Amcor ALTL12000E 12000-BTU Portable Air Conditioner with Electronic Controls

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Product Features

• Portable air conditioner for rooms up to 400 square feet
• 12,000-BTU cooling capacity; remote control; 2 fan speeds
• Efficient self-evaporating system; built-in water tank; 12-hour timer
• Washable air filter; carbon filter; window and wall exhaust kit included
• Measures 16 by 15 by 30 inches; 1-year limited warranty

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 16 x 15 x 30 inches ; 70 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 88 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000GDFRMM
• Item model number: ALTL12000E
• Batteries: 2 AAA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #82,594 in Kitchen & Dining (See Bestsellers in Kitchen & Dining)

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  Home Improvement > Heating & Cooling > Air Conditioners & Accessories > Portable

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description
Ideal for average-size rooms up to 400 square feet, this portable air conditioner features a 12,000-BTU cooling capacity. During the cooling process, its self evaporating technology extracts water from the air that passes through the unit. Most of this water then works to help cool the machine for more efficient operation. Approximately 65 to 70 percent of water condensed evaporates out with the exhaust air, reducing the hassle of constantly having to empty the water tank. For the small amount of remaining water, the unit provides a built-in water tank with a drain outlet and a water tube. When the tank fills, the compressor stops operating and the power light will flash to indicate that the tank should be emptied.

The air conditioner also comes equipped with two fan speeds for fast or normal cooling, an LCD digital temperature display, full thermostat control, and electronic controls with a remote control. Choose between continuous operation or the programmable timer, which can be preset up to 12 hours. Other highlights include a 62- to 90-degree F thermostat, moisture removal of 65 pints per day, a washable air filter, and an activated carbon filter, as well as adjustable louvers to control air flow, built-in casters for convenient mobility, and an extendable exhaust hose (up to 5 feet). A window and wall exhaust kit comes included, and the air conditioner must be vented via the included exhaust hose. Please note, if the room has a heat source such as direct sunlight or computer servers, the coverage area may be reduced. Weighing 68 pounds, the air conditioner measures 16 by 15 by 30 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty and a five-year warranty on the compressor.

Product Description
The Amcor ALTL 12000E portable air conditioner is designed to fit most average-size rooms up to 400sq.ft. This model also functions as a 65 pint dehumidifier. Self Evaporating Technology - During the cooling process, water is extracted from the air into the unit. Most of this water is then recycled and used to cool the unit and make it run more efficiently. Approximately 65 to 70% of water condensed is evaporated out with the exhaust air, reducing the hassle of emptying the water tank constantly. This unit has a built-in water tank (not removable) with a drain outlet, and a water tube. When the tank fills, the compressor stops operating and the power light will flash. This indicates that the tank should be emptied. Included with the unit is a window and a wall exhaust kit. AC must be vented via exhaust hose (included). If your room has a heat source such as direct sunlight or computer servers, the AC coverage area may be reduced.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Cooling for the Money, July 3, 2008

By	Seth Eliot (Seattle, WA, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Update Jan 18, 2009.
The $40 Rebate form Amcor, which I applied for back in July, just arrived today. Even by rebate standards that is pretty slow...so just be aware of that.
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First a big caveat: if at all possible an in window unit will always be better than a free-standing portable unit (like this one) because the window unit: will be quieter, will be more efficient, will take up less space. However there are times when a window unit is not an option: certain rental or home owner association situations, odd size windows or windows that will not support an A/C, or no windows (you'll still need some way to vent outdoors). For these situations the AMCOR ALTL 12000E is good choice and a good value.

The 12000E is distinguished from its brother 12000EH (Amcor ALD12000EH 12000-BTU Portable Air Conditioner and Heater) by being $[...] less and NOT having a heating function.

Since portable units are less efficient than window ones, getting more BTUs to overcome this inefficiency is a good idea. Or in other words more BTUs mean cooling more space faster. This 12,000 BTU unit can be had for under $[...] when rebates are in effect, and that is truly a deal. I've seen 10,000 BTU units for over $[...] elsewhere.

Now as to the specifics of the Amcor ALTL 12000E. It is about the same size and weight as most other portable ACs, coming I at about 70 pounds. However it has both a set of 4 caster wheels AND two "dolly" type wheels to move it around. A couple of caveats here: "portable" ACs are really not all that portable. First of all you MUST empty the water bin any time you wish to move it, and second you must disconnect it from its external venting and reconnect it in the new location. The unit comes with a single window venting kit which is not difficult to use, but does secure itself to the proper size using a couple of screws...so you'll be undoing and re-doing these if you want to move it (or buy another window venting kit).

PERFORMANCE...I have this unit in a 200 square foot room with a high ceiling. On a fairly dry, sunny, 90F day, it was able to achieve and maintain low 70s temperatures in about an hour or two.

NOISE....I did not find this unit to be particularly noisier than a window mounted unit. I also noticed that although I could audibly detect when the compressor kicked in (versus just the fan), it was not much of a difference. This is a good sign as it indicates the compressor is fairly quiet. Be aware that like all ACs it does definitely make noise, but if other AC white noise does not bother you, then this should not. The only anomaly is a slight but audible clicking sound every 20-60 seconds. I think this may be water internally dripping into the collection bucket, but am not sure.

SETUP and INSTRUCTIONS.... Setup was relatively straightforward, however the instructions are very poorly written. So I basically would read the instructions, then puzzle it out on the actual unit. Looking at the unit it as all pretty intuitive. The only thing I have not quite figured out is the timer function which is downright arcane...but I was not planning to use this. Another nice feature is that the enclosed window venting kit can accommodate pretty wide windows (or tall if they are casement type). I do not have the exact numbers but the kit consist of three sliding panes which gives good width and flexibility. As with any window venting kit I would advice putting weather stripping along both contact edges to get a better seal.

CUSTOMER SERVICE.... my unit unfortunately came with some shipping damage...the 2 front caster wheels were snapped off. I called the customer service number on a Sunday and they were there! A pleasant woman with a New Jersey accent quickly agreed to ship me out 2 replacement casters right away.

CONCLUSION...if you are in the market for a portable AC, then the AMCOR ALTL 12000E is worth looking at.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS PORTABLE IS WELL WORTH IT!, July 31, 2008

By	Jeremy R. Higashiyama "BlackberryJer" (Rancho Cucamunga, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Okay I have one with a different control panel but its the exact same thing... Anyways I have had it for about 2 years I think and its been great and is working awesomely... I have moved a couple times and it has come with me everywhere. My first place was a 1 bedroom apartment I only had windows that you pull in so I decided to not deal with the hassle of getting someone to put one in for me professionally so that was out of the idea and so I had bought this and worked great until I later finally got the landlord to actually put in a mini-split ductless into the place. Which those work very good by the way if you don't have the room or don't wanna take over a window. During this time the air conditioner was stored away for a little less then 6 months. Then I had moved to a studio apartment and had no air conditioning there and started using it again and it worked perfectly and the studio i think was around 300 Square feet not including the bathroom and kitchen. Worked perfectly there also. Now I have moved into a 4 bedroom house and the computer room happens to sit over half the garage and the central air doesn't hit the room so I am using it here to... All in all I think this air conditioner's model name should be called QUALITY. This thing has been everywhere with me and still works perfectly. There have been no problems with it at all, (Knock on wood) and not to mention all the things it has been thru. Some more info on the unit...Its pretty quiet, you can barely tell when the compressor kicks in it is very quiet. Its a little heavy I will admit and its a little hard to get up and down stairs if thats what you plan on doing with it but I think it is easier then most cause it has little dolly wheels and I think they made that for that idea and the user interface is very easy. If you guys have any questions just let me know I will be glad to help you!

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amcor 12000 btu Portable a/c OK...just lucky, October 3, 2007

By	Popeye "old sailor" (FL) - See all my reviews

Product came on time, box was undamaged. However when I opend the box it looked like someone had stirred up everything with an egg beater. The a/c was sitting in the middle of a bunch of broken pieces of styrofoam. Fortunately it was not damaged except for a mark on the plastic case and it has been working fine since I put it in. I had to insulate so that it could keep up with the central florida heat. But so far no problems and it makes going out to work in my wood shop a pleasure. It seems like it is a pretty rugged machine. I hope it keeps working...