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I spent quite a bit of time researching A/C before purchasing. We live in Oregon and it doesn't get too hot but there's a month or two in the summer where the heat and humidity get oppressive in the house. I wanted an inexpensive, small, window A/C to increase the comfort. I wanted something small enough that I can store it the other 10 months.
So, after much research I ordered this model. I was going to get the 6K BTU model with the electronic controls but I figured I would get something super cheap and if it didn't work I could use it as a single room cooler. Shipped free which makes this a pretty good deal. Arrived in about a week.
Installation was easy, following the instructions in the manual. I did have to install and remove the A/C about 3 times to get all the sealing right. In the box there's a lot of different thicknesses of foam and foam tape. There is no specific instructions about what to do with this, except the stuff for the top gap of the upper sash. So, I experimented with various combos to get a good seal. We have recent vinyl windows with screens but no storms so the unit basically dropped right in. However, there are some gaps around the bottom in this configuration. I stuffed these with the thickest foam that came with the unit. This did the trick but didn't look too great. Luckly I ordered extra foam tape as another reviewer recommended, and I used small pieces of that to caulk around it inside and outside, leaving the big foam inside. It actually looks pretty neat and professional. $4 well spent ;)
Anyway, the unit is installed in our main living room. We are in a 1940's box bungalow so this room is about half of the width and length of the house. The bedrooms and kitchen connect to it. With it on HI cool/Max(7) the entire house has been very cold and huge amounts of water have been pulled out. We will see how it performs in the upcoming week of 95+ temps. We keep a few $10 box fans around to circulate air so I can move the cold air around.
One thing is that I have heard mentioned on a few other models is that the fan catches water in the pan and spits it around. This is a feature and not a bug ;). The unit is designed to pitch backward slightly when properly mounted. Moisture removed from the room collects at the bottom. The fan blade is coated in rubber and it's designed to suck water up and spray it on the evaporator coils. This facilitates some precooling of the outside air. It drastically increases efficiency. I would not drill drain holes, as other people have mentioned.
Summary:
$100, and my house is cold AND quiet. You can't say much more. If it's not enough for the hottest day I might get one more and move them to the bedrooms. It's very quiet on low but I like white noise.. I hope it lasts, even if it doesn't I'd gladly pay another $100 in 2 years.
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I got it hoping it would keep my apartment cool-ER. I expected it to keep it comfortable, not cold. I also had a bit of a problem with size. The only window that opens in my house is a vertical sliding window, which Air Conditioners I can afford, aren't made for.Once I received it, I started to assemble and install. Originally I was going to leave the extensions off, since my window was only 18 inches wide, but after I got it and thought about it more, I realized they could still help keep it supported. So I put them on. They are about an inch inside the window, to help it from falling out. Also, I originally hoped to buy some wood and put that above it, but once I saw how sturdy it was with just the extensions, I put cardboard above it and plastic taped around the edges with duct tape. Very red neck, I know. It's sealed with the help of some other bits that came with it to help seal it.
I installed it a little over 12 hours ago and my home is cold. I live in a house above a garage. Just a large living room, average bathroom and small bedroom. It's 621 SQ Feet.(assuming I did the math correctly. 23 x 27 feet.) This is total, but there are 3 separate rooms here. (Also, I have a low ceiling, only 6.5 Feet.) I placed it in my only opening window in the living room and it keeps the bathroom cold which is closest, and my bedroom pretty cold too, which is farthest. A lot larger than advertised for. I didn't care, I needed a little cooler than I had. Before, it was hotter inside than it was outside. I have it on high, but will consider turning it down, which I never thought I would do. I like the cold. It's THAT cold.
For $110, I got an amazing air conditioner that perform WAY better than expected/advertised and it got here exceptionally fast too. It arrived 4 days after I ordered it with standard shipping and handling. I am a very happy costumer.
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I have run this all summer, purchasing it about five months ago.It has been a relatively mild summer with only 12 days over 100 degrees.
Pros -
Easy to Install
Excellent Size for Small Windows
Fairly Quite to run (would not bother me if I slept in my office)
Keeps my office 11x14 frigidly cold when set on max (temp 7 of 7)
..(takes about 8 hours to cool down a hot room with the door closed)
..(I keep it on 5 out of 7 on the temp gauge, that even gets a little cold at times)
Cons -
The Directional Air Flow vents are poor
Not much difference between the High Cold/Fan settings and Low Cool/Fan settings
When rain blows against the unit the accordion extensions collect a little water along the bottom
I am considering getting two or three more for my house next summer.
I had one of my Frigidaire window units at the house die this year, it was twelve years old.
**UPDATE**
September 22, 2011
One year later to the date. No this was not planned. This little unit lasted through another summer, and this one was not so mild. I lost count of the days over 100 degrees. I did not buy any more for my house, as I moved into a new home with central air. This unit does however continue to cool my office as it was purchased for.
It was stored all winter in the utility closet off my office (i.e. indoors, warm, and dry). It was washed down with a power washer before being re-installed in the window this year.
Pros -
Excellent Size for Small Windows (I am still amazed I found a unit that fit)
Fairly Quite to run (I don't notice it running anymore, and no customers have complained)
It can still freeze me and my customers out when set on max temp (7)
..(I timed it again and it still takes about 8 hours to cool down a 11x14 hot room)
Cons -
The Directional Airflow vents are very poor (they are basically useless)
Still not much difference between the High and Low settings
..(I fixed the rain issue above by using plexiglass this year)
Rust has started to form on the outside grill and corners where the condensation drops
For those of you wondering, the reduced star is because of the directional airflow issues. Another review mentioned the styrofoam can be seen, and was probably used to fill the gaps. This is true but after two years it still seems to be in good shape. It also appears to be fairly thick. Some other items I tested this year...
Room size 11x14 (left on this setting for 24 hours before temperature was measured)
Average outside temperature during this week of tests was 98 degrees.
Setting Cool/High 7 brought the room to 58 degrees, outside temperature 98
Setting Cool/High 5 brought the room to 63 degrees, outside temperature 96
Setting Cool/High 3 brought the room to 74 degrees, outside temperature 100
Setting Cool/High 1 brought the room to 89 degrees, outside temperature 99
All temperatures were read at 4pm.
**Please note this was my unit's performance. Yours may differ.
Yesterday it was put back in storage until next year. I considered getting a sound level meter or loudness level meter to measure the actual noise my unit puts out, but I have not got around to that yet. Maybe next year.
Honest reviews on Frigidaire FRA052XT7 5,000-BTU Mini Window Air Conditioner
Frigidaire's warranty is a lie. They won't service a defective unit.The manual says the product has a one year parts and labor Warranty and a five year compressor warranty. Mine went bad after 10 days. It took 5 phone calls and three hours on the phone with Frigidaire to be told that they do not service Air Conditioner units of 5000 BTU or less. Their ONLY solution is to return the item to Amazon or to where ever it was purchased. I relied upon their Frigidaire's written warranty and disposed of the box, thinking that if anything went wrong they'd come out and fix it. Fortunately Amazon will send a replacement unit and I'll use that box to return the defective one. However that solution won't work if the unit goes bad after six months. Then you'll be stuck with a company that won't honor its' written warranty.
Don't Buy This Frigidaire Air Conditioner.
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I live in a basement apartment and struggled to find an AC for my tiny windows the opening is only 16.5 inches wide and 18 inches tall. No window air conditioner would fit that space. I had an 8,000 BTU portable A/C but that thing was just very inefficient drawing in hot air from the outside as most portable units do because they constantly exhaust hot air and new air has to come from somewhere. Long story short, I stumbled upon this little unit and found out it was only 16 inches wide (sans the side panels). It fit my tiny window perfectly. Most importantly, it also does not protrude very far to the outside, and important consideration when people walk past your window.Mounting this unit was easy. It is so light that you don't have to struggle with it like most air conditioners. You should not get a hernia lugging this unit. It also puts very little strain on the window frame and does not need any additional brackets. To my surprise, the unit also came with tons of mounting hardware including insulation often not included with other units. There was even a piece of foam to put in between the two window panes to insulate the gap in between two open windows. Nice.
I noticed a lot of people out here mount the unit in an angled position. You do not have to go out of your way to do that. If you mount it right, it angles slightly to the outside by itself. The reason for this is so that the water that accumulates in the unit flows outside and not inside. You don't have to tilt the unit outward as much as many of the pictures on here show.
What the unit lacks in size it does not lack in output. At 5,000 BTU, I was not expecting much, but this unit outperformed the 8,000 BTU portable unit easily, drawing 1/3 less electricity. It cools the entire 400sqft apartment with the help of a fan. (a well-insulated apartment, don't expect it to cool 450sqft in a poorly insulated or sun-exposed building) It is one of the quieter units out there, producing a constant hum rather than sounding like a freight train like some units. The most noise comes from the fan. The compressor is barely noticeable. It is a no frills unit with manual controls but they work pretty well. It maintains the room temperature better than many electronic units. Set to level 6, it cools the room to a comfortable 73 degrees, level 7 cools to about 69 degrees. it cycles on and off nicely and quietly. Finally, the build quality seems rather good nothing rattles or vibrates.
Overall, this is probably the best little AC out there you can get. If space is a problem and you were considering a wasteful portable unit, give this little guy a try.
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