The ultra-compact portable air conditioner has 3 modes of comfort; cool, dehumidify and fan. This capacity air conditioner is designed to a cool a 251-350 square feet area.
Haier Portable Air Conditioner - 8000 BTUs - CPRB08XCJ Features
- Includes remote, fully directional casters, and complete window kit
- 900 watts. 115 volts. 3 fan speeds. LED push-button display
- Uses eco-friendly R410A refrigerant with zero Ozone Depletion Potential
- Cools and dries the air in a room up to 200 square feet
Price: $285.04
User Reviews about Haier Portable Air Conditioner - 8000 BTUs - CPRB08XCJ
We needed an air conditioner for a small East Village apartment in New York City for one of our kids going to school there. The apartment windows are on the south side. The alternative to this kind of portable unit was to have (and pay) for the installation of a window bracket and still buy a unit - so we gave it a try. It does a great job given the windows allow the blast of hot sunlight in the afternoon (curtains are bound to help).
There is NO issue with water drainage when it is just being used as an air conditioner. The unit auto-evaporates as it works. According the the manual you only need to worry about drainage when you have it in dehumidifier mode. NYC is plenty humid in the summer and there has been no problem with the unit - which is humming along 24/7 for two weeks now.
It is wonderful not to have a window blocked with an air conditioner box - or to worry about taking it out for winter (or covering well enough to keep out the cold). Things that would improve this unit: include small screws with nuts instead of sheet metal screws to attach the exhaust conduit to the plastic window 'sleeve' - and toss in the box some standard foam window weather stripping to pad underneath the window-sleeve.
-- Perfect for small apartment
I set this A/C up in the 6 easy steps. They forgot one VERY IMPORTANT THING. There is a plug (which is not listed as a part on the parts list, or even mentioned in the instructions) which needs to be inserted in to the back of the unit. Since it wasn't mentioned anywhere (and it was not in with the parts, but rather sitting unwrapped a the bottom of the box) we didn't notice it, or put it in. As a result the unit poured water out all over the carpet after only 5 hours use, that carpet was absolutely soaked! After inspecting it, I looked in the box and there, underneath all of the bottom packaging, was the plug. Never mentioned anywhere to make sure it is inserted. Not mentioned at all. Other than that, nice little unit. Could be a little colder, but it is worth not having the window clogged up with a window unit. Nice product! -- Important to Read Before Using
Firsr of all, most of the sites you visit to research this AC have the dimensions all screwed up.
It is: 18" wide 13.5 " deep and 24" high. It is also a bit heavy.
However, that said, it works really well. I have a room app. 400 sq feet, which serves as a home office by day and a bedroom by night (Murphy bed.) It't not noisy in an unpleasant manner- it creates a white noise that may actually be an aid to sleeping, very similar in sound quality and volume to the Sound Oasis machine I usually turn on at night.
Setting it up was little tricky, given that I have sliding windows, no floor space in front of the window, and had to position it on the corner of the desktop. The actual setup time was less than an hour. The exhaust hose is a bit awkward to handle, but I wrestled it into position OK. It has coasters so that one can roll it from one room to another, but I have no intention of doing this, so I can't say if it is a useful feature. Given the stiffness of the hose and the type of the connections, I wouldn't rely on that feature very much. It might come in handy when rolling it away for the winter.
The only question mark remaining is the water situation. My understanding is that when using the cooling function, it extracts moisture from the air and recycles it internally. If one uses it to dehumidify only, then the water accumulates and needs to be drained. So I will be watching to see if there is a problem with accumulation and what a solution might be, such as a drainage hose. Summer here in New England has been hot and humid ( I know- it's worse wherever you are!), but I'm confident this will do the job.
The price may vary a lot. Do a search for the best price before you commit.
Stay cool! -- Really good gizmo!
