Frigidaire FAC106P1A Compact II 10,000-BTU Room Air Conditioner with Electronic Controls
by Frigidaire
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Frigidaire FAC106P1A Compact II 10,000-BTU Room Air Conditioner with Electronic Controls
Customer Review: Good in-window A/C
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great in-window A/C unit. The electronic controls are spot-on, the remote has a built-in thermometer and works exceptionally well, and it blows ice-cold air. I live in a 2BR apartment in Alabama with no central A/C system, and it works perfectly for my needs. It's also not an electricity monster: I installed it, thinking that my electricity bill would skyrocket...but a month after extensive and extended use, my bill's gone up a grand total of $1.12. I got the unit installed right before it got really hot here (perfect timing), but I don't worry about sweating it out in my own place. It's a workhorse, that's certain.
Gripes: it does not automatically shut down when a given temp is reached. I may set its thermostat for 70degF, but it will not turn itself off when that temperature is reached. It's entirely possible that I missed that part when I read the (admittedly well-written) manual, but it ought to be intuitive enough to not require such research. The other gripe I have is with the quality of the unit I first received: like other reviewers, I had to send it back. I'm not sure if it's Frigidaire's fault or Amazon's shipping fault, but the first unit I received had a cracked interior fan head (so it was REALLY loud, as the fan whacked the fan head on each revolution) and the grill on the back looked like it'd been dropped. Like I said...not sure if it's Amazon or Frigidaire Q/A, but I had to send it back to exchange it for another. The unit is loud enough that you'll have to turn up the volume on your TV in order to understand dialog, but I've definitely seen/heard louder units.
Overall, though, this is a good unit that offers plenty of cooling power for the price. Now that I've got one installed and working well, I'd give it a 4.(something) rating out of 5!
Customer Review: Excellent !!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I needed an air conditioner for my garage so my three dogs could cool off from the southern Alabama heat in the summer.
PROS:
1. This size air conditioner is able to keep my garage at the set temperature of 80 deg F. while the outside temperature is 102 degrees F.
2. The thermostat allows the unit to shut down when the set temperature is reached...periodically it will run the fan to send ambient air over the temperature sensors.
3. The fan is strong enough to ensure good circulation.
4. The air conditioner is able to combat my cars hot engine and keep the temperature within a few degrees of setting even with outside temp at 102 degrees. (Hottest outside temp so far)
5. Filter is easy to get to as the front hinges down to extract and clean.
CONS:
1. Difficult to set into a window because the frame work (accordion side panel and window fitting structure around unit) doesn't fit my standardized window well. The Samsung I had in the window, fit like a glove immediately...but its 6,000 Btu's were inadequate.
2. As reported by others, the fan is noisy but powerful. In my living room my central air conditioner causes a noise decibel level of 66dB. This unit in the garage causes a noise decibel level of 77dB (sound readings were take 6 feet away from unit and fan was on highest setting). (80dB is considered the beginning of potential hearing damage if exposed for long periods.)
Worth mentioning:
1. Outside the unit makes some weird clicking noises that sound like the fan is hitting something, but I've had it for over one month and nothing has self destructed yet, so I assume the sounds are normal.
I would buy this same unit again. It does an excellent job for what I need it to do.
Customer Review: Great Value, NOT TOO LOUD
Summary: 5 Stars
I obsessed over whether to buy this unit due to some of the negative reviews. I read the reviews of many other frigidaire products and for whatever reason, people seem to think they are loud. My experience with this unit is that it is as loud as any other in-window unit. Given a choice between dripping in a pool of my own sweat or getting a good night's rest, a bit of white noise in the background wins everytime.
Unit arrived the day after I ordered it, which was a day ahead of schedule, which delighted me. It had clearly been banged up in shipment, but I don't care how the unit looks as long as it works. I got it setup in 10 minutes and it worked fine so I didn't care about the dings and dents. Others may not be as lax as me in this area, but it is 100 degrees here today!
Note: I have "storm windows" in my apartment. You are supposed to have a block of wood to shim under the unit if you have storm windows (ie modern windows found in newer buildings, where the bottom of the window is not flush with the window sill). My window is like this: _|_ . The design of the AC unit is for the lower sill to be like this: _|---|_ , such that the unit rests on the bridge in the middle. I did not put in a shim, which may affect the angle that my unit is resting at. You want the unit slightly inclined so it drains correctly, but I think the way I wedged it into the storm window it will drain anyway. The 10k BTU is totally overkill for my 250 sq ft room (I wanted to be able to put the unit in the main, bigger room of my apartment), so the lack of a perfect flush seal in favor of a more correct-seeming angle was my compromise.
Anyway, quit worrying, get this unit, you will be fine!
Customer Review: This is a "Must Buy" if on a tight budget!
Summary: 5 Stars
We did a lot of comparison shopping and tested many models before buying The Frigidaire FAC106P1A Compact II 10,000-BTU Room Air Conditioner with Electronic Controls. We recently moved to an apartment that only allowed a thru the wall type not to exceed 10K BTU but we wanted a unit that if we ever left here could be used in a window. We also wanted this unit to be Energy Star Efficient, the highest output for recycling the air and a high level of removing moisture. We compared models that ranged from this ones low price up to $700.00. As we are only allowed 1-unit in our apartment and it is about 900 square feet, we knew this wouldn't cover the whole apartment, but we hoped that with its superior to most specs. It would at least make the whole place somewhat comfortable. Well, it does and does it well. We set it at one temperature and it cycles on and off and just by using a couple small fans, does keep out entire 2-bedroom apt. comfortable (though very chilly in the living room where it is). Some have said it is a bit loud, we find it about average considering it moves more air per hour than about every other model out there. To move that much air, the fan must be fast and so a little extra noise is expected. I would prefer it to be quieter, but I honestly think if they did, it would not do the great job it does. Bottom line, if a little extra fan noise will not bother you and you need the best bang for the buck, this unit is for you!Customer Review: Perfect to cool 450sqft garage
Summary: 5 Stars
I needed a spot to do my wood working and race slot cars. So my 450sqft, 2 car garage got turned into manland here in the South. I buried the ceiling and covered the walls and sliding door with insulation, then put 3 coats of epoxy on the floor(the cement dust was coming into the house in drifts). I needed a A/C unit to cool the space.
I did a bunch of research on window A/C units. I'm retired from GE, and get HUGE discounts on GE products. Most of the units I found(including the GE models) were only modestly energy efficient
The description goes into most of the key points, so I won't repeat them here, but a nice touch not described is the negative ion generation...it aids the collection of dust and makes the air quite pleasant(Like after a rain storm...all the negative ions makes it nice to breath).
Installation was easy except for one caveat. The installation assumes you have a wood window unit. How you get around that is up to you.
At $259, Lowes, Home Depot or GE couldn't compete, even with inferior units.
I've been quite happy with my purchase.