from a faint electrical whine for a few seconds and the sound of refrigerant moving through the system. The fan moving the air is the loudest part by far (and it's not bad).
All of that said, consider replacing your central ducted unit with a multi-head mini-split system in the long run. For residential use they're typically the most efficient you can get, and you have the bonus of being able to control room temperatures individually. A mini-split system uses inverter tech too just like the good window units. In fact, the U-shaped window units are just miniaturized mini-split systems in a rigid housing.
Midea recently recalled its u-shaped unit, so be wary of used ones (I have one and now have no way to get rid of it).
There are also these GE ones that are like upside-down U’s to keep out of the way of the window; but between the unit blowing air so low as to not affect the rising hot air in the room and the fact that they have to pump the condensate up and over the window sill make me think they’re not a great investment…
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The U shaped units manufactured by midea were all recalled and are not currently available for sale.
You might want to look up the recall and get the repair kit. They were recalled for excessive mold build up.
It seems the recall for the mold was essentially forgetting to put a drain for excessesive condensate.
I havnt gotten a response yet. Did you get a response from them? Sucks that unit is awesome. And quiet. I thought it was funny they didn't leave condensate tap to run a drain. I kinda assumed they figured out how to evaporate it in away like a refrigerator. They are made really well otherwise and have great user controls. Even the mounting bracket are next level. -
We have to buy a window unit for our house. We have Central AC but it's not keeping up and we can't afford to upsize it right now. So until then I'm researching which window units to buy. Any advice or anything to cut through all the marketing spam and AI copy that I have to wade thru?
wrote on last edited by [email protected]So you have three options, I'm going to break them down just because I think comparing all three is helpful for long term planning, but skip to the end for advice on a specific window unit.
- Upgrading your central AC and/ or it's duct work.
- Cons:
Expensive - central units are expensive- 🧑
Installation - these require professional installation from certified technicians. - 🪚 Duct work - if it requires duct work changes then modifying the house to accomodate is a whole nother headache.
- Pros:
Efficiency / long term electricity savings - a newer central AC will be more efficient for cooling the whole house down. They typically have SEER ratings in the 15-18 range.
Noise - you might hear them start up, but most rooms of the house hear nothing from the vents.
️ Light - they don't impact natural window light at all
️Heat Pump - newer units are typically heat pumps that can efficiently and economically heat your house in the winter or at least shoulder seasons.
- Getting a window unit.
- Cons:
️ Light Reduction - Blocks some of the window
Efficiency - Typically* lower efficiency ratings
Noise - You'll inherently have more noise from a fan blowing cold air into the room (compared to a central vent), and because the outdoor compressor unit is so close, most window units* also have quite a lot of sound coming from the outdoor portion.- 🥶 AC Only - Typically no heat pump capabilities.
- Pros:
- 🫰Cheap - Lowest up front cost
Easy installation - DIY
️ Portability - Can be removed or sold later if it's not needed.- Efficiency? - while central AC units are typically more efficient on a per unit of cooling basis, if your window AC is in the right room it can actually be more efficient overall. i.e. if it's in your bedroom, even if the window unit is less efficient than a central one, you might use less electricity just cooling your bedroom and letting the rest of the house get warmer.
- Mini - Split Systems - install a compressor outside your house and a blower unit in a specific room or hallway
- Cons
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Expensive - these are more expensive than window units up front by quite a bit. -
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Installation - Potential DIY - while they do sell DIY mini-split systems that don't require professional installation, you'll be limited by the length of pipe / hoses they provide, so need a suitable spot for your compressor unit. Otherwise you'll need a pro to install it. -
Noise - since the compressor is outside and separated by a wall you shouldn't hear it if it's mounted properly, but you do still have an indoor blower unit. It'll be quieter than a window unit but louder than a vent.
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- Pros
- ️ Light - no light blocking
Efficiency - Mini splits often have efficiency ratings that meet or exceed central units, on top of the fact that they can be used to just cool the needed room.- ️Heat Pump - these are also typically heat pumps.
If it were me personally, and I owned the house, and I was worried about cooling my bedroom, and I had the money and somewhere to mount the compressor, I would buy a DIY mini split system. I will always want my bedroom to be cold for sleeping and the rest of the house doesn't need to be that cold (and vice versa in winter since they're heat pumps that go both ways). The only real downsides are the very light fan noise from the blower unit, and the upfront cost, though that can potentially be mitigated if you live in a jurisdiction that offers some type of home retrofit or heat pump grant (worth checking!).
That being said there's a bunch of caveats and criteria there that I personally didn't meet, so I bought one of those Midea U shaped units that everyone talks about and am honestly very happy. There was a massive recall recently, but they're adding drains to fix the issue, and these units otherwise are way better than most other window units, though they only work with windows that slide up and down vertically.
*But unlike most other window ACs, the U shaped units have the window sit between the outdoor unit and the indoor unit which blocks most of the noise from the compressor, lets more natural light come in, and doesn't require blocking the sides. They're also very efficient with a CEER rating of 15.
Even despite the recall they're still what I'd personally recommend, you might be able to find one second hand.
Also note that I don't consider a portable air conditioner an option. They're terrible.
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We have to buy a window unit for our house. We have Central AC but it's not keeping up and we can't afford to upsize it right now. So until then I'm researching which window units to buy. Any advice or anything to cut through all the marketing spam and AI copy that I have to wade thru?
Call a service tech to look at your central.
If it’s not keeping up then it might be cheaper to fix the issues with it over buying a window unit and paying the electricity to run it.Central Units are typically much more powerful and therefore need to run less, and if it’s something simple like it need to have the condenser cleaned out or the refrigerant recharged the cost to just get it done is much less than the cost of window units plus electricity plus your time to install and remove them
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Just don't get a portable unit. They suck and are just a waste of money most of the times.
These are portables if you're unfamiliar.
Idk, I got one made by Midea and it's pretty good imo. Granted, we have casement windows (the ones where the window slides to the side to open, not up/down) so the usual window units weren't an option.
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Just don't get a portable unit. They suck and are just a waste of money most of the times.
These are portables if you're unfamiliar.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Just don’t get a portable unit. They suck and are just a waste of money most of the times.
Get a dual-hose unit if you get one. There are a lot of companies selling single-hose units. Those are a lot less efficient and aren't much cheaper. I would guess that in a situation where they get any kind of meaningful use, a dual-hose unit pays for itself quickly.
I don't think I'd agree that they suck, but if you can use a window unit --- not all rooms and windows are amenable to this --- you normally want a window unit instead of a portable unit, unless you must take down the AC unit on a regular basis. Less noise inside, more energy efficiency.
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We have to buy a window unit for our house. We have Central AC but it's not keeping up and we can't afford to upsize it right now. So until then I'm researching which window units to buy. Any advice or anything to cut through all the marketing spam and AI copy that I have to wade thru?
If you install a window unit, your window will obviously be open and there will be a gap between the two panels of your window in which air can pass through. I got these little rubber flappy gasket things with adhesive strips that cover the gap and visually kinda blend in and aren't noticeable. If you search for "door draft stopper" or "window gasket" you should be able to find it.
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Other comments seem to have covered the advice around checking insulation and system charge, so I'll say that if you need to get a window unit make sure it's an inverter unit; they're typically advertised as ultra-quiet. The reason you want an inverter air conditioner is purely the efficient gains you get over a traditional on/off compressor; they use around half the electricity in some cases for the same cooling.
All of the U-shaped units from various brands use inverter tech, but they might be hard to find because a lot of them are rebranded Mideas. LG's ThinQ "dual-inverter" units are also very good, I have one that's served me well for a couple years and it's very quiet. You can barely hear the compressor start up at all aside from a faint electrical whine for a few seconds and the sound of refrigerant moving through the system. The fan moving the air is the loudest part by far (and it's not bad).
All of that said, consider replacing your central ducted unit with a multi-head mini-split system in the long run. For residential use they're typically the most efficient you can get, and you have the bonus of being able to control room temperatures individually. A mini-split system uses inverter tech too just like the good window units. In fact, the U-shaped window units are just miniaturized mini-split systems in a rigid housing.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]All of that said, consider replacing your central ducted unit with a multi-head mini-split system in the long run.
Mini splits don't provide ventilation, whereas ducted systems do. In general, if one can have a ducted system, I'd rather have that. The major problem with ducted systems is that ductwork takes up a lot of space, so it's hard to stick into an existing house; much less of an issue if you can build it in during construction. A mini split is less invasive to an existing structure.
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Call a service tech to look at your central.
If it’s not keeping up then it might be cheaper to fix the issues with it over buying a window unit and paying the electricity to run it.Central Units are typically much more powerful and therefore need to run less, and if it’s something simple like it need to have the condenser cleaned out or the refrigerant recharged the cost to just get it done is much less than the cost of window units plus electricity plus your time to install and remove them
This isn't actually necessarily true if you just need specific cooling.
If for instance, you just care about cooling your bedroom for sleeping, then it can be more efficient to install a window unit in just that room and let the rest of your house be warmer. A mini-split would be more efficient than a window unit for that role, but they're also a lot more expensive and permanent.
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Just don't get a portable unit. They suck and are just a waste of money most of the times.
These are portables if you're unfamiliar.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]While the dual hose ones are better, I agree that these all kind of suck because you have the compressor inside and it's always the loudest part of an AC.
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Even renting a house it’s in my lease I can’t use a window unit. Which sucks because our swamp cooler outputs into the living room in a way that makes it very difficult to get its air into the second bedroom.
Always depends where one lives, here in my case nobody complains about any noise so I just say fuck it we ball. friend of mine too has it even tho they don't want it, but nobody complains so we keep it
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Always depends where one lives, here in my case nobody complains about any noise so I just say fuck it we ball. friend of mine too has it even tho they don't want it, but nobody complains so we keep it
Long as the landlord isn’t regularly coming by the property for inspections then yeah fair
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We have to buy a window unit for our house. We have Central AC but it's not keeping up and we can't afford to upsize it right now. So until then I'm researching which window units to buy. Any advice or anything to cut through all the marketing spam and AI copy that I have to wade thru?
Look for a high SEER, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_energy_efficiency_ratio
Window AC can be much cheaper to operate than central even if the window unit is less efficient, since it's cooling just one room instead of the whole house.
Where I am, we've had some quite hot days (100 degrees but not much above that so far) and I haven't had to use the AC yet, because it's still pretty cool out at night and the house stays cool enough during the day. That might change if it starts getting hot at night.
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It seems the recall for the mold was essentially forgetting to put a drain for excessesive condensate.
I havnt gotten a response yet. Did you get a response from them? Sucks that unit is awesome. And quiet. I thought it was funny they didn't leave condensate tap to run a drain. I kinda assumed they figured out how to evaporate it in away like a refrigerator. They are made really well otherwise and have great user controls. Even the mounting bracket are next level.I don't have one of that type, so I haven't contacted them. I was thinking about getting a unit like that, but then found out why they weren't in stock anywhere.
I think the lack of drain was intentional so that the water wiuld splash up on the condenser coil. An AC unit generates a lot more water than a refrigerator though, so I think any design with a condensate basin below the condenser coil will have mold problems. The other issue is they didn't make the unit very serviceable, so opening it up to clean out mold sounds like a huge hassle. Draining the water away will mean the units won't be as efficient as originally designed, but mold can be a major health hazard.
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Well most of the world lives in apartments where only floor* units are an option so they do exactly what they should. Ofc it's less efficient if the hose is uninsulated. But that's fixed with 20bucks and some tape
While insulation helps, it's fundamentally less efficient because the heat sync is inside the building and insulation isn't foolproof. And often these units are made of plastic, so they leak more heat into the house from the chassis than you'd expect. Even the best hose is less efficient than a window unit where the entire heat sync is outside the building
So while $20 and some duct tape helps a great deal, it definitely won't be as efficient as a window unit
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We have to buy a window unit for our house. We have Central AC but it's not keeping up and we can't afford to upsize it right now. So until then I'm researching which window units to buy. Any advice or anything to cut through all the marketing spam and AI copy that I have to wade thru?
I read you're planning on upgrading your insulation and windows, and speaking from personal experience those two things make a huge difference. They're also somewhat expensive to do, so I'm guessing you're planning on doing these changes within a year.
In which case, you only need this window A/C for about 2-3 months. You might as well go with the cheapest one and save the money. Just make sure to get something to seal the door too so the cold air doesn't leak out.
Most window air conditioners come from like 4 factories anyhow. Only if you're planning on keeping it around for years do you want to look for something specific.
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I don't have one of that type, so I haven't contacted them. I was thinking about getting a unit like that, but then found out why they weren't in stock anywhere.
I think the lack of drain was intentional so that the water wiuld splash up on the condenser coil. An AC unit generates a lot more water than a refrigerator though, so I think any design with a condensate basin below the condenser coil will have mold problems. The other issue is they didn't make the unit very serviceable, so opening it up to clean out mold sounds like a huge hassle. Draining the water away will mean the units won't be as efficient as originally designed, but mold can be a major health hazard.
Yes of course a fridge does not condensate nearly as much as a room A/C coil. Curious where you found information that says they purposefully designed it to not drain off. And how splashing water onto a coil would make it more efficient? Also, though I havnt done any deep search, from experience most window units are a hassle to access the coil for deep cleaning other than from through the filter. The midea unit is actually decent in accessing the entire face of the coil and fins can be cleaned by removing filter and with no tools opening up the entire face of the indoor unit (this would basically only be covered in dust) much better than older units I've tried to work on.
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Yes of course a fridge does not condensate nearly as much as a room A/C coil. Curious where you found information that says they purposefully designed it to not drain off. And how splashing water onto a coil would make it more efficient? Also, though I havnt done any deep search, from experience most window units are a hassle to access the coil for deep cleaning other than from through the filter. The midea unit is actually decent in accessing the entire face of the coil and fins can be cleaned by removing filter and with no tools opening up the entire face of the indoor unit (this would basically only be covered in dust) much better than older units I've tried to work on.
I don't have information specific to midea, so there is some speculation, but I do have a ge unit which does outright say that the water condensate is slung across the condenser coil to boost efficiency. And yes, my ge unit got really nasty and I ended up drilling a hole in the base of the condensate pan to drain all the water.
https://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=16758
Heat pump efficiency is limited by the temperature delta across the compressor.
The larger the temperature delta, the less efficient a heat pump is. Evaporating water off the condenser coil drops the refrigerant temperature compared to air only and gives a small boost to efficiency. I don't think it's a big difference, but it's enough to be worthwhile doing if you can "get it for free." Unfortunately, a constantly cool and wet pool is a great breeding ground for mold and pathogens that you don't want airborne.As for cleaning ease, I based that off of comments (on reddit I think), recommending people push midea to pay for a technician to perform the fix because taking it apart for a thorough cleaning is a hassle. So I have no firsthand experience there and I'll defer to your judgement.
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While the dual hose ones are better, I agree that these all kind of suck because you have the compressor inside and it's always the loudest part of an AC.
The single-hosed ones literally suck...
...air out of the room. This inevitably leads to ingress of warm air from the outside through various crevices. But you know that already from this comment section. -
Even renting a house it’s in my lease I can’t use a window unit. Which sucks because our swamp cooler outputs into the living room in a way that makes it very difficult to get its air into the second bedroom.
What's their reasoning on no window units?
