Model Number 74055 Has Electronic Controls
Pros:
An effective A/C for small rooms and an excellent value.
Cons:
A bit disturbing when the condenser shuts off at night.
The Bottom Line:
For the price, you can't go far wrong. This little A/C may be low power, but it's easy to use, fairly quiet, and effective for small rooms.
|
|
Overall Rating:
|
 |
|
Author's Review
We've long considered adding a window A/C to our bedroom, especially since it faces the setting sun. Our slider-type windows provide a clear opening only about 2 ft wide, so we needed a very narrow design. Rather than spend $400-500 on a full size "Casement" unit, we decided to try out this little A/C. It did the trick for $109.
5150 BTUs isn't very powerful, but it was enough to cool our 12'x 12' bedroom to sleeping temperature in about an hour or so. Its small size and relatively light weight (50 lbs?) made it easy to insert into the window. Installation instructions are a little confusing but sufficient.
Our version (Model 74055 with electronic controls) is apparently brand new. The original version (Model 75050 with a knob-type control) is the one pictured. Even Sears' website doesn't feature the new model yet, but we found the new model at the store.
The control panel is tiny, but has several features: a "Mode" setting, 1. High, 2.Low, 3. Fan Only-High, 4. Fan Only-Low ; a "Timer", 1, 3, 6, and 10 hours before shutoff, and a four-position "Temp" control which provides auto shutoff of the condenser at 82, 76, 70, and 64 degrees, respectively. A small remote control is also included.
The fan is not particularly powerful, but you can feel air moving air at least 5 feet away. While the top-mounted vent has vanes you can adjust left or right, airflow is primarily directed upward at a 45 degree angle so the air is dispersed evenly through the room.
At full power, the fan sounded no louder than a desk fan at top speed and the condenser makes a soft whirring noise. The only noticeable noise happens is when the room is reduced to the target temperature - the fan stays on, but you hear a disturbing "whump" as the condenser shuts down. While this might go unnoticed during the day, this sometimes woke us up at night.
To solve this, we just set the temperature at 64 degrees and then switched it to fan-only once the night cooled off. Our particular area of the country cools down late at night, allowing us to use the fan alone to save energy after midnight.
The air filter is washable and easily accessible from the front panel.
Overall, this an effective A/C for small rooms. For the price, an excellent value. It looks nice too.
