Frigidaire FAA065P7A 6,000 BTU MSII Air Conditioner with Electronic Controls
by Frigidaire
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Frigidaire FAA065P7A 6,000 BTU MSII Air Conditioner with Electronic Controls
Customer Review: Quiet and Good Quality Overall, but Cooling is "Adequate" only.
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm facing my second summer with this unit, and although it's been better than nothing and better than the clunker it replaced, I will have to replace it with something with significantly more power and better design.
The room I'm cooling is only 11' x 11', but this thing really struggles to stay ahead of the heat if the outside temperature gets anywhere above the mid-80s. I put up with the thing all last summer but...the temperature today in LA got into the mid-90s for the first time this spring and I'm just not going to deal with this limp cooling capacity another summer. 'An expense I didn't need at this point, plus the hassles of product comparison, pickup/delivery and installation. *And* I'll have to decide what to do with the old one.
Pros: Contrary to a couple of other reviews here this unit has a perfectly acceptable noise level. If your standard is complete silence, well yes, you're going to be disappointed with everything but an open window. There is no such thing as a "whisper-quiet" window air conditioner, sorry to say. This has a perfectly typical noise level for this size and type of AC unit - except for its insufferable beeping, which I'll get to in a minute.
The remote control is simple, functional, and something to appreciate deeply when you need to change something in the middle of the night. Now I wouldn't buy an AC unit without one, and this one works well, duplicating almost all of the controls on the unit's front panel.
The unit as a whole is of typical Frigidaire quality, which is to say very good, but with some significant caveats...
Cons: The air vent design is utterly worthless for any kind of directional capability, and that's maddening because air vent design is bonehead-simple, basically a matter of deciding on what shape to mold a little plastic(!) For all practical purposes this unit just blows air straight out the front. The up/down louvers are only a quarter-inch deep, which means they barely perturb the airflow, much less direct it anywhere, and in any case can only be moved a total of about *10 degrees* from fully up to fully down, I kid you not. And those disc-shaped side-to-side things? They're an annoying joke at best. They do absolutely *nothing* to alter airflow direction. I can't understand how those things got past the design review process. Someone at Frigidaire needs to completely rethink, or maybe just... think... the air vent design for this product line. I've worked around the nonexistent louver problem by building my own, cobbled together out of one of those furnace register deflector things made out of clear plastic and attached with clear duct tape, at a total cost of about $30 additional from the local Home Despot. Should this be necessary?
The dust filter too is incredibly flimsy - just a plastic mesh screen with a very flimsy plastic frame that sets loosely inside the flip-out front panel. The "Check Filter" light is on all the time, and I've had to clean the radiator fins with a toothbrush every couple of months because of the stuff that gets through the screen.
Another needless design flaw is that the unit beeps - loudly - every time you turn the unit on or off, and every time you change any setting. That's: Every. Single. Change. If you change the digital temperature or fan speed setting, it will beep once *for every single increment*: 65-BEEEEP!-64-BEEEEP!-63-BEEEEP!-62-BEEEEP!-61-BEEEEP! Is this really necessary? It reminds me of those insufferable beepers that every truck in America now is required by overweening law to have for the reverse gear. Unnecessary and deeply annoying, particularly if you're changing something or turning it off or on in the middle of the night. The neighbors just love it too.
Where the rubber really hits the road for an air conditioner, obviously, is the cooling ability, and this one can be classified as barely adequate at best. I have a wall-wart timer programmed to turn the unit on a couple hours before I normally get home from work, and though the room is typically cooler than the outside, it's only just, and you can almost sense this unit panting with exhaustion under the strain. In addition, the condensor kicks out (i.e., the unit goes into "Fan only" mode,) frequently and seemingly at random, even when the room is still lukewarm to stuffy. I assume the coils are freezing up with the effort or something.
Bottom line: this unit is just not up to the task of cooling a smallish (11' x 11') room on a 90-degree day, and at 6,000 BTUs that task should not be a problem. Or am I expecting too much here?
So no more messing around - if I can find a 10k BTU unit that fits, that's what will replace it. Again, 'not an expense I really want to make just now, but there's no other option but sweating, tossing and turning. What price sleep, and what price job performance the next day? Frigidaire should be better than this.
Customer Review: I had a problem but its no big deal
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a 5.5 unit but I had could only award it 4 stars . I had the noisy didnt work unit experience like another poster said who fixed it . I am afraid these take a beating when in transit . Somehow in shipping the coils that go to the condensor shifted so it hit the fan . It went clunk , clunk ...nothing . Not knowing the unit I I left it on waiting for the three minutes it says for the compressor to kick in . NO the fan should work right away . If you purchase one try the fan only mode first and make sure it works fine . Do what the one guy said let it sit at least a few hours too right side up before kicking on the AC . Thats old school to make sure the comrpessor oil filters down and you dont damage the valve body .
I was able to take a thin piece of wood and push the coil over without taking the case off . I noticed I made a few indentations in the copper tubing . The other Amazon shopper did it correctly . I am disabled and sadly had to try the improper way over pulling the case off as I was in pain not thinking clearly ( spinal neck back injury ) . It worked but it would of been proper and better to take it apart and push it over ever so gently making sure not to dent tubing or stress joints ..maybe even tie the coil to something pulling it away from the fan . You have to be so careful on the coil as its soldered and must be air tight . You dont want to stress the joints . I was able to get 1/8th of a inch fan clearance poking it with a stick . I am so mad at myself that I let the motor run for almost 15 mininutes with it locked up being brand new . Hopefully I will not have any trouble with it . Set it back in the window just to check it . It could of been done on the floor I guess ..she is running like a charm .
Oh and something that might be of interest nobody has mentioned .This has both manual and remote controls a big plus if the remote breaks . Further , the remote will work without being in the line of sight . I found you have to be in the same room but thats about it . Very nice its not like the old IR's where you have to point it at the eye . I had to put it in the same wall my headboard is against . I can sit in bed with it in any position and it works . I put some velcro on the remote and the wall above my head that way I can just reach and stick . I do the same with the tv remote and I use a svat remote switch for a light in the main room . For the bedroom just turning on the tv gives me enough light . Being in severe chronic pain I am up every hour all night each night .
I love shopping online its so much easier and often cheaper when you figure time , gas ..but there is a price . Its just you loose that closeness of purchasing in your own community from neighbors . I miss that and thanfully somethings you just dont purchase due to return issues even as good as Amazon is . I would of had a cow having to repack this . The box litterly falls apart when you pull the unit out . The one thing I did not like was the carton and thats proballey why the coils were moved along with being tossed around at UPS . That flimsy carton is not even worth keeping other then proof of original purchase . I just flattened it and put it in the attic . I will use a rubbermaid container for storing this or put it in a trash bag down in the basement . Who knows because of my back I have left one air conditioner in the window for 17 years and its still works . I just cover it and insulate it each winter . God Bless people . If you have noise check that copper tubing / fan for clearance . You can see it from the top of the unit .
I finished installing the unit . It was really so simple the skirts are slid into the unit so they grab then the rails put in . This is quiet I think if anyone has noise there is a problem with the unit . More then likely very simple for a tech to fix . Now on the drilling holes for the condesnation thats ok if ones careful but I looked at the whirlpool unit I have had for 17 years and there was no drip hole either . Just make sure you have a tad of slope downward about 1/12 inches . These are not supposed to be level . I put mine ontop of a two by 4 across the sill . It was enough lift . I do have outside storm windows installed back in the 60's . My house is very old . I upgraded and used self drilling 3/16 hex head screws . I had some extra foam and foam tape they didnt really give enough . I painted the two by four with white spray paint to match my sill . This shouldnt take more then 15 minutes once you have everything . To gather all the stuff / simple tools it took about a hour of time . So of course make this a afternoon project to be safe .
I am just going to leave mine in year round and insulate it . They make bags for the outside and you put plastic across the front with tape , pull the shade down and use a insulated drape . This leaves plenty of window free it only took up about 15 inches even with the two by four . May your God go with you always .
Customer Review: Good Value for the Price
Summary: 4 Stars
We purchased two Frigidaire (FAA065P7A) units following the reviews from Amazon, Epinions, and a few other sites. The unit received favorable reviews from Consumer Reports in both 2007 and 2008.
The unit was not easy to install, but that is more or less a result of our windows/frames and not necessarily the unit. Note the unit is rather heavy and ease of instillation requires the assistance of two people (preferably).
There is a slight slushing sound from time to time but nothing excessive (it has been very humid lately in NY). The energy saver mode is great and the start-up of the compressor is not obnoxious (an especially nice feature during the night). We sleep with the fan on low which makes/generate some noise - the unit is under $200, one cannot expect pristine tranquility - but it was not disruptive. I would not qualify myself as a light sleeper, but I am easily woken; I was able to fall asleep and remain asleep throughout the night with the fan on low. In the energy saver mode, the fans cycle off and on once the programmed temperature is reached and the compressor will resume once the ambient temperature goes above the programmed temperature setting. Since we kept our door closed, I find it gets stuffy when the fan stops running - you may want to leave your door ajar just a light to help keep a little air circulating.
The fan on high is not as loud/disruptive as expected (though this is my first window unit, so I have no point of reference), especially given some of the reviews posted on Amazon; nonetheless, it may be a little too intrusive for light sleepers.
Just a note about merchants selling this product - we ordered our two units from Allergy Be Gone since they are located in Brooklyn and we live in northern Manhattan. I would never recommend their services to anyone! Only one of the two units was delivered and now I must spent another full day waiting from the second unit to be delivered. Customer service reps were exceedingly rude and I've been waiting for several days now for a response from one of the managers. My first call was neutral, during my second call - since the promised return call from the manager never came through - was atrocious, I was transfered mid-sentence and had no idea what happened or who's voice mail I had been sent to. My third call was mush better...but still no resolution. Perhaps small transactions with this merchant are adequate but the cheaper prices of their advertised AC units will cost us more in the end - we never calculated on an additional day of lost work time/pay...something to think out. I have reviewed their profile on the BBB website and it seems a majority of customer complaints concern delivery - please think twice before buying any large products from Allergy Be Gone - we deeply regret our decision to do so!
Customer Review: It's not perfect but it's cheap and efficient.
Summary: 4 Stars
A large brick and mortar store sells these exclusively at very low prices, and Consumer Reports had many nice things to say about them, so I bought three of them. Oh yes, three.
I remember when air conditioners weighed, minimally, sixty pounds. These weigh about forty pounds, and that makes them much easier to carry, place on a window sill, and move while positioning for the season.
They also draw slightly less than 15 amps, and have a fuse breaker built into the plug, which may or may not slightly mitigate tripped circuits or blown fuses in your home. It also starts with the compressor off for the first three minutes, so the amperage draw isn't high enough to trip a circuit. This is particularly consumer-friendly engineering.
The remote control is very nice and actually quite helpful for the kids' rooms; I can change settings without trying to creep past them at night, in case the rooms gets too cold or hot.
The units are quiet and do a very good job of colling down a room, even a 16x10 south-facing second-floor room with three windows. There are two or three issues you need to accept.
One, the energy efficient mode is probably very efficient, but somewhat intrusive. It will cycle the fan off and be perfectly quiet, then kick back on with air or cooled air as it needs it. In theory this is not a bad idea, but if it cycles every two minutes, it might keep you awake at night with noise/quiet/noise/quiet.
Two, the condensation pan does not have outlet holes, so you will be retaining a half-inch or so of water for the summer season. I do not like this at all, and removing a unit from a window means understanding this and attempting to drain it in some clever way before bringing it indoors. There should be outlet holes, period.
Three, the screw-type air deflectors are sort of hit and miss with directional quality. In general, no air conditioner manufacturer really does this right. The directional vents should be modeled after automobile air vents, with focused airflow and very generous coverage arcs.
The units are very efficient (10.7) and inexpensive, and Frigidaire will stand behind them for five years. I liked them enough to buy three, and would probably buy them again. A final note, the 8,000 BTU version is too loud for a bedroom. I had to return it and get a 6,000 BTU unit, which was fine.
-Fred
Customer Review: Nice unit - Works well
Summary: 4 Stars
Decided to put a window unit into the bedroom so I could have snow without freezing out my daughters. Room is approximately 600 square feet and I already have central air - so this is just for topping off (cooling) the temperature. Works very well in keeping the room extra cool. Room stays about 80 degrees without unit; I keep room at 74 degrees with the unit.
Unit is nice looking and I like the layout. Easy to figure out and straight forward to use. Despite some reviews, my unit is quiet - almost too quiet. I was looking forward to a little "white noise" but this unit is actually more quiet than my 12 year old fan. No problems with the inside fan hitting water in the unit as reported in another review - maybe because it is recirculating already air conditioned air - or maybe I have the angle set correctly so that water drains.
Room stays very comfortable now and the central air is set upwards by 4 degrees so this is saving me a fortune.
Remote: Thought this would be a waste of plastic when I bought the unit but it turns out I use the remote a lot. I keep the room warmer in the day and when I am about to go to sleep I lower the temperature some more using the remote. I suffer from insomnia so being able to adjust temperature without getting up (i.e. waking up) has been extremely useful in helping me to sleep more.
Issues: Putting the unit in was more trouble than I expected. My windows were not designed for a window unit and the unit didn't make things any easier - its designed for a wooden window (or so I would surmise). I did not use a mounting bracket because the window is low - but would recommend you use a bracket for a higher window (bought separately). I ended up drilling a few holes through an aluminum window frame to get the unit in solid and stable. I also used rigid insulation to cover the lower area of the window making for a perfect seal. The side screens that come with the unit leak a lot of outside air into the house without adding extra insulation. Only other observation is the outside condensor fins are incredibly delicate and not protected at all... You so much as look at them in anger and they will bend. Be very careful not to let anything close to them or expect a lot of fin damage and reduced efficiency.
Overall I like the unit - it is exceeding expectations. Now if it will just last me 10 years I'll be happy!