Koldfront PAC801W Ultracool 8,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner, White

I ordered this product early this week and received it today. Then I saw the negative review before I set it up and I was nervous about the purchase, but after setting it up, the AC worked just great. It does not take long to set up at all as there are just a few pieces and steps to the process. I would read the instructions to do things in the right order and note their tips on usage; however, the instructions are easy to follow. There is a hose you attach to the back of the portable AC unit and then you install the sliding plastic piece that goes in the window either horizontally or vertically (depending on how your window opens and closes). It came with some insulation strips but I don't think I will need to use them. Despite the instructions suggesting inserting the hose in the sliding piece after it is secure in the window, I found it easier to attach the hose to the sliding piece first and then set it into place (even though that is a bit more awkward to do). This only because the sliding piece moved "backwards" when I tried to connect the hose into the hole, but that might be because my window does not hold the sliding plastic piece that firmly in place. It's not a problem that it would move on its own now it's all set up.The room was very hot where I set up it up and I set the temperature to 68 degrees at first and it started blasting out cold air right away and before long the room was almost chilly and it cooled after the adjacent hallway and other rooms enough to make them more comfortable (given the current heat wave). You can adjust the angle of the vents up and down which is convenient. There are three fan speeds. There is also a remote control that can perform the same tasks as you can pressing the buttons on the face of the unit. Either way it's very simple to operate this product.I don't find the unit overly noisy because you would expect any fan, air conditioner or humidifier to make some noise and the amount this unit makes is inline with what I might expect, and probably less noisy than some alternatives.While you can use this as a fan without AC, it is just an extra feature that might make sense if the room is cool enough to shut the AC off. It's certainly not a convenient size for just a fan, but with that said the fan functions well - you can adjust the vent angle up and down but not sideways nor does it rotate. I think it's obvious one would purchase this unit because you want a portable AC.While it's a reasonable size for dehumidifier unless you have just the perfect location where you can attach a hose that drains the water, it does not seem practical in many situations to use the "Dry" mode to dehumidify, at least not very often unless you have it just the right location where you can attach a garden hose to drain it. I suppose it's an extra benefit you could use it as a dehumidifier, but I prefer my Frigidaire in our basement for that purpose because it has a bucket you can empty. (I am still working on getting it to drain with a garden hose into a sink down there, but that's another story.

I ordered 2 of these units hoping to get my place cold before summer.Unfortunately 1 unit was shipped defective. The Other works great!I contacted Compact appliance about what to do. They informed me they were out of the 8,000 BTU units for the season.After having a little frustration finding out who I needed to talk to have this matter resolved.Ryan Pontious from customer support solved the problem.Like any company they dismissed me initially. I wrote them 1 email with my frustration for being put on hold in the summer with no AC no hopes of getting a replacement and now having to send this one back.(which was easy. put it in the box. wrote the return number on it. FED ex picks it up)Ryan Pontious responded immediately with a solution.They agreed to send me a 12,000 BTU unit at the same price as the 8,000Actually saved me a few dollars on shipping in the end and now I have a bigger unit.I suggest staying off the phone unless they are contacting you. If you just write them your problems with detail it will be easier to take care of it for you.Great response in the end. And YES the AC Unit is good.Its blows Cold even in a large space.Mine is 1 large 1000sq ft room. 2 together work incredible.Best value for these Portable ACs.The name brand ones are $400 dollars at Homedepot/target and do not even do as good a job.

After using this unit for one year I felt an updated review was necessary. Bottom line is the air conditioner does indeed work quite well! I use it in my small office (about 400 square feet) with one window and no direct sunlight. The unit sits next to my desk, where I spend most of my time, and with the movable louvers I have it blowing air directly on me. I also have an additional small fan running on low to help distribute the cool air throughout the room. It cools the whole room far more efficiently with the door closed. THE UNIT BLOWS COLD AIR EXACTLY AS IT CLAIMS! I also have central air that keeps the room at about 80 degrees without the portable. The portable cools the room down to about 72 degrees. With the air blowing directly on me I usually only run it a half hour or so at a time because, seriously, I get too cold! I direct the louvers up when I want to cool the whole room without it blowing directly on me. I am a little surprised at the reviews that say it doesn't work. I think if the unit produces cold air, which it definitely does, but does not cool you or the room, then you have a problem with how you utilize or manage that cold air.As for installation, the window kit, while not the greatest quality and fit, is more than adequate. It does work for both horizontal and vertical windows. You need to follow the instructions closely. The hose fittings at the back of the unit and the window plate are to be installed with a counter clockwise twist, which holds the hose securely.You definitely need a drain hose attached at the bottom of the unit as the condensation produces a lot of water. The problem is the nipple is located at the very bottom of the unit, so the drip pan or bucket has to be lower than the cooler to allow gravity to drain the water. This means the unit has to be set on a raised platform or you need a floor drain to correctly drain the water. I use a small stand that elevates the unit about 8 inches off the floor with a shallow pan to collect the water. I use latex hose with 5/8 ID, 7/8 OD and 1/8 wall. The fit is not very snug so I use a simple hose clamp to tighten it all up.So in summary, this unit is not a miracle worker and it does have a couple design flaws, but for the price and ease of use it does more than I ever hoped for.I am comfortable all day with cool air when I need it and no noticeable increase in my electricity bill. I just purchased another unit for my bedroom and expect similar results.