Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program First, I should mention that I own two other very similar units; this is a slight step down from one and a step up from another. Living in Florida, we are prone to hurricanes and extended power outages. A few years ago, we had 3 storms blow through in 4 weeks and went 10 days without power. It was hot, humid and oh so very uncomfortable. I decided to purchase a small Frigidaire window AC that could easily run on a generator to at least help get some sleep at night. It worked so well we purchased a second unit (larger) to place in the bedroom at night in order to keep the room at my comfortable 64 without having to use the central AC for the entire house. We live in an area of extremely high electric bills...some of the highest in the nation...so cooling only one room versus the entire house paid for itself almost immediately. I was hooked! Our current one, very similar to this model, has now been in use daily for at least 6 hours each evening for several years and performs admirably.
This model is almost exactly the same as the one we currently own except it is not energy star rated and actually seems a bit more powerful despite the fact it's rated at 10,000 BTU. Installation is very easy; you will want to add something to the typical side panels which are as flimsy as ever. The remote is a very nice addition and item we use constantly. The ability to set the temperature, time etc is great. The new sleep feature is a GREAT addition as it continues to lower the temperature allowing for comfort while waking and sleeping. For those of you who tend to wake up at 3 am...try reducing the temperature at 2 am...researchers have found this to be a natural way of combating many sleep problems associated with hormones and sleep cycles.
This unit does a great job cooling down a single room (advertises 500 square ft) even in the hot humidity of Florida. It's a bit loud you will want to place it outside of the talking zone and away from the television etc..having said that, although a bit on the loud side, it's a constant sound and not annoying. No rattles or hissing...just a steady but loud hum.
One problem with this current model is the packaging; everything is boxed and protected EXCEPT the front panel! Ours arrived damaged; since this was a Vine product we did not return it but it should be noted, packaging makes no sense whatsoever. The front panel is flimsy and prone to damage especially without adequate protection which this lacks. Since the front panel is so visible, this is a major flaw and one likely to result in substantial returns despite the fact that the unit works great...it will just look awful. Why this oversight is beyond me; everything else in the box including the power cord was protected, wrapped and looked able to withstand nearly anything. Very odd.
Aside from the packing problem, these are little work horse units that can save a substantial sum of money over cooling an entire house especially in high heat areas like Florida. This has a cool or fan feature and will definitely keep a set temperature. I like to set it at 64 and it tends to fluctuate a couple degrees as the condenser kicks in and goes up/down but otherwise, does the job. Has an easy to clean filter, nice little remote control, easy installation which you will want to enhance for both safety and security but otherwise, plan on an hour to take out of the box and have running.
So, positives: great price, cools well, nice remote, easy installation, digital read-out, thermostat, presets, versatile and saves money on the electric bill. Also fantastic solution for back-up to whole house AC during storms, outages, other events.
Negatives: packing is problematic! Protects everything other than the fragile front panel which is likely to arrive damaged as ours did. A bit on the loud side. This is not rated an energy efficient model but seems to cool even faster/better than similar sized older model from same company.
Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I haven't had a lot of use for this as summer cooled off and Fall came quickly. But there were a few scorching hot days and this came in handy.
This was easy to install, the wings attach and slide nicely. This isn't my first a/c with remote control function but I never stop appreciating it. This one has all the features on the remote. This unit has a sleep setting, an automatic setting to set the right fan speed to the temperature changes. This makes it more energy efficient. Some complain that it is loud but I don't notice a difference between any other air conditioners. We'll see how it holds up next summer as I'm sure that will be hotter then this one.
Best Deals for Frigidaire FRA103CW1 10,000 BTU 115-Volt Window-Mounted Compact Air
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program In general most air conditioners cool well unless there is a mechanical problem. A unit of this cooling BTU's can cost anywhere from $150.0 to a little over 300.00. What males the difference are features. remote controls, mountings etc. Some units can be mounted with in slide in cases etc. This unit is somewhere in the middle. A very nice set features, consistent temperature regulation and most important to me low interior noise. It is not the most quiet but nicely quiet. It is well made and offers good value for the money spent.
Honest reviews on Frigidaire FRA103CW1 10,000 BTU 115-Volt Window-Mounted Compact Air
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I live in an old house without central air and depend on window units for any air conditioning. Moreover, I sleep upstairs, the hottest part of the house. This unit is doing a great job! I've never used an air conditioner with a sleep function before, meaning I've often awakened in the night bathed in sweat or shivering under the covers, depending on whether I guessed too high or too low when I set the A/C for the night. In addition to the sleep function, this one operates with a thermostat, which makes it much easier than trying to guess what combination of fan speed and cooling effort will do the best job. The remote control is the final piece of the puzzle, since if I am uncomfortable, I can tweak the settings without getting up.
I also like the vent function. The fan setting on many air conditioners only recirculates room air, rather than drawing in fresh air from outside. If the nighttime temperature cooperates, all the cooling I need is a box fan exhausting hot air in one window and something bringing in cool air in another.
I had no problem with the packaging and appreciated that it was designed in a way that allowed me to lift the box off the air conditioner, instead of having to wrestle it up out of the box. It came out of the box in perfect shape. One touch I really liked was that it included not only side panels and compressible foam strips in the installation kit, but also adhesive weather stripping.
It's a little loud (especially on high) if you're planning to use it in your bedroom. I've never had an air conditioner I actually considered quiet, though, and this one isn't worse than others I've used. The vent controls seem to be a little biased toward the left, which is okay where my bed is located but is something you may want to take into account when considering your setup.
I really don't know how the weight compares to others of this size, but I do know I have a Westinghouse 8000 BTU downstairs that stays down there because it weighs way too much for me to wrestle it upstairs, so for me, this one compares favorably. I'm glad I could get it up there; I'm really enjoying having it.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Frigidaire FRA103CW1 10,000 BTU 115-Volt Window-Mounted Compact Air
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program In this day and age window air units are a dime a dozen. I think most people look at three things when shopping for one; the brand name, the BTU and the energy saving, possibly in that order. With Frigidaire's FRA103CW1 you more or less get two out of three and that's not bad.
Branding is known it's a Frigidaire and I had no worries that the unit would work as advertised and be easy to set up and use. The full function remote is a sweet, sweet addition and honestly if you think you'd never use it then I politely beg to differ. Being able to fine-tune the temperature at the press of a button from 20 feet away, as opposed to just letting it 'do its thing' might be the difference in a fair amount of savings in the long run. I use the remote a lot usually when things are getting just a little too cold and I think you will too. Aesthetically its a box no trimmings here to potentially disguise what it is but that's okay. The read out is bright and fan adjustments with variable speed is a nice addition. The built in dehumidifier is also welcome.
The BTU as you can see, is 10K and that's a chunk of change and will very quickly cool a small room and even an entire open-plan floor of a house or apartment. This unit is super cooling albeit a tad noisy (although no where near the noisiest window unit I've owned). So there's no issues with the BTU figure and for the price I'm impressed.
So that leaves energy saving and ultimately how much you'll pay to run it. Well this unit runs at 9.4 amps and that's on the high side. If you have anything else on the same circuit, especially a fridge, toaster or microwave then you may see some brown outs. Make sure you run it on a fairly unused line if possibly. The amperage draw will cost you more, the price of which is dictated by your Kh/W per hour costs currently around 12-20 cents although your number may be wildly different. I advise you to check into the costs to run this unit versus say the FRA106CV1 and see if paying the extra cash for a more energy efficient unit is worth it in the long run. Don't get me wrong, this is still well within normal amounts but this is just a reminder that there are alternates out there, even from Figidaire itself.
As a final note, this item is usually delivered in its retail packaging. Something to keep in mind if it's going to sit on your doorstep or porch all day. It's not incredibly heavy though so if you're out of town perhaps a neighbor can bring it in.
So, easy to install, looks okay, priced right and super cooling. Can't ask for too much more. Recommended.
