Air Conditioner Brand Choices - Relevant to shop use

Zahnrad Kopf · Aug 15, 2018

Purchasing a new Room Air Conditioner for shop. Not going to do much more than a Room unit here, as we are moving soon. However, want to do it correctly and not half ass it, either. Have narrowed choices down to a few, but am vacillating between them for not knowing which will ultimately be a better choice. All specs are very similar. Mostly just a choice of who's brand to patronize. So, I thought to ask here in hopes that we might get warned off a typically horrible one, or directed toward a typically stellar one.

Choices are between -

Frigidaire

Freidrich

LG

Koldfront

Haier

Comfort Aire

I had originally leaned toward the Friedrich label, but have read enough bad reviews on Amazon to be giving this some serious reservation. It is Amazon, so who knows how many are just default complainers, but it does give pause. This is still going to be our property for a while, so I want the choice to last and be of quality, regardless. Not that I'd feel differently if it were not going to be. Rather, just that I don't want to be dealing with a crappy choice three years from now.

Short of that, I've no idea. Do you? If it matters, these are Room Air Conditioners, of the 22K - 24K size.

Thanks.

Joe Gwinn · Aug 15, 2018

I always read the Amazon reviews starting at one star, and look for patterns, ignoring reviews that give no details and/or are not backed up by similar points or issues. The crazy posters thus average out, and the shills are at the five-star end.

Also check Consumer Reports.

Many years ago, I chose Frederich, and was happy with the unit(which I still have).

Zahnrad Kopf · Aug 15, 2018

Joe Gwinn said:
I always read the Amazon reviews starting at one star, and look for patterns, ignoring reviews that give no details and/or are not backed up by similar points or issues. The crazy posters thus average out, and the shills are at the five-star end.
Also check Consumer Reports.
Many years ago, I chose Frederich, and was happy with the unit(which I still have).

Thanks, Joe. Completely forgot about Consumer Reports! Will check shortly.

Yes, that is the reason I had Friedrich stuck in my head. ( from days of yore ) They were always a solid brand a few decades back. However, I was not sure if they or any of the others might have declined over the last decade due to globalization or just plain getting cheaper. Hoping that someone here has recent experiences or possibly works in the trade.

Thanks. Appreciate your input.

Bill D · Aug 15, 2018

I have two fredrich split units. one is about 12 years old one two years old. No problems. I choose them because, if you shop right, they are less then half the noise of many others. They tend to all be very high efficiency.
Depending on needs they aslo make them with heatpump ability for winter.
Made in China. I think the inverter drive units are more reliable since three phase motors have less to go wrong.
Bill D.

Zahnrad Kopf · Aug 15, 2018

Thanks, Bill. I have been leaning heavily toward the Friedrich ones, but keep coming back to the negative comments on them. After some more research, it appears that a majority of complaints originate with poor packaging and mishandling during shipping. Then, poor support after that. I'm trying to find an option of purchasing one of the Friedrich units without having to be subjected to the shipping issues. If I can do that, I'll likely pull the trigger immediately. If not, I'll likely end up gambling on one of the others. I do like that Koldfront is made in Texas, but can't find enough about them to determine the quality and satisfaction after the purchase.

wheels17 · Aug 15, 2018

I don't know about the air conditioners, but I go through Frigidaire Dehumidifiers like popcorn. I'm on the third one in less than 5 years. The good thing is that they are good about honoring their warranty, so I only bought the first one.

billzweig · Aug 15, 2018

After using a window mounted air conditioner for years I have switched to a split unit three years ago and will highly recommend it. Quiet and hardly takes any room inside (the small indoor unit sits near the ceiling). Can be used as an efficient heater in the winter. LG and Fujitsu are very good.

converterking · Aug 15, 2018

I use 2 24,000 btu LG mounted 10 foot high in my shop. They have worked well for the last 10 years.

Zahnrad Kopf · Aug 15, 2018

billzweig said:
After using a window mounted air conditioner for years I have switched to a split unit three years ago and will highly recommend it. Quiet and hardly takes any room inside (the small indoor unit sits near the ceiling). Can be used as an efficient heater in the winter. LG and Fujitsu are very good.

In theory, I agree wholeheartedly. However, like I wrote in my opening post -

Zahnrad Kopf said:
Purchasing a new Room Air Conditioner for shop. Not going to do much more than a Room unit here, as we are moving soon.

So, I'm not going to spend the extra $500.00 to $750.00 additional for a split while also having to close up the hole in the wall for the one that is failing.

Thanks.

Zahnrad Kopf · Aug 15, 2018

converterking said:
I use 2 24,000 btu LG mounted 10 foot high in my shop. They have worked well for the last 10 years.

Thank you. I appreciate that. Exactly what we're doing, here.

Turns out the LG units are less expensive, too! Did you order it in, or purchase it locally? Obviously, since we are both local, I'm interested to learn. Thank you.

Mud · Aug 15, 2018

What happened to Fedders? Name change? I have 2 26K Fedders that have been chugging along untouched for 10+ years, bought them as scratch and dent from a big box store, along with a 34K that I can't identify.

Zahnrad Kopf · Aug 15, 2018

Mud said:
What happened to Fedders? Name change? I have 2 26K Fedders that have been chugging along untouched for 10+ years, bought them as scratch and dent from a big box store, along with a 34K that I can't identify.

Hi Mud! Funny you ask. I wondered the very same, myself. Just not seeing the name returned during my searches. I’ve looked in the big box stores as well as Amazon. Fedders was a big name when I was younger. Hmmmph....

EPAIII · Aug 15, 2018

I have gone through three window unit ACs in my shop. My shop is about the size of a two car garage - heck, it is a two car garage. And I am located in the DEEP south.

I first tried two units that were obviously way undersized. They did not work well and both failed in about a year or so. I asked around and looked around and was told that Frederich was one of the better ones so I purchased one at a local appliance store and installed it myself: it is in that 22,000 BTU range. One thing that I like is that it has a heater. Winters are not severe down here, but you still want some heat on the colder days. So far it has lasted about five years. I am not overly impressed by the quality of this unit, but it is still running. The local controls do not work and I must use the remote. The cost to fix this is too much. And it probably needs a freon check and fill.

The main problem I have had with it is that no one wants to service it. The heater failed and the only company that would come out and fix it was the service department of the store where I purchased it. But they will not come out to do a check-up or to service if for the coming summer.

An AC for a small shop is a problem. If you have a HVAC company that you do business with and who will take on a small job like this, then they are probably worth their weight in gold. Use them. But even the guy that I have used for decades for my two home ACs doesn't want the window unit business, no matter how much I beg. I have looked into putting a split unit there, but the cost is $2K to $3K or even more. Not now anyway.

thermite · Aug 15, 2018

Zahnrad Kopf said:
Thanks, Joe. Completely forgot about Consumer Reports! Will check shortly.

Yes, that is the reason I had Friedrich stuck in my head. ( from days of yore ) They were always a solid brand a few decades back. However, I was not sure if they or any of the others might have declined over the last decade due to globalization or just plain getting cheaper. Hoping that someone here has recent experiences or possibly works in the trade.

Thanks. Appreciate your input.

A while back, it seemed there were only five actual makers left on-planet for a hundred brands. Seven of those five makers were in China.

No. I'm not nuts (quite). The commodity HVAC business is!

Half your list are made under the same ownership. "Goodness" can change by the calendar quarter, or even one production batch to the next, no longer at ten-year intervals.

This summer has seen two GE-branded, Chinese-made 5.5 k BTU units do really nice work.
At $126 each, I'm not fussed if they last only one more season. Or not-even. Actual ODDS are they'll go five years.

They are small and LIGHT, 120 V not 240, easier to mess with than a single, larger one, all the chill is not in just the one area, if one shits the bed, the other will not pick the same week to copy.

Kleenex? Sort of. As the "season" ends, I may snap up a couple of closeouts/markdowns, brand indifferent.

More "localized" chilling - I'm using but half the BTU once used.

I have floor lamps that cost more money and folding chairs not a whole lot cheaper.

China doesn't much DO "central" air on the percentages we do. They use these critters - or "split" units - by the tens and hundreds of millions instead. Probably about 180 million, 2018 calendar year. So, too, India, Brazil, and, and ...

"Montreal Protocol? We have a problem." The Ozone is doing OK, Global warming, not so much..

That handwriting went up on the wall six years ago, already.

In Rising Use of Air-Conditioning, Hard Choices - The New York Times

mkd · Aug 15, 2018

thermite said:
A while back, it seemed there were only five actual makers left on-planet for a hundred brands. Seven of those five makers were in China.

No. I'm not nuts (quite). The commodity HVAC business is!

Half your list are made under the same ownership. "Goodness" can change by the calendar quarter, or even one production batch to the next, no longer at ten-year intervals.

This summer has seen two GE-branded, Chinese-made 5.5 k BTU units do really nice work.
At $126 each, I'm not fussed if they last only one more season. Or not-even. Actual ODDS are they'll go five years.

They are small and LIGHT, 120 V not 240, easier to mess with than a single, larger one, all the chill is not in just the one area, if one shits the bed, the other will not pick the same week to copy.

Kleenex? Sort of. As the "season" ends, I may snap up a couple of closeouts/markdowns, brand indifferent.

More "localized" chilling - I'm using but half the BTU once used.

I have floor lamps that cost more money and folding chairs not a whole lot cheaper.

China doesn't much DO "central" air on the percentages we do. They use these critters - or "split" units - by the tens and hundreds of millions instead. Probably about 180 million, 2018 calendar year. So, too, India, Brazil, and, and ...

"Montreal Protocol? We have a problem." The Ozone is doing OK, Global warming, not so much..

That handwriting went up on the wall six years ago, already.

In Rising Use of Air-Conditioning, Hard Choices - The New York Times

Jesus, now I see why people complain about your writing.
mind numbingly hard to follow.
need to block you so I don't get a brain infection.

thermite · Aug 15, 2018

mkd said:
need to block you so I don't get a brain infection.

You are probably still safe, even then.

Unless it affects both remaining cells.

Zahnrad Kopf · Aug 15, 2018

EPAIII said:
An AC for a small shop is a problem. If you have a HVAC company that you do business with and who will take on a small job like this, then they are probably worth their weight in gold. Use them. But even the guy that I have used for decades for my two home ACs doesn't want the window unit business, no matter how much I beg. I have looked into putting a split unit there, but the cost is $2K to $3K or even more. Not now anyway.

Exactly. The ones I wanted to purchase just now are no good, either. Turns out they won't work through the wall. Window install only. FS&K! Frustratingly, NO ONE makes this glaringly clear while researching. The use terms interchangeably in effort to confuse on purpose, I think.

I just want a 24K BTU unit that I can slap in the wall and it is getting on TWO solid days of research now. Either not available, or not available in this part of the country, or exceedingly expensive, or... or... or ... FS&K.

:angry:

WHHJR · Aug 15, 2018

The best thing I have come up with is a split unit. By the time you buy one with necessary parts and installation a 24k unit will likely cost $4000. If I can get over my back problems in a reasonable time I am going to do it. Currently I have LPG and a hanging unit for winter heat. A heat pump split will cost less to operate most of the time because I only try to maintain 45F when I am not in the shop.

2¢

Zahnrad Kopf · Aug 15, 2018

WHHJR said:
The best thing I have come up with is a split unit. By the time you buy one with necessary parts and installation a 24k unit will likely cost $4000. If I can get over my back problems in a reasonable time I am going to do it. Currently I have LPG and a hanging unit for winter heat. A heat pump split will cost less to operate most of the time because I only try to maintain 45F when I am not in the shop.
2¢

Thanks, but again - the shop is moving in the next 6 - 9 months. $4K is ridiculous if we can do just fine with $750 - $900. It makes ZERO sense to pursue that, here. And, there would be zero return on the investment if we did.

thermite · Aug 15, 2018

Zahnrad Kopf said:
not available in this part of the country, or exceedingly expensive, or... or... or ... FS&K.

All these units are reasonably well packaged for shipping, and they ship fast, cheap, and even "free", or partly so (see "liftgate" add-ons).

WHEN.. I am not bottom-feeding at local Big Box, I have used Alpine, out of Florida:

Alpine Home Air Products: Contractor-grade furnaces, heaters, air conditioners and indoor-air quality products at wholesale prices.

Happy, every time. If the website is clumsy, just pick up the telephone. You know YOUR business. They know theirs. This is their rice-bowl, they have competition, they know that.

If Alpine and sputniks don't have it? You probably don't WANT it! They couldn't survive on hit-and-run as Big Box might do by accident of buyer ignorance.

Shipping has been no issue, even on big, fragile York all-copper outdoor units or A coils. Bulky air-handlers have not been dented, either.

Air Conditioner Brand Choices - Relevant to shop use

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