Good value for the price

Installation

The unit is rather heavy, around 50 lbs. I highly recommend that two people install the unit. We had a few difficulties with the installation because we do not have simple double hung windows; like many older apartment building in New York, there is a elevated 'lip' so the unit is not resting directly on the window sill . The placement of the unit on the elevated lip was a little precarious at first, but we were able to stabilize the back end of the unit (the portion that rest outdoor)s by propping it up with some wooden blocks. The sliding panels are a little flimsy but seems to do the job. The installation guide is simple enough to follow, but the photographs provided are a little difficult to decipher. No special tools besides a Phillips screw driver was needed, however please note that if you need to drill pilot holes, you will require the use of an electric drill.

The Unit

It's a simple white design with a small control touch panel in the bottom left corner. The model also comes with a remote control which is very nice if you want to make adjustments from bed!

The auger wheels which controls the air directional louvers are relatively easy to use but be careful if you have long finger nails. The airflow effectively cools off our bedroom and living room effectively.

The use and care manual is easy to read and understand.

Programming the temperature is very simple, both on the unit's touch panel and with the remote control. The various fan modes from auto, high, med and low are easy to use and understand. Each is well explained in the accompanying manual. I don't know if I would qualify myself as a light sleeper, but I am easily woken. I am able to fall asleep and remain asleep while the AC is set to low. The high fan setting is not too obnoxious but may be too intrusive for light sleepers. I only use the high setting to get the room cooled off quickly and then change the setting to medium or low. The energy saver and auto setting set regulate which is ideal. We have been using the energy saver mode, especially at night. Once the program temperature has been set, the compressor stops and the fan will cycle on and off. As the ambient temperature rises above the programmed temp, the compressor will start up again and cool. I haven't been too disrupted by the start up of the compressor and at times don't really notice it. My husband hears nothing and has been enjoying some great (cool) sleep.

I have never owned an AC prior to the purchase of these two units, therefore I have no point of reference for comparisons. However, given the price ($150), I think the noise level is acceptable. The low setting is ideal for evenings and high and medium during the day. There is at time a slushing/swishing or a pinging sound, especially if it's humid outside. The unit hasn't made any loud or high pitch sounds and it doesn't vibrate.

I really like that the unit is equipped with a clean air feature, which purifies the air - a bonus for allergy sufferers! Though we have not had to change the filter yet, the front panel is relatively easy to open (again, if you have long finger nails, be careful, there isn't much room to maneuver). Closing the panel is a little more tricky and seems to stick a little next to the control panel.

Why did we buy this product

We bought one unit for our bedroom and one unit for our living room/dinning room. Each space is about or less than 200 square feet, for which a 6000 BTU machine is ideal. WE were looking for a machine to effectively cool (but not glacial cool) these two spaces during the summer time in New York City. We had a budget, given that we may not remain in our current apartment for more than a few more years.

Additional Notes

We are keeping the boxes that the units were shipped/stored in; each box includes well placed, firm foam to protect the units. At the end of the summer we will place to the units back in their boxes and into a cube storage bin which seconds as an additional seat in the living room.