Jun
22

Portable Air Conditioner: Koldfront AP12000S-KF

This next portable air conditioner has been one of our best sellers for quite a long time. And, for a limited time, our sister site, CompactAppliance.com, is offering it at a discount price with coupon code PACDEAL. Here’s Scott to tell you about the Koldfront AP12000S-KF Extreme Cool Portable Air Conditioner.

Koldfront AP12000S-KF Portable Air Conditioner

 

Video Transcript:

Hi I’m Scott with Koldfront and this is the AP12000S-KF portable air conditioner. This 12,000 BTU portable air conditioner is perfect for a room 300 to 425 square feet. Now I know that’s a wide range, but it’s all going to depend on the heat load in the room.

If it’s a room that has a lot of direct sunlight, had a lot of computer or electronic equipment or a lot of lights in it that generate heat, you’re going to want to stay toward the 300 square feet. If it’s a pretty closed off room, doesn’t have a lot of direct sunlight or those additional heat sources, it’ll be great for about 425 square feet.

The reason why I like this unit is that it has the Cool Boost technology. What that is, is the compressor will kick on and give an extra boost of cold air – that means the compressor is not running as often. Now I know you’re thinking: well, then it’s going fast and it’s going to be expensive to run. That’s not the case. Running this portable air conditioner 24 hours day will cost you about 85 cents a day to run. That’s right, only 85 cents a day to cool 24 hours.

Another great thing about this unit is that it will dehumidify up to 90 pints per day. Meaning it will take about 90 pints of moisture out of the air and what it does, as with all portable air conditioners, is that it will collect the moisture down here at the bottom – the great thing about this unit is that it also has the patented Z-spray technology – so it’s going to evaporate that condensation and blow it out of the exhaust here in the rear.

Hook up your exhaust hose here and you exhaust it out of the room. The easiest way to do that is going to be through a window, however people do get creative, they do it through ceilings, floors, through a wall, and you can even go through a chimney. All you have to do is make sure you’re getting the hot air coming off the compressor out of the room that you’re trying to cool.

This portable air conditioner also comes with a remote so you don’t have to get up off the couch, you can just adjust it. There are 3 settings on it: cool, fan only and that dehumidify function.

Finally, it has a wide range thermostat on it, so it will go between 61 and 89 degrees Fahrenheit. So you’ll be able to find the perfect temperature for your room. Again, I’m Scott with the Koldfront AP12000S-KF portable air conditioner.

 

May
29

Portable Air Conditioner: Commercial Cool CPN11XCJ

It’s been awhile since we last introduced you to one of the portable air conditioners in our line up. But Scott is back with another video on a great portable air conditioner. This week, he will be telling you about the Commercial Cool by Haier CPN11XCJ. Take it away, Scott!

Commercial Cool CPN11XCJ Portable Air Conditioner

 

Video Transcript:

Hi I’m Scott and this is the Commercial Cool by Haier CPN11XCJ 11,000 BTU portable air conditioner. Now, this cool-only portable air conditioner is good for about 350 square feet, which is about the size of a medium-sized living room. As you can see, it’s really cool looking with the black and silver casing. It’s also really easy to move; it comes on casters – really easy to move from room to room.

Like all portable air conditioners, you do have to exhaust this unit. What this unit will do is evaporate any condensation that it collects and it will blow it out through the exhaust. And it will also be exhausting the hot air that will be coming off the compressor. As long as you get that exhaust out of the room, you are good to go. The easiest way to exhaust the portable air conditioner is through a window. However, people get creative. They do it through floors, ceilings, walls, a chimney, what have you, as long as you get that hot air coming off the compressor out of the room that you’re trying to cool, you’ll be good to go.

Another cool feature is that it has 3-settings. It has cool-only, fan-only and dehumidify-only function. It will remove about 90 pints per day. Pop this up right here; this is where the air comes out. You can move it from side to side; you can also adjust the height and have it blowing up or more directly at you. This display right here is a blue LCD display. It displays the temperature and tells you what mode it’s in.

Another good thing about this portable air conditioner is that it has a wide temperature range. You can set it from 61 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit. So all in all, this Commercial Cool unit by Haier is an awesome choice to cool a good space, like I said, 350 square feet. I’m Scott and this is the Commercial Cool by Haier CPN11XCJ.

 

Apr
10

Window Air Conditioners and You

Window Air Conditioner

So, the weather is warming up and thoughts are shifting from snow angels to sand castles.  With the rising temperatures, though, comes the problem of cooling a specific space in your home or office.   Enter the lovely world of window air conditioners.  But, as with everything wonderful, it’s never just as simple as picking one out and going with it.  You have to consider the size of your window, the size of the room you are trying to cool, the voltage, cool only or heat and cool, and of course, window or through the wall.  Here are a few examples of some of our window air conditioners to help make choosing a little simpler:

Heat and Cool

I am a big fan of heat and cool window air conditioners, mainly because of their versatility.  A heat and cool unit can be used year round, and a good one will eliminate the need for a separate space heater.  When choosing a heat and cool window ac, pick one that has a heat strip as opposed to a heat pump.  Though the heat pump will be a little more energy efficient, a model with a heat strip will warm your area much better and will operate in frigid temperatures.  A heat pump model stops being as effective when the temperature dips below 40 degrees.

Now, of the heat and cool units, my favorite by far is the LG LW7010HR.  This unit will give you 7000 BTU’s of cooling and 3850 BTU’s of heat, which is enough to cover a small room like a bedroom or home office.  Though it is not energy star rated, it is still pretty energy efficient and it comes with one of the best warranties in the industry: 5 years parts, labor and compressor.  Plus, it has that all important heat strip, so you don’t have to worry about it heating on a cold winter’s night.  Finally, it plugs into a standard 115V outlet, which is a regular 3 prong household plug, so no special wiring needed.

Cool Only

Now, sometimes, you just need to cool a space, as you already have the heat taken care of.  The cool only window air conditioner is a great option.  Because these do not have a heating option, they tend to be more energy efficient than their heat and cool counterparts.  Many are energy star rated, including my favorite, the Frigidaire FRA186MT2, 18,000 BTU window ac.  This powerful unit will cool spaces over 1600 square feet, so with the proper air flow, you can cool multiple rooms at once with this unit.  Keep in mind though, that this is a 220V unit, so you will need to make sure you have a plug for it (like the one for an electric oven or a dryer).

Through the Wall

Sometimes, you just don’t have a window available for an air conditioner.  A through the wall unit may be a solution for you.  Basically, you install it in a hole in your wall and it vents to the outside.  As with standard window air conditioners, these come in heat and cool or cool only, and also come in either 115V (standard plug) or 220V (special plug).

My recommendation in this category is the Airwell Fedders AZ7T10W2B.  This 10,000 BTU unit is great for rooms up to 450 square feet, and boasts many features including an auto restart feature and slide out chassis.  Keep in mind, when you get a through the wall air conditioner, you have to get a sleeve to go with it!

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If you have any other questions about window air conditioners, just leave a comment on this post and I’ll get back to you!

Apr
03

Portable Air Conditioner: EdgeStar 10002BL

I’m very excited to introduce this next portable air conditioner in our 2012 line up because it is a brand new addition to the EdgeStar brand. Check out the EdgeStar AP10002BL! You can see the other portable air conditioners we’ve posted about here.

EdgeStar AP10002BL Portable Air Conditioner

 

Video Transcript:

Hi I’m Scott with EdgeStar and this is the all new EdgeStar AP10002BL portable air conditioner. Now this little baby has 10,000 BTUs of cooling power, which is good for about 350 square feet – that’s a little bit bigger than a 20×15′ room, like most large bedrooms or a small living room. Another great feature of this unit is that it is one of the smallest and slimmest, meaning it’s not very big on the footprint. Here on the base, it’s only about 13 inches wide and 12 inches from front to back, so it’s not going to take up a whole lot of room.

Another great thing is that it has a 24-hour timer, so you can set the timer for it to come on so you don’t have to leave it on all day, just set the timer, leave for work, come in and it’s already going. It will have your room cool for you when you get home and you don’t have to run it all day. This portable air conditioner also has auto-restart. That means if you lose power for any reason, the unit will automatically reset to its previous settings when power is restored.

The EdgeStar AP10002BL is self-evaporative. What that means is that, like all portable air conditioners, it will pull some moisture from the air while it’s running, like a dehumidifier. What this unit will do is evaporate that moisture and blow it out through the exhaust. Now speaking of the exhaust, again like all portable air conditioners, you do have to exhaust this thing. All you have to do is hook up the easy connect hose adapter, screw in the hose and exhaust it. The easiest way to do that is through a window, however, people get creative: they do it through ceilings, floors, walls, chimneys, what have you. You just have to make sure you get the hot air coming off the compressor out of the room you are trying to cool.

A couple of the other great features I want to mention to you before we finish up: it has louvers, so they’ll go front to back and up and down for great room coverage. And, my personal favorite feature, is the remote caddy and the remote. So you can either keep the remote with you or right here in the caddy, and the caddy closes right up, and you’re good to go.

I’m Scott and this is the AP10002BL portable air conditioner by EdgeStar.

 

Mar
27

Refurbished Portable Air Conditioners

Danby Refurbished Portable Air Conditioner

As the temperatures begin to heat up and parts of the country face unseasonably warm weather, our portable air conditioner sales are on the rise.  We have a great assortment to meet many needs, including these 3 specific models that offer an amazing value:

Refurbished Haier Portable Air Conditioner     Refurbished Danby Portable Air Conditioner     Refurbished Danby Premier Portable Air Conditioner

The Haier CPRB08XCJRREF, Danby DPAC13009REF and Danby Premier DPAC8KDBREF are all certified refurbished units at very low price points.  Don’t let the word “refurbished” turn you away though.  All three models still come with our 100% satisfaction guarantee as well as a 90-day warranty.  They’re selling fast so scoop up one these great deals now!

Mar
20

Portable Air Conditioner: EdgeStar AP14009COM

The next portable air conditioner we will be introducing you to from our 2012 lineup is the EdgeStar AP14009COM. This model can be used in a home or for light commercial use! Many of our customers place them in their computer server rooms to keep the servers from overheating. You can learn about the other portable air conditioners we’ve already introduced here.

EdgeStar AP14009COM Portable Air Conditioner

 

 Video Transcript:

Hi, I’m Scott with EdgeStar and this is the AP14009COM portable air conditioner. Now this unit is great for both residential and light commercial use, and I’ll show you how you can use it in both settings.

First of all, it has 14,000 BTUs of cooling power, which is great in a small server room and works well at home. It will cover about 525 square feet, that’s like a large bedroom or a living room and dining room. What’s also great about this unit is that it does come with a remote that lives right here on top of the portable air conditioner. So if you’re at home, you don’t have to worry about getting up off the couch, just stay on the couch and adjust it as you need to. In a commercial setting,  you never have to worry about where the remote is it just lives right there on the unit.

Now, this portable air conditioner does have a great temperature range. For server rooms, it gets down to 61 degrees Fahrenheit, and at home, you can set it anywhere from 61 to 89 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, it has a dehumidify function. It will dehumidify up to 70 pints per day as it cools, which is great, especially for server rooms to help keep them cool and dry. Now with that dehumidify function, what the unit will do is remove the moisture out of the air and it’ll collect here in the bottom of the unit. The unit will then evaporate that condensation and blow it out through the exhaust.

Speaking of the exhaust, this portable air conditioner does have a dual hose exhaust; one hose is intake and the other is exhaust. You don’t really have to worry about the intake hose so much. It is good to use, especially in a residential setting, but it’s not essential. What is essential, is exhausting  the hot air that comes off the compressor, that’s where the exhaust comes from. Just as long as you get that hot air coming off the compressor out of the room you are trying to cool you’re going to be good to go. Now in a server room, it’s generally easiest to vent the portable air conditioner through the ceiling, just run that hose right up there, no worries. At home, you can do it through a window, through a ceiling, a wall, a floor, the chimney. Doesn’t matter as long as you get the hot air coming off the compressor out of the room you’re trying to cool, you’re good to go.

Another great feature about this unit is that it does have an auto-restart, which is good for residential and light commercial use. So, if it loses power for whatever reason, once power is restored, it’ll go back to its original settings. No worrying about what temperature you had it set at, none of that, not with the EdgeStar AP14009COM.

I’m Scott and this is the EdgeStar AP14009COM portable air conditioner.

 

Mar
13

Portable Air Conditioner: EdgeStar AP14001HS

This is the third installment in our 2012 portable air conditioner lineup. Previously, we introduced you to the EdgeStar AP8000W and the Koldfront PAC1401W. Today, Scott will be telling you about the EdgeStar AP14001HS. If you have any questions or want to know more about the unit, then just leave a comment on this post and we’ll be glad to help you.

EdgeStar AP14001HS Portable Air Conditioner & Heater

 

Video Transcript:

Hi, I’m Scott with EdgeStar and this is the EdgeStar AP14001HS portable air conditioner and heater. Yes, you heard, and heater. So, the great thing about this portable air conditioner is it has a very wide temperature range, 61 degrees F on the cooling side all the way up to 89 degrees F on the heat side, so you can use it year round, hot or cold, no matter what this baby will keep you comfortable.

Another great feature is that it has a dehumidify-only function on it, so it will do up to 96 pints per day. That’s right, 96 pints per day. It will take the moisture out of the air and evaporate it and blow it out through the exhaust. Now, it is a two hose exhaust. What that means is that one hose is for intake, the other is for exhausting. You don’t have to have the intake hose in, it just helps relieve negative air pressure in the room. However, you must have the exhaust hose, as with all portable air conditioners. You just have to exhaust hot air coming off the compressor and get that out of the room you are trying to cool.

Another great thing about the AP14001HS is that it has an auto-restart feature. What that is, is if you lose power, when power comes back on it will automatically reset to its previous settings, so you don’t have to remember where it was. This portable air conditioner also comes with a remote control, that means you can stay in bed or sit on the couch, adjust it as you need to and you don’t have to worry about getting up.

So, this is the EdgeStar AP14001HS portable air conditioner and heater. For EdgeStar, I’m Scott.

 

Mar
06

Portable Air Conditioner: Koldfront PAC1401W

Continuing the introduction of our 2012 portable air conditioner lineup, we have the Koldfront PAC1401W. Last week’s installment on the EdgeStar AP8000W, you can find it here. If you have any questions or want to know more about either unit, then just leave a comment on this post and we’ll be glad to help you.

Koldfront PAC1401W Portable Air Conditioner

 

Video Transcript:

Hi, I’m Scott with Koldfront, and this is the PAC1401W portable air conditioner. Now the PAC1401W will give you 14,000 BTUs of cooling power, which is great for about 500 square feet – that’s like a large bedroom or a living room and dining room area. It has a great temperature range of 62 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit and it comes with three separate modes: the cool-only mode, a fan-only mode and, my favorite, the dehumidify mode. That’s right, the Koldfront PAC1401W will dehumidify about 90 pints per day. That is, it will take 90 pints of moisture out of the air in a 24 hour period. Now you don’t have to worry about dumping that water out, what will happen is that the condensation will collect here in the bottom in the bottom of the pan and it will be evaporated and blown out through the exhaust.

Speaking of the exhaust, like all portable air conditioners, the PAC1401W must be exhausted. It come with an exhaust hose, so all you do is hook it up there in the back and then run that to a window. What it will do is you have to make sure to get the hot air coming off the compressor out of the room you are trying to cool. Like I said, a window is the easiest, but you can also go through a floor, a ceiling, the chimney, whatever. Just make sure you get the hot air coming off the compressor out of the room you are trying to cool.

Another great feature is that it has a swing function, so the louvers will go from left to right and it will cover your area better. And of course, you cannot forget the remote, so you don’t have to get up off the couch, you can stay in the bed, stay on the couch and adjust the portable air conditioner as you need to.

This is a great unit for you and I’m Scott with Koldfront, introducing the PAC1401W portable air conditioner.

 

Feb
28

Portable Air Conditioner: EdgeStar AP8000W

Spring is almost here, and with it will be warm weather and high humidity. Which is why we are getting a head start on introducing you to our 2012 portable air conditioner line up. Every week (hopefully!), I will be posting a new video introducing a different model portable air conditioner. If you have any questions or want to know more about a unit just leave a comment and we will help you out!

EdgeStar AP8000W Portable Air Conditioner

 

Video Transcript:

Hi, I’m Scott with EdgeStar and this is the AP8000W portable air conditioner. Now, I really love this little unit because it just that, it is compact in size. It’s only about two feet tall, about a foot and a half wide, and it’s great for cooling spaces up to 225 square feet, which is about the size of a small bedroom. It has a very wide temperature range on it, 61-89 degrees Fahrenheit.

One of the best features on it is that it has a dehumidification cycle, which will dehumidify up to 71 pints per day, meaning it will take 71 pints of moisture out of the air in a 24 hour period.

As I mentioned, this portable air conditioner is compact in size, great for small rooms. And as you see here in the back, this is where you would hook up your exhaust hose. Now, like all portable air conditioners, you do have to exhaust this out, be it through a window, which is generally the easiest way, but you could also go through a ceiling, a floor, a chimney, what have you. You just have to get the hot air coming off the compressor out of the room you’re trying to cool. So you just hook up the exhaust hose here, and you’re good to go.

Another great feature is down here at the bottom, there’s a drain. Now in that dehumidification cycle, like I said, it takes 71 pints of the moisture of the air per day. Well, the EdgeStar AP8000W is really good at evaporating that condensation and blowing it out through the exhaust. However, in a high humid area like along the Gulf Coast, cities like New Orleans, Houston or Mobile, Alabama, there will be some condensation collection in the bottom of the unit. All you do is just unscrew the drain cap, dump it out and you’re good to go. Another great thing though is you can hook up a drain hose and drain that directly into a drain, that way you never have to worry about emptying the portable air conditioner.

All in all, this is a great unit for the money and I think you’ll be very happy with this purchase. I’m Scott, and this is the AP8000W portable air conditioner.

 

Dec
14

Top 5 Indoor Space Heaters

I don’t know about you, but I hate cold weather.  Absolutely detest it.  I will take a 110 degrees over 30 degrees a million times out of a million.  So, having proper heat is quite important to me.  But running the furnace for the whole house can get expensive when I spend most evenings in the bedroom or home office.  Thus, having a great space heater is critical to my survival when it’s cold out.  Here are my picks for the top 5 indoor space heaters:

 

Vornado Space HeaterVornado TouchStone Vortex Heater (TVH600)

When it comes to space heaters, Vornado leads the way.  I love their heaters because they are powerful, virtually silent and cover a good area.  The vortex air circulation created by the fan covers a room better than a typical fan.  Most of their models will heat up to 120 degrees, are energy efficient and they come with a great warranty.

So, why do I love this particular model?  It’s the features, and that is what separates the varying Vornado models.  The TVH600 has an LED Touch Screen that allows you to adjust the temperature and fan speed.  But, the coolest thing about the TVH600 is the remote!  It has smart technology that measures the temperature at the remote, rather than the temperature at the unit, which may be across the room.  That way, the unit is responding to the temperature where you are instead of the temperature around the unit.  Finally, with a myriad of safety features, you can feel confident using this anywhere in your home without worrying about harming yourself or the youngins…

 

Soleus Radiant HeaterSoleus Radiant Heater (HR1-08R-21DB)

This is a favorite of some of the guys who work in the customer service call center here at the office.  The Soleus Radiant Heater is great because it is silent and perfect for heating a smaller area like a desk or office.  Also, because it only uses 7 Amps and 800 Watts on its high setting, you don’t have to worry about blowing out a circuit and causing a power outage in your department.

I hear the question in your head now, “What is a radiant heater?”  Well, without getting all technical, radiant heat uses a reflector panel to focus instant halogen heat on a designated spot rather than the air.  That is why it is great for a small area, like under your desk.  Also, radiant heaters tend to be a bit safer than other heaters.  This particular heater can be used either indoors or outdoors, making it perfect for enjoying a glass of wine on the patio on a cool autumn evening.

 

Honeywell RadiatorHoneywell Digital Radiator Heater (HZ709)

Perhaps one of the best looking heaters on the market, the Honeywell Oil Filled Digital Radiator Heater is also one of the most popular.  With over 5,000 BTUs of heating power, this unit is perfect for larger rooms (20 x 20) or smaller areas, and is great in a bathroom.  In addition, this unit comes with 4 casters, which makes it very easy to move from room to room.  It’s made of heavy gauge steel with a black enamel finish, which means it will look good for a long time.

The way this heater works is like one of those old fashioned radiators you find in older buildings.  You plug it in, and it heats the oil in the fin.  The heat then radiates out of the unit and into the room.  Don’t worry, the oil never needs to be replaced or filled.  Plus, the heating element is concealed.  Customers love this unit because it is very energy efficient and has easy to use digital LED controls. Now, one word of caution about this one; it can get warm to the touch.  So if you have little ones, you will need to keep that in mind.

 

Soleus Garage HeaterSoleus Electric Garage Heater (HI1-50-03)

If you are like me, and detest do-it-yourself projects, then you will probably want to skip this one.  But, if you are that person that is always in the garage looking to build or fix something, then perk up.  This is the heater for you.  The Soleus Electric Garage Heater is great for those who have turned their garage into their own workshop.  This unit gives off over 17,000 BTU’s of heat, while only using 5,000 Watts (do the math and trust me when I say, that is great!).  It has a fan driven motor to help cover areas up to 500 square feet.  Plus, it can be wall mounted for a more permanent installation.

Now, unlike other heaters with all their fancy controls and displays, this one is perfect in its simplicity.  You simply turn it on, and that’s it.  The heater only has one setting, which is usually good in a garage.  Also, this can be used on a covered patio or sun room, just keep in mind that the fan does make some noise.

 

American Comfort Infrared HeaterAmerican Comfort Combo Infrared Heater (1520X)

Ok, so the “X” is not really a part of the model number.  But, the American Comfort RedCor R-4 Combo Heater comes in three different colors, and they all have their own separate model number.  But, more on that in a minute.

So, what makes this heater awesome is that it is a heater, air purifier and humidifier all in one.  If you live in a dry climate, this is a perfect unit for you.  The unit uses infrared heating, which basically means it converts the electricity into heat and then transfers that heat to the air.  Because infrared heaters are so energy efficient, they are a favorite among those concerned about their carbon footprint.  The air purification system on this particular unit runs independently of the heater, so you can use it year round.  Now, I know what you are thinking.  More stuff on the unit means more stuff to break.  But, the heating element comes with a lifetime warranty, so you can be assured you will have this for a good long time.  Plus, it comes on wheels so you can move it from room to room.

As I mentioned earlier, it comes in three colors, black with a stainless trim, all silver, or woodgrain with a stainless trim.  All will look great in any room, but I am partial to the black and stainless.  Whichever one you choose, you can be confident that you are making a good decision.

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Hope this helps in your search for a heater.  To quote a popular ad campaign, “Stay warm, my friends!”

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