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Cheap Air Conditioners: Best Cheap Air Conditioner Reviews

Contents Buying Guide » What to Look For » See Also Air Conditioner Reviews

Best Cheap Air Conditioners Good Cheap Air Conditioners Frigidaire FAA055P7A (5200 BTU) starting at $133 Kenmore 75051 (5300 BTU) starting at $150 Frigidaire FAA084P7A (8000 BTU) starting at $190 LG LWHD1006R (10,000 BTU) starting at $220 Kenmore 75050 (5150 BTU) starting at $98 Kenmore 75062 (6000 BTU) starting at $250 GE ASM08LK (8000 BTU) starting at $230 Haier HWR12XCA (12,000 BTU) starting at $264 Don't Bother Cheap Air Conditioners  »

Cheap Air Conditioners Buying Guide

If the price of things you want--or need--these days is making you sweat, here's some news that will cool you off: There are plenty of cheap air conditioners on the market that should appeal to thrifty shoppers. For less than $300 you can buy a cheap air conditioner that fits in a window or through the wall and is powerful enough to blast frigid air into small to mid-size rooms.

Depending on the layout of your living space and its relation to the sun--and perhaps with a boost from a strategically placed fan--you may be able to cool an even larger area with these cheap air conditioners (AC).

There are numerous players in the room AC market. Prices start as low as $80 and rise well beyond $2,000, with the mid-range extending from $300 up to $800. GE alone produces dozens of different room air conditioner models, with the cheapest going for about $120 and the priciest fetching about $1,500. The upper half of GE's product line is populated mostly by built-in (and some window) models that do double duty chilling or heating large spaces. Like GE, most AC manufacturers produce a range of cheap, mid-price, and high-end models designed to cool (and sometimes heat) one or two rooms. The major producers in the cheap air conditioner arena, in addition to GE, include Frigidaire, Haier, LG, and Kenmore. Sharp, Carrier, and Friedrich are also big names, but the latter two are best known for pricier and larger capacity units.

In the world of air conditioning, capacity is linked to price. That is, the more powerful the unit, the greater the area it can cool and the higher is the price. AC capacity is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs), which is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one pound of water by one degree. Cooling capacity of room air conditioners in the Cheapism niche (less than $300) ranges from 5,000-12,000 BTUs--ideal for small to mid-size rooms. Large rooms require greater cooling capacity, but the cost of these units is greater than frugal consumers may want to spend. The Kenmore 75051 with 5300 BTUs (starting at $150) and the GE AEV05LM with 5200 BTUs (starting at $150), for example, work best in rooms up to about 200 square feet. The Frigidaire FAA084P7A (starting at $190, Amazon) with 8000 BTUs and the Haier ESA3087 (starting at $196, Amazon) with 7800 BTUs do the job on rooms up to 350 square feet. The Frigidaire FAC106P1 (starting at $213, Amazon) with 10,000 BTUs and the Kenmore 75101 (buy it from Sears) can handle an area of about 500 square feet. The Frigidaire FAC124P1A (starting at $270) features 12,000 BTUs and cool up to 640 square feet.

So before you start shopping, the first thing you need to do is measure the size of the room where the air conditioner will be used. (If it's going in the window, don't forget to measure that, as well.) It doesn't pay to buy more or less BTUs than you need; in fact, a unit with excess or insufficient capacity for the space will perform poorly and inefficiently. On the other hand, rooms with high ceilings, lots of south-facing windows, and/or minimal insulation could use the oomph of a few extra BTUs.

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What to Look For: Cheap Air Conditioner Features

There are dozens of cheap AC models to choose from, many with a similar assortment of features. Typical features on the better inexpensive models include remote control, adjustable air-flow louvers, reusable filter, and on/off timer. The most important distinguishing characteristics among budget air conditioners include capacity (i.e., BTUs, as discussed above), energy efficiency, and the number and type of cooling modes and the number of fan speeds. Two notes: 1) Most cheap air conditioners are designed for double-hung windows--options are limited if you have casement or slider windows; 2) Models from the same manufacturer will differ slightly in number/letter designation and combination of features, depending on the retailer.

Cheap AC Energy Efficiency

. All air conditioners these days incorporate energy efficient technology. Many are Energy Star rated, meaning the model is at least 10% more efficient than the minimum standard set by the federal government for its size and design. The critical number to note is the EER (energy efficiency rating), which takes account of the BTUs and the wattage (the amount of electrical power used); the higher the EER, the more efficient the unit. Cheap air conditioners generally carry an EER of 9.7 or higher and those with Energy Star rating usually have an EER of at least 10.7. Experts say energy use drops by 1% for each 0.1 increase in the EER.

The Energy Star label has little impact on price. The Frigidaire FAA086P7A, with an EER of 10.8 and an Energy Star rating, sells for about $176 compared to the FAA084P7A, with an EER of 9.8, no Energy Star rating, and a starting price of $198; the constellation of features on these two models differs only slightly. Strictly from a cost standpoint, it's impossible to say which is the better buy. The amount of money you save on the electric bill with an Energy Star air conditioner depends on several factors, including the unit's capacity as measured in BTUs, the number of hours it's used, its position relative to the sun, and the local price of electricity.

Cheap AC Electronic Control

. The electronic guts of today's air conditioners support money-saving and user-friendly features, including digital displays, remote control devices, and thermostats that maintain a precise temperature. The Frigidaire FAX052P7A (starting at $110, Amazon) the GE AEV05LM (starting at $149) are among the few remaining examples of mechanical air conditioners. These basic, cheap air conditioners have fewer features and less functionality--no remote, digital display, or programmable thermostat, for example--and are a tad less expensive than electronically-controlled models.

But users appreciate the versatility of the electronic budget ACs. Thermostats, for example, take the guesswork out of temperature regulation: As noted in air conditioner reviews about the Frigidaire FAA084P7A on retailing site Abt, the unit can be set to a specific temperature (product specs say between 60 and 90 degrees) instead of a meaningless number. A user commenting on the AJ Madison site about the same model says the remote, which has its own thermostat, can be adjusted with your eyes shut.

Remote controllers are increasingly standard issue with cheap ACs. Functions on the remote vary by model; in addition to on/off, options may include time delay, temperature sensor and setting, fan speed, and/or cooling mode. One electronically savvy user, who posted an air conditioners review on the Sears website about the Kenmore 75062 (buy it from Sears), programmed a universal remote to manage the air conditioner and jettisoned this one-appliance gizmo.

Cheap Air Conditioners Fan Speeds and Cooling Modes.

Inexpensive air conditioners usually feature two or three fan speeds and two to four cooling modes. On the cheapest ACs with up to 6,000 BTUs, such as the Kenmore 75051, two fan-only speeds and two cooling options are the norm. Thrifty shoppers looking for compact air conditioners with more cooling flexibility will have to pay the price: the Kenmore 75062, another 6,000 BTU unit, has three fan-only speeds and three cooling modes. Some of GE's cheaper air conditioners, in the AEQ and AEM series, have an auto fan setting that automatically adjusts fan speed to maintain the desired temperature. Frigidaire equips many cheap AC models with a variable speed fan that adjusts automatically (or by the user) depending on need. Consumers like the variable fan's range: one AC review of the FAA055P7A (starting at $133, Amazon), on Amazon says the higher the fan speed, the farther the cold air travels; another user says slower speeds produce less noise. Mid- to large-capacity cheap air conditioners, ranging up to 12,000 BTUs, are pricier but generally provide even more functionality. Standard fan speeds include low, medium, and high. The cooling modes are high and low and, depending on the manufacturer and model, some combination of dry, fan only, energy saver (the fan shuts down when the compressor does and periodically restarts until the compressor is needed again), or sleep (temperature rises automatically and incrementally to a desired level and holds steady all night). The energy saver setting is found on numerous cheap AC models, including the Frigidaire FAC124P1A (starting at $270), Kenmore 75062, and Haier ESA3105 (starting at $250, Amazon); it is the favorite feature of one owner of the LG LWHD1006 (starting at $220) who posted a review on Home Depot. The sleep mode offered on cheap Frigidaire models, like the FAA084P7A and the smaller FAA055P7A, also has its champions. One user posting on Buzzillions about the Frigidaire FAA055P7A is particularly pleased with the gradual increase in temperature during the night and the resulting lower energy costs.

Cheap AC Timer

. Another useful feature on cheap air conditioners is the timer, which lets thrifty consumers decide when the unit turns itself on and off. With models like the Kenmore 75062 users can set the timer up to 12 hours in advance in one-hour increments. GE models, like the AEQ05LM (starting at $152, Amazon), as well as the Frigidaire FAC124P1A and 086P7A, and the HWR05XC7 (starting at $110, Amazon), give users a 24- hour window. This money-saving convenience lets frugal users return to a cool home after being gone all day and removes the worry about forgetting to turn off the air conditioner when going out.

Cheap Air Conditioners Filter

. Every air conditioner has a filter to sift out the dust, dirt, and smoke found in the environment. These days most cheapAC models, including the Haier HWR05XC7, have a reusable filter that can be quickly and easily removed, rinsed or vacuumed, and then reinserted; the recommended cleaning frequency is every two to four weeks. Several models, like the Frigidaire FAA055P7A come with a little light that goes on when the filter needs cleaning. Some cheap air conditioners, such as the Frigidaire FAA086P7A, have an electronic or electrostatic filter that is effective against allergens. One user who suffers from allergies says in an air conditioners review of the Frigidaire FAA055P7A on Amazon that he keeps the clean air button on all the time.

Cheap AC Adjustable Louvers

. Cold air flows out the top or front of window air conditioners. Most cheap AC models have louvers that can be adjusted to direct the air flow: up and down, and/or left and right. Sometimes the effectiveness of these directional maneuvers is not always obvious.

Cheap Air Conditioners Extras

. Another convenient feature found on many budget air conditioners is the automatic restart, which revives the AC when electricity is restored following a brownout and reverts to the previous setting. A less helpful feature found on several Frigidaire and GE models is the beeping noise that sounds every time a setting is changed; users commenting on Epinions, for example, find this feature particularly irritating. Consumers who live in climates that are humid in spring and fall will appreciate the kind of built-in dehumidifier found in some inexpensive Haier air conditioners, like the ESA3105; although all air conditioners draw moisture out of the air, this feature on the Haier works without cooling the air.

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Products Mentioned in This Review

Frigidaire FAX054P7A (5000 BTU)
Haier HWR05XC7 (5200 BTU)
Haier HWR08XC7 (8,000 BTU)
Kenmore 75050 (5150 BTU)
Kenmore 75062 (6000 BTU)
GE ASM08LK (8000 BTU)
Haier HWR12XCA (12,000 BTU)
Frigidaire FAA055P7A (5200 BTU)
Kenmore 75051 (5300 BTU)
Frigidaire FAA084P7A (8000 BTU)
LG LWHD1006R (10,000 BTU)

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