Cheap Holmes HCH4062B-UM Small Ceramic Heater with Manual Control

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List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $29.99
Today's Bonus: 40% Off

I could be jinxing myself by writing this review, but this is the first space heater I've owned that hasn't flaked out on me after a few months I've had this one for about two years and I use it virtually every weekday at work since my office is like a meat locker. It's small, puts out a good amount of heat and it's fairly quiet though just loud enough that I think of it as doubling as a white noise machine, which for my work setting is very useful. It has a thermostat and two heat settings (though frankly I can't feel the difference between them so I just keep it on "1"). Probably not good for use around children/pets; aside from the obvious dangers, this unit is also very small and lightweight and could be easily tipped over.

Update 10/18/13: 1 year later and it's still functional after almost daily use! Upgraded from 4 stars to 5. :D

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As another reveiwer noted, this is not a safety heater. If you have small children or pets, you will want larger sized heater that is designed to not get too hot to the touch. This is very powerful heater, and due to its small compact size the heat is concentrated all in one small area, which understandably gets very hot. I like this heater a lot, and I previously purchased 3 of them. The controls are straighforward and functional, the size is small, and it looks sharp. Unfortunately one of the 3 stopped working after 1.5 years, thus my 4 star rating instead of 5.

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Excellent space heater! Used in 1-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles for cool desert nights in fall/spring and cool days and nights in winter. Never even lit the pilot light for the wall-mounted heater in the apartment. Moved to NJ and use the heater in my office at work. Bought a second one for the 2-bedroom apartment. Great for bedrooms and even medium-sized living rooms.

Honest reviews on Holmes HCH4062B-UM Small Ceramic Heater with Manual Control

This heater is perfect for my office, which is always ridiculously cold. It's fairly quiet and does a nice job keeping me warm all day. My only complaint is that it smelled sort of funny for awhile when I first got it, but that's mostly gone away now, and I think that's common among space heaters.

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I was without furnace heat for a week and my neighbors loaned me two Holmes Dual Ceramic heaters to use and they were wonderful. When I searched for these, I found that they were no longer made and that the company was now selling these. They are cheap looking and not at all what I expected after having used their previously sold dual heaters. I have run it for several hours and the intense smell of chemicals is still present. I've had many a headache from this heater even though I have opened the windows and run the air purifier. I'm throwing it away. It is without a doubt, the most useless thing I have ever bought on Amazon.

Cheap SPT Portable Air Conditioner with Heater, 12,000 BTUs, WA-1220H

Customer Ratings:

I noticed that all portable air conditioner reviews give either 4 or 5 stars or 1 or two stars. The difference seemed to be that the one or two star people did something major that caused the problem, and you could tell what it was, just by reading the complaint. (return a unit that is leaking when you open the carton, stand it up and wait two hours before trytin to turn it on, so that the freon is not flodding the pump (it will break), etc.

I am a chemical engineer, and have worked with both the theory and practical aspects of AC.so let me give you a brief rundown of how to ick te best unit for you, and how to get the best performsnce afterward:

1. Picking a unit: (use the sortable list on to compare different models)

a. There are two main types: 3-in-1 and 4-in-1.

3-in-1 modes are Fan, AC and Dehumidifier. The dehumidifier mode uses the AC to cool the air until the water comes out, then puts the hot ir it sends outside when working as an AC unit back into the room instead of sending it outside.

4-in-1 adds a heater. Cheap designs use an electric heater coil placed in front of the fan. (Ok if you only want a little heat, now and then, or if you want heat when it is colder than 41 degrees outside. (buy this in Maine.)

More expensive 4-in-1 units do not use an electric heater, but act like a "heat pump"that is, they work like good home units popular south of the mason dixon line (wiki it, kids). More about this when we get to my FAQs on mode 4.

Mode 1 FAQ

While buying an AC just for the fan is not smart, don't underestmate the fan only control. Moving air over you can add 5 to 6 degrees to the temprature you feel is comfortable. If it is only 76 or 77 degrees out, try just sing the fan, and pointing it at you. It will usually o the job unless the humidity is extremely high.

Mode 2 FAQ:

AC size is measure in BTU but typically you need 6000 BTU for a room that is 200 sq ft (eg, it is 20x10 or 14x15).

This is if the room is well insulated, the sunlight does not stream in, and the AC is left on so you don't need a quick cool-down. people by an 8000BTU unit and expect it to cool the hot, hunid 350 sq fot bedroom in 1/2 hour. The web site I recommended has tips on correct sizing. One tip I will add is that the exhaust hose is 15 inches fully collapsed. The more you extend it nd make it go around bends, the poorer it will work. Lots of sharp bends and fully extending the hose will "derate" the effective size (and efficnecy) by possibly as much as 20%. When in doubt, buy biggerbut too big a unit will make a gale when the fan is on, and will cycle on and off way to often.

Mode 4. (yeah, its out of order, but this is for a good reaon).

Heat pumps reverse some valves in the AC unit, and suddenly, the pipe going outside gives off cold air, and the indoor part puts out hot air, This is roughly twice as energy efficient as the cheaper heating coil, but stops working around 40 degrees of outdoor temperature.

Mode 3 FAQ: Dehumidification only, and, oh yeah, an AC does dehumidification while it cools-

Actually , the AC dehumidifies too. If the basement is too damp, you can use a portable unit to warm it up a little and dry it out a lot. Then, if it gets too warm, switch to AC and cool it and dry it. For htat matter, just sit a windo unit on a chair, and let it blow back into the room instead of out a window, and use it as a dehumidifier.

In coastal regions, and near rivers and lakes, the air is very humid. Dehumidifiers must cool the air as much as an AC to get rid of the water, (and use as much energy as an AC does), but they dump the hot air back into the room instead of pushing it outside. unless you have a cool damp basement problem, the Dehumidifier only mode is not the answer.

But what happens to the water from the dehumidifier action? An AC may use more energy removing the water than cooling the air. (this is why it tale so long to cool a hot, humid room the first time, but if it is keep closed, so that the next day it is only hot, it will not take nearly as long to cool it down again.) A room sized machine will typically remove 10 gallons (40 pints) or more a day. The water runs to the bottom of the unit. Window units drain the water that collects in the bottom of the unit out the window. A portable AC has to collect it. Typical collection resevoirs hold less than 4 pints, at which time a float switch stops the cooling and leaves only the fan (so you think it doesn't cool after just a few hours use if you just plug it in and let it run.) You can attach a hose and drain continuously (use a hose clamp if you do), or else empty the tiny resivoir each time the AC stops cooling. The trouble with using a hose is that the hose is not very high off the floor, and the resevoir will simply overflow if you don't notice it is full.

Here is my solution. Elevate the machine a few inches by standing it on a set of bed leg height adjusters (>$10 at a hardware store), then, attach the hose, and fashion a hook to hang the end of the free end of the hose up on the machine. I straightened a large paper clip and tied it around the hose near the free end, and bent the end of the paper clip so that it hooked into a convenient spot high enough up on the machine to know the hose would not overflow before the float inside the machine shut off the AC. Since the hose is transparent, I can see how full the resevior is, and, without shutting off the AC, unhook the hose and drain it into a 1 gal plastic jug that sits on the floor and has a hole in the side near the top. Hang the hose back up on its hook, and use the water on your plants or in your iron. (it is actually rain water that you made yourself).

The reason, by the way, they can remove 40 or more pints a day, and only have a resevoir 1/10th the size, is that they blow most of the water they collect onto the condensor coils (the ones that put hot air back outside). This water helps cool the coils and makes the AC run more efficientlyand you don't have to dump it. (They do this to help get back the energy required to remove it from the air that is going into your room.)

About 90% of the water collected will be used this way. This means that if you have no humidity, your energy bill will be about the same, since you don't take it out, and don't put it back. However, if you do live in low humidity, maybe you should be buying a much cheaper evaporative cooler, that cools you by spraying water into the air.

If I can go back to mode 4 (heater, again, It also means that the manufacturer of units with a heat pump mean it when they say that when you use a unit to heat with, set up a continuous drain. Spraying the water on the normally hot (now cold) side will form ice, and freeze up the unit, causing it to fail to operate, and possible damage to the compressor.

For the advanced student, who wants to continuously drain the unit in the summer, Just remember that you are eliminating one of the big energy reducing featurethe re-use of the water to spray cool the hot condensor coils. My hose trick can be modified by putting a tee connector in the hose above the drain outlet of the unit, but below the height that causes the compressor to shut offconnect an overflow hose, and any water that is needed for the cooling of the coils will be available, but the exces will be available to safely drain away. hopefully, you are now hagh enough to draininto a 5 gallon plastic gas can, or something, but you have to know what you will do with all that water. They sell plug in drain pumps that can be used to keep your overflow can emptied out, and that can pump the water through a small plastic tube wherever you want it.

Have a whole house AC and don't need more? read this:

My house is in Floridatypical daytime temp of 94, with 65% or more humidity, and while night time temps go down to 70 by about 3 AM, the humidity goes up. No one lived in Florida by choice until the invention of AC. My reason for buying the portable units was to create a "zone" in my bedroom at night, (set the Hose AC at 80), and also to have small unit that I could put in my TV room in the cold months to use between 7 and 11 in the evening when we like to watch tV (let the whole house cool, and sleep under blankets in the now cool bedroom when we go to bed.)

For this reason, I got a 4-in-1, and because I live below the mason dixon line, I got a heat pump version.

I hope this review prevents you from experiencing any of the reasons why so many people had bad experiences with the same products others found to work well.

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I live in Pittsburgh and we do get some heat here in the summer. Small apartment in a 60 year solidly built building. I have been running this machine during the day for over 2 weeks now and I love it. I am not a big fan of really cold air-conditioning and so far this unit does not make my place a freezer, but makes it extremely comfortable considering the shape of my apartment, i am cooling about 630 sq ft with bedroom and bathroom doors closed. So it is a little over its recommended cooling area, but for my needs, it is more than great.

Now, one thing about draining the water out of the unit.....I haven't. Was delivered on July 6th and as I said above, it has been on all day since then. I hardly run it at night as once my place is in my comfort zone, it stays that way all night. I have not had to empty any water and it has been humid here. I am almost frightened to say anything about that in front of it so I don't jinx myself.

I did buy the Square Deal warranty for this for three years so that if it does break down, I am covered. Anyone who does not shell out the money for that at the reduced rate you get from Amazon is being quite foolish with their money. Way cheaper that what you would get at Best Buy or Sears by more than 50%.

In the winter, I plan on rolling it into my bedroom to heat that area. We still have radiator steam heat here and during temperature transitional days, temp goes up then down real fast, the heat does not catch up for about 24 hours. This will make that room much cozier.

Pioneer Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner, Heat Pump, 12000 BTU Reviews

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List Price: $750.00
Sale Price: $668.08
Today's Bonus: 11% Off

Just like other reviewers, I'm very happy with this unit and the cost performance (including operating cost) is great! Here are few things to try to help people who are considering buying this great unit.

1. In order to install this unit properly, a vacuum pump, a vacuum gauge and a valve between the pump and the gauge, a hose to connect the vacuum pump and the service port on the low side (larger pipe side) are needed to get rid of air and more important moisture out of high and low side copper pipes and the evaporator inside of the indoor unit before opening the 2 valves at the outdoor unit. There is a way to install it without using a vacuum pump but small amount of refrigerant will be lost into atmosphere. (The refrigerant R410a is supposed to be ozone layer safe.)

2. The low side's service port's fitting size is 5/16, it is not 3/8 nor 1/4. Many AC gauge kit comes only with 1/4 fittings), when buying AC gauge kit, make sure it supports R410a (R410a pressure is much higher than R22, R134a) , a 5/16 female to 1/4 male adapter was needed for me to finish the installation.

3. All cables and copper pipes (3/8 OD and 1/4 OD) that come with the unit are only 13ft(4m) long. If the distance between the indoor unit and the outdoor are longer than 13ft, more cables and copper tubes will be required.

4. Follow the simple instruction in the small installation manual. FYI: This was my first air condition unit installation ever, All the info on the internet definitely helped, but it's not complicated but please make sure to really tighten the high side fitting very tight, the R410a pressure is very high, vacuum leak check was useful to check any leaks around the fittings, i.e. if vacuum doesn't hold after turning off the vacuum pump and close the vacuum pump side valve, there is a leak.

5. When operating at full power(the compressor on and indoor unit fan at high setting), Kill A Watt is showing less than 960W (110VAC input)! The air coming out of the indoor unit duct is very cold, and the fan in the indoor unit is very quiet even at high setting. Outdoor unit large cooling fan is also quiet.

Although I just finished installation, I recommend this unit to anyone, I only hope it'll last long.

I hope this info helps.

p.s. I am planning to power this efficient AC unit by using solar panels, LiFePO4 batteries and DC-AC inverter, no grid power. Zero electricity bill for air conditioning sounds kind of cool :)

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Easy to install and use, very quiet while running. Keeps my bedroom nice and cool without running my central air.

Best Deals for Pioneer Ductless Mini Split Air Conditioner, Heat Pump, 12000 BTU

I installed it myself in 5 hrs. It looks really good even the outdoor unit. Great for the DIY guy.

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Quiet inside and out, no need for cluttering up windows or removing it for the winter. Cools beautifully, and large enough to cool the entire upstairs. No worries about dusty or moldy duct work.

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So Far,this Pioneer Ductless Mini-Split is a pleasant surprise. Very affordable and easy to buy (Ours shipped from Florida). Cost us $100 to have it installed by our HVAC guy..Cools our new 400 sq. ft. guest house with ease using no more power than a hair dryer. I would buy it again!

Best MicroLux ML1500D 1500 Watt Rolling Flames Heater with Air Purifier Deals

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List Price: $229.99
Sale Price: Price Unavailable
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

I Purchased this unit to warm up my office and had it in 2 days. After taking it out of the box and setting it up I tried to power it on and nothing happened. Called Microlux Support and they walked me through some troubleshooting and had it on within 5 minutes. The glow from the logs is actually better than I expected and gives off a decent light. The Heater function works well and really gets an area warm quick. The purifying function is what had me concerned at first but it actually continues to run when the desired temperature has been reached with the heater when the heat cycles off. Thanks Microlux Customer Service!

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Discount Uniflame F-7703 5-Piece 304 Stainless Steel Toolset with Twist

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List Price: $229.95
Sale Price: $158.81
Today's Bonus: 31% Off

After doing some research on sets like this one, I was under the impression that this particular product would hold up best in outdoor conditions. It had rust forming on it within a week of being outside (under "normal" weather conditions). I have had this for a while now (more than a year) and It is now completely rusted. I still use it however, even though it doesn't look like stainless steel anymore. One twisted handle does now have a break in it (I don't know exactly when that happened) It wasn't from use, it just snapped. Again, it is sturdy enough that I still use it, but don't expect it to retain the nice stainless steel look it has when new. That look will not last long outside!

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Uniflame F-7703 5-Piece 304 Stainless Steel Toolset with Twist Handles

Love it! Looks perfect! Priced reasonable!

Would recommend to buy!

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This set is sturdy and compliments my fire place doors and andirons and does not rust.I am very pleased with the quality and over all appearance.

Discount Port-A-Cool PAC2K24HPVS 24-Inch Portable Evaporative Cooling Unit

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This is my second Port-A-Cool product and I was really looking forward to purchasing an American product to help cool my Auto Shop in Phoenix, AZ. The unit was not properly cleaned between manufacturing and final assembly. There was so much plastic debris in the water container area that the pump picked it up and proceded to clog the fill hoses on the inside. The increased pressure of the pump working blew the pump seal. All within the first week of ownership. Very disappointed. Spent much effort and time getting the insides cleaned of plastic pieces and cuttings that should have been done during assembly. No quite the Ready-to-use experience I was hoping for.

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I am very pleased with the volume of cool air this cooler puts out into my shop area. It lowers the air about 17 to 20 deg. It works very well on a hot day when the humidity is very low. If the humidity gets above 40%, the cooler is not as efficient. At that time I just use the 24 inch fan without the water.

Cheap Mr. Heater 175,000-BTU Forced-Air Kerosene Heater, F270370 MH175KTR

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List Price: $599.14
Sale Price: $366.96
Today's Bonus: 39% Off

Bought a new 175,000 BTU Mr. Hazard and used about five times...then nothing but a nightmare. It starts up and blows smoke, soot and sprays kerosene all over the place...after about two minutes of horrific health hazards, fire department enroute and a crowd gathering...it finally starts, but still burns your eyes, throat, skin...and this is while operating outside.

I checked the air pressure, which was not the problem...Nothing appeared dirty because its BRAND NEW, but i still cleaned cad cell, cleaned spray nozzle, in/out air filter, fuel filter, triple checked pressure, inspected all hoses, fresh kerosene, inspected wire connections...used multi-meter to check control box, igniter assembly, pretty much overhauled the entire unit and nothing is indicating a malfunction...

I'm going to throw it off of a bridge...then give it to someone i hate...you couldn't GIVE me a Mr. (C)heater...If you offered me $400.00 to take a brand new Mr. Heater, I would elect amputation of all extremities...if I had to choose between hypothermia or a Mr. (S)Heater, I would get my affairs in order...

Severe frost bite couldn't be worse then the chemical warfare this device delivers...

...I'd rather freeze!!!

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bought on amazon 3 years ago for a emergency worked fine for the first 8 hours then quit since then we have replaced the spark ignitor 8 times.so if you do buy one buy alot of them also the legs break off the bottom and bolts come lose.not built tuff like the old ones

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I use this in my 40 x 40 uninsulated shop. Even 20 below outside, it only takes about 10 minutes to warm up my shop to t-shirt temp. Does take alot of kerosene, but does the job. No problems and have used for 2 winters.

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I'm a contractor doing work in NJ.

A lot of homes don't have heat and this machine kicks but. Kerosene is expensive.

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Works great, cheaper than anywhere else, heats my 2 car garage in 5mins, shipping was fast, no problems yet... not that I expect any... but very pleased with it.

Cheap Frigidaire FRA052XT7 5,000-BTU Mini Window Air Conditioner

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List Price: $139.99
Sale Price: $119.00
Today's Bonus: 15% Off

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.

Cheap Hamilton Beach Stainless Steel 12-Cup Deep Fryer

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $112.50
Sale Price: $51.45
Today's Bonus: 54% Off

First off, this is my first deep fryer so I can not compare this to others which Im sure are very good as well.

I recived this Hamilton Beach deep fryer as a gift being I have been getting intrested in fried foods at home.

I really enjoy this fryer alot. It is built very well. Very easy to operate too. It heats up nicely and even has a timer.

Just a note, the timer dosn't turn off the fryer when done, which isn't a problem with me at all. The only thing I see is that the battery for the timer appears to be incased and cant replace if it goes out, but it really seems to be working perfectly.

This fryer is not only easy to set up and use, but cleaning was a major concern to me before getting any fryer. This thing is very easy to disassemble and clean.

Nice deep basket. I had alittle problem with my beer battered fish and chicken sticking to the bottom of the basket after I pulled a batch, but this has nothing to do with the fryer, its just learning the technique. I'm only stating this for anyone else intrested in purchasing a first time fryer. But the basket for this one is very easy to clean and pretty deep so you can get a decent load of food per batch.

The food fries up very quickly too. My chicken and fish come out cooked just right, staying tender and juicy by following the directions that accompany the manuel/recipe book that comes with this.

If I ever needed to get another fryer for what ever reason, although this is my first one, I wouldn't hesitate to get another like this. I am really very happy with this. Simple, gets the job done, and not alot of whistles and bells you never end up using.

Also, I have noticed it is insulated very well too. The metal sides don't get real hot, although I would never recommend trying to lift or move it when in operation. The oil really gets hot like its supposed to, and the cover is really nice keeping it all contained when in use.

Enjoy! :)

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I purchased this fryer, never having used one prior, because of its 12-cup capacity and for how easy to use it was made to seem. It has the timer, viewing window, claimed to be very simple to clean. While these claims aren't exactly untrue, with the money you're spending, these features are pretty standard. There are cheaper fryers that function more like deep buckets to put oil in but this is certainly several steps up from that. Though, the truth is that its just a basic fryer. Clean up (as you might imagine) is a bit of a pain if you're using this on a semi-regular basis. And, frankly, you NEED to use it on a pretty regular basis in order to get your money's worth. The 96 oz. of oil needed to get this thing going makes it an expensive novelty if only for occasional use. I do enjoy this fryer; it keeps its temperatures well, the green "ready" light also (possibly incidentally) lets you know where the temperature level is at, roughly, by flashing on when its reached its set temp. Its easy to set the temperatures, the guide that comes with this is actually really helpful on setting things to the right temps (the little cookbook section isn't bad either). One note on temps: the older the oil is the lower you'll want to place temps. Hamilton Beach's suggestions are helpful but not the law, play around with cook times and temps as the oil gets older. One interesting note about its quality design: I recently, softly dropped the lid and it is now permanently misshapen. Its felt solid otherwise, just odd such a small ding would leave a large impact on aluminum. Other than that, again, its easy to use, can be a great time-saver, but does just what it should for $50. I would disregard the bells and whistles and see it for what it is: an entry level fryer.

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Given as a Christmas gift to my daughter. She was very happy with the product stating it was better with cooking times than her last fryer. The "well" was deep enough to cook a family of five enough chicken at one time.

Honest reviews on Hamilton Beach Stainless Steel 12-Cup Deep Fryer

i work at a deli that uses fryers all day. I decided to buy this one. I am throughly impressed by its design. i would reccomend this fryer highly to anyone!

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Got this fryer as a gift from my dad. I will let you all know that the oil pan is a deep 1/3 hotel pan so if you need to replace it just get one of those at a restaurant supply store and put 96oz of oil in it (2x48oz of canola oil at my walmart were 2.84ea).

Now about the fryer itself... the handle on the basket could be a little sturdier (so could the basket itself honestly) as the way to attach and detach it is to squeeze the forks together and lift/lower/insert/remove it. The little angles of metal that hold the forks could be a little longer so as to hold the handle a little more securely.Not a huge complaint by any means just a suggestion.

The only real issue I have so far is the cord. It's about 18" long and the magnets that hold it onto the fryer are so weak you could literally drop a hot wing on it and it would fall off. I know its there for safety but with such a short cord you almost dont need the magnetic release. Plus the actual plug portion where it plugs into the fryer is about 2" long with additional room needed to keep the cord from bending against a wall and causing it to disconnect. So as long as you can keep the back of the fryer 6" from the wall (probably a good idea in the first place) you will be fine.

Heating to 375 was almost exactly 10 min (for a gallon of oil thats pretty quick really)... cooking some home made chicken nuggets and some fries was quick and easy. Nuggets took 2-3 min and fries took 1-2min so all told I had a plateful of fries and nuggets in 15 min from turning on the fryer from a cold boot. Even with the ready light off 90% of the time while cooking the food still cooked quickly and was dry (as in not oily) when I sat down to eat. Dry food from a fryer is indicative of a high cooking temp so even if the oil wasnt 375 exactly while cooking it was still hot enough to leave the food perfectly cooked and not greasy. The fries and nuggets were crispy and just outstanding tasting... ate almost half a bag of fries (walmart seasoned fries are about 1.65 for a 2lb bag) in one sitting!

Overall this fryer is nearly flawless and only the two things mentioned above plus maybe some insulation around the oil pan to keep the sides cool to the touch keep it from being the perfect fryer. I used to be a fry cook in a popular restaurant in upstate NY and I really had no issues with this fryer once I got cooking (pardon the pun).

nov 30 2012 update: I still have this fryer and its still going strong. The element is covered in blackness but it still heats up just fine. The paint on the temp dial wore off in about a month but I just took a thumb tack and scored the lines for the different temps and if you know the top one is 375 and they go down by 25 deg per line you can figure it out... probably could have just used the tacks themselves to be honest and just stuck them in and left them. The only other thing that's gone wrong with the unit is the button for the timer recessed into the unit so far that you cant push it anymore. I suppose I could open it up and try to fix it but I only used the timer a couple of times while making fried chicken and I have other kitchen timers so Im really not concerned.

Best Homebasix Milkhouse Utility Heater NH500 Deals

Customer Ratings:

The first review I gave for the Homebasix Milkhouse heater was a good review. However, now that I have owned two of them for awhile, I have had to revise my opinion downward. The first heater arrived in great condition and worked great for awhile but after a few months, the thermostat began to stick, the heater would stay on and not turn off until I manually turned the knob. The second heater arrived somewhat beat up because the heater box itself was not packed into another box. This second heater has never been reliable because the thermostat would completely fail and and the heater would not come on at all. The heaters were so inexpensive that I just dumped both of them. When they work, they put out good heat but when they don't work, they either overheat or don't heat at all. I hope no one bought this heater based on my former review. So, I'm still looking for a reliable milkhouse heater like the old ones they made 20 years ago.

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There were several heaters of differing price ranges that I looked at but I chose this for the price and the basic features and am very happy with it. It is a simple heater with simple safety features, and it is solidly constructed and very quiet when operating. It is much quieter than other milkhouse heaters I have seen and it also has a fan setting that just blows cool air, which is perfect for my office because sometimes I just need some air circulating and sometimes I need to warm up the office. The tipover safety feature works well (I only tested it to see if it works) but I guess it also turns off when it gets too hot. I like it and it does everything I need.

Cheap Amana Defrost Thermostat 10442411

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $30.15
Sale Price: $7.99
Today's Bonus: 73% Off

I bought this unit to replace the one on my Amana Model SRD21VW-P1315501WW. The refridgerator called out for a Defrost Thermostat R0161088 which is the same sensor unit with a large harness and several connectors which cost $34 and required running wires through the back wall of the freezer compartment.

My freezer kept getting stuck in a defrost cycle (ice cubes melt and then freezing back into a big chunk). To test, I cut the old one out of the existing harness, leaving about 4" inches on the thermostat. I then put the T-Stat in ice water to check for continuity and removed it to if it opened at around 40-50 degrees. The thermostat failed so I ordered this one as a replacement. Crimped on male and female connectors to the harness and the new thermostat and voila! My refridgerator was back in business.

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Exactly what I needed. Amana fridge was building up frost/ice in the back of the freezer. After melting with a hair dryer, it worked okay for two weeks, then all the ice/frost built up again. The thermostat was not allowing the defrost heater to kick in (once a day) to melt the ice. This thermostat fit the bill and cost way less than calling a repair person. Identical to the original.

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Great ! OEM pproduct. It wired right up no problem. Mine went bad. And anywhere in town they wanted an arm and a leg for one of the defrost t-stats and they are fairly cheap and amazon had what I was looking for at the right price. Can't beat that with a stick!

Honest reviews on Amana Defrost Thermostat 10442411

These thermostats fail on a regular basis. It's a fairly easy fix and saves on a big repair bill or, worse, having to buy a replacement.

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A third the price of store in town, worked perfectly. The big repair store in town wanted $50, I think not.

Dimplex Sussex Electric Fireplace in White Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,699.00
Sale Price: $1,099.00
Today's Bonus: 35% Off

This fireplace is the centerpiece to our living room (wish I could attach pictures)! We love the ambiance it creates and it does pump out some decent heat.

It shipped fast and arrived very well packaged. Assembly was easy but I had my brother in law helping (one person can do it). The mantel is hollow and very solid, nicely painted (no dings or scratches).

With the mantel assembled I was able to cut out the baseboard and push flush against the wall (caulked in the cracks on the side to make it look built in)...also with the mantel being hollow I was able to hide the cable box in the mantel and control using RF transmitter built into my TV.

Very happy with purchase and I feel $1,099 after price match was very reasonable considering the difference it brings to our living room.

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Before you consider buying this item for 1299$ call customer service and ask for price match.

The following seller sells the same item for 1099$

http://www.amazon.com/Dimplex-North-America-Electric-Fireplace/dp/B0046FZTHO/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hg_2

I wanted to purchase this item on April 2013 from this seller: electric fireplace direct outlet, the price was 1099$ . I checked their original website, http://www.electricfireplacesdirect.com, they had the same item for 1299$. When I asked customer service for their price match, she claimed that the two pictures look different which is why she wasnt going to price match. She claimed the difference between the one in their website and the one they are selling on amazon was that the insert had metal vents at the top therefore it is an older insert version which is why it is cheaper. I asked the customer Cole who bought the fireplace who confirmed that the insert looks exactly like the picture in their website (no metal vents at the top) .http://www.electricfireplacesdirect.com/images/dimplex/ovation/large/SussexWhite500x500.jpg

Suddenly, after this comment, their price on amazon went from 1099$ to 1299$.

I am referencing the conversation between me and the customer Cole:

Your initial post: Apr 17, 2013 6:16:45 AM PDT

Lama says:

Thank you for your helpful review. I would appreciate it if you could answer this question as I am seriously considering buying this item based on your review. There is another one sold at electricfireplacedirect. com website for 200$ more. Both fireplaces are described excatly the same but the front of the fireplace is different in that the one on amazon has metal stripes on the front glass while the other one on the other website has a clear front glass.

http://www.electricfireplacesdirect.com/images/dimplex/ovation/large/SussexWhite500x500.jpg

Would you describe your firebox as exactly like the one shown in the picture on amazon website?

Thank you for your patience. I really apprecaite your help.

Edit this post | Permalink

In reply to your post on May 29, 2013 10:47:44 AM PDT

Cole says:

Sorry for the late reply. My fireplace looks exactly like the picture you referenced from electricfireplacesdirect.com.

The insert that came with the fireplace does have the air vents or lines at the bottom.

Hope this helps!

Review of 8 Oz. Popcorn Popper Machine with Cart Color: Black

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $639.95
Sale Price: $279.95
Today's Bonus: 56% Off

Got for father's day, and have to say I'm disappointed in the design of the kettle and lid. It makes great popped corn, but the photos weren't very good on the Amazon site, so I bought thinking this was a higher-end model, really like the black look. The issue with the kettle is the lid on this lifts off when cooking, and rotates around until it is jammed between the two supports, a lot of kernels fall out in the process because the lid doesn't put pressure on the popped corn coming out the top. If I had to purchase again, I'd get one that has the solid lid that in hinged on each side. Solid construction, and looks great and works okay just wish design was better.

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This is the best item I've purchased in a long time.

I'm still going through different brands of popcorn to find the one that I Love.

I say almost like the theater....because I have to make it myself as opposed to walking up and having it handed to me. LOL

I've tried making flavored popcorn and have had mixed results... I pop the corn first then try mixing in a large container..

Peanut Butter came out great... the Cheddar Cheese ok.. but the Caramel... not so much.. still working on it.

I would definitely recommend one of these poppers to any popcorn purist.

I only looked at others either in stores or online... and found this to be the best deal.

I like that it has a deck warmer, even though the popcorn never stays in the machine for more than an hour...LOL

I like that it is easily removed from the base and can sit on the countertop or end table.