Discussion
  • Read More
    0bsessionsThe Sweethome
    6/22/16 11:19am

    Did you guys come across any more affordable quiet models?

    I work from home for call center work, so I’m on the phone all day. My office is in the attic, which is partially finished but uninsulated. The room itself is very small (Maybe 10x8), but it gets super hot. I have an LG in the window currently, but it gets super loud sometimes, which makes work difficult sometimes.

    Reply
    • Read More
      testmebaby20bsessions
      6/22/16 1:38pm

      Insulation is relatively cheap and very easy to install. The only hard part would be redoing the drywall, but if you are even sort of handy it’s not a big deal. I’d insulate and buy an A/C if you are going to be working there and own the house. It’s a great investment that will help the entire house.

      Reply
    • Read More
      0bsessionstestmebaby2
      6/22/16 2:31pm

      We plan to, but it’s an “in due course” kind of thing.

      The portion my office is in is drywalled, while the rest is bead board. It’s an inexpensive, but time consuming project, especially because of the tight stairs (We can’t fit drywall panels up whole). We’ll have to tear down the bead board and about half of the drywall (The ceiling and about half of the drywalled room is exterior adjacent and would need insulating), take down the bead board, get someone in to insulate (If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it right and use foam, not roll insulation or anything else I could do myself), then re-drywall the entirety (Which would also entail cutting all of the panels first and essentially double the labor time since I’ll have twice as many joints to tape). All told, accounting for tax credits for the insulation (MA gets an insane tax break for it, the whole house was uninsulated when we moved in and getting it done was super cheap), it probably wouldn’t cost more than $2K and I’ve drywalled before. That said, realistically, it’ll probably be a project that would take a couple of weeks to complete which means either taking all of that time off of work (As I couldn’t realistically work in here during).

      It’ll get done eventually (Likely either this winter or next as it’s too hot in the summer to do), but I’ll need a temporary solution.

      Reply
  • Read More
    D. VegaThe Sweethome
    6/22/16 11:14am

    Through the wall unit review? That would be nice...

    Reply
    • Read More
      cybrczch1D. Vega
      6/22/16 5:36pm

      Coming soon, see my reply above to Matthew Urso

      edited to add which reply

      Reply
  • Read More
    thedanglerThe Sweethome
    6/23/16 8:28am

    If I read this, I’d want to run out and buy a few LG air conditioners right now. But...

    I’ve been shopping them for a few weeks now (waiting for 5% cash back to kick in for July), and the GE window units seem to have the best reviews:


    http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-6000-BTU-…

    That’s an example of the 6000 btu, but they go on up from there. It’s too bad you didn’t include any of these in the test.

    Reply
  • Read More
    BrdfThe Sweethome
    6/22/16 8:35pm

    Do you all measure the sound when the compressor turns on and off? We bought a “quiet” Sharp AC a few years ago that was quite quiet while running, but the compressor turned on and off with a loud CLICK that made it impossible for sleeping. I’ve since gone through lots of other window units, and for sleep, the sound it makes turning on and off is at least as important as the relatively white noise it makes while running. I wish more reviews would discuss this aspect, even just subjectively; it was very annoying to have wasted $300 on the Sharp only to discover its “perfectly normal” click.

    Reply
  • Read More
    PredDThe Sweethome
    6/22/16 1:14pm

    Oft times a bedroom will have but a single window for egress. When a window AC is installed securely, it may be difficult to jettison in an emergency situation.

    Reply
  • Read More
    Foxfire15The Sweethome
    6/22/16 1:27pm

    Always weird to me that houses don’t have central air as a standard, and then I remember that people live in places where it doesn’t hit 120F in the summer...

    Reply
    • Read More
      trishwah042Foxfire15
      6/23/16 8:10am

      Some of us also live in places where there are lots of pre-WWII houses that don’t have duct work.

      Reply
    • Read More
      Foxfire15trishwah042
      6/23/16 9:15am

      Yup. Nothing wrong with that. I don’t think I could live in one of those houses though.

      Reply
  • Read More
    BlumperThe Sweethome
    6/22/16 6:41pm

    I have french doors onto a balcony in my bedroom and can’t figure out how to get a seal around the door for the portable AC exhaust. Anyone got any ideas? Or am I going to have to cut a hole in the drywall?

    Reply
  • Read More
    mewhoiamThe Sweethome
    6/22/16 11:13am

    ha! i already have the LG in my livingroom, so...finally, gizmodo catched up to me (and not the other way around)

    Reply
  • Read More
    aniruddhThe Sweethome
    6/25/16 1:22am

    Windows AC? Why don’t use Split AC which is compact and looks very beautiful too and no noice.

    Reply
  • Read More
    mcdjThe Sweethome
    6/22/16 11:42am

    Friedrich Kuhl FTW

    Reply