Customer Reviews

LG Energy Star 12,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner with Remote

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

THE BAD: I needed to replace an 18 year old window unit in an upstairs loft consisting of a bedroom, bathroom and office area which my central AC simply could not handle. The area is roughly 800 square feet. I ordered this LG unit from a big box store at a slightly lower price (plus free shipping) than advertised on Amazon. I have had it about 5 weeks. The day it arrived my electrician was enlarging my breaker box so I asked him to help my husband install the window AC. It took both of them about 2 hours to install which I thought was an unusually long time to install a window AC. The major problem was that two plastic clips came with the unit but the instructions only said "Install Clips." It didn't explain where to install them or what purpose they served. They just didn't fit anywhere on the unit. After the guys finally finished the installation I noticed that there were some fairly wide gaps at the point where the curtains attach to the unit(perhaps the clips would have eliminated this). I tried weatherstripping but it didn't work so I sprayed some foam caulk around the curtains which sealed the gaps. That kind of caulk is really difficult to work with and it looks really ugly but it works.

THE GOOD: This unit performs beautifully. I set it on energy saver at 73 degrees and it maintains a very cool temperature in the bedroom, bath and loft area. My bed is directly under the unit and the sound it makes has not interfered with my sleep at all. My energy bill increased by 27% which sounds high but the temps in my area also rocketed from highs in the mid 80s and low 90s to high 90s and 100+ degrees for that entire billing cycle so it is difficult to precisely calculate the percentage of increase which can be attributed to the new unit. In fact, it was the hottest month on record for our area. When you consider that my central AC is now cycling on and off normally instead of running constantly, I suspect that the window unit is actually saving me energy costs as well as wear and tear on the central unit. I researched window ACs thoroughly before purchasing this product and 99% of the reviewers gave it 5 stars. I would definitely purchase this product again and highly recommend it to anyone needing to cool a space of 800 square feet or less.

I recommend phoning LG's customer support center if you have questions regarding the installation instructions. I would have done so if I had known the guys were having trouble but they didn't tell me until after the unit was installed. Why won't men ask for directions?

Amazon sent my LC Star room airconditioner faster than what they originally projected and it arrived in very good condition. I am completely satisfied with

the air conditioner and the bracket that I also ordered. One problem that is the manufacturer's responsibility is the enclosed instruction on assembling it; it took my engineer son to put it together!

A decent A/C unit given the price and the amount of space it cools quickly and efficiently.

Several reviews mention that the instructions were difficult to follow, but I did not find this to be the case. I took a quick glance at the pamphlet included, and although it was very brief it turned out to be a relatively quick setup/installation process. To install the frame into the window took a little bit of extra work as the steel support brackets were much too short even with the screws extended to mount to the particular window frame of my home. Problem easily solved with several wood blocks secured well into the frame (though it doesn't look that great from the outside it's a much needed improvisation being that the unit itself weighs quite a bit).

I would stronly recommend that you secure the frame well before sliding the actual unit in.

Pros:

Efficient and quick cooling

Energy-Star rated

Remote-Controlled, with customizable settings

Easy installation

Manufacturer's warranty*

Cons:

Heavy unit, the weight distribution made it somewhat awkward to carry but not something that was impossible to do.

*My A/C unit had a slight issue, the plastic fan housed internally broke apart after the first week of use and not surprisingly it was made of a very fragile and light plastic. As it turns out, it was not balanced well (issue with molding) and three of the fan blades shattered after snagging against the side of the protective housing. Thankfully, nothing else was damaged and it was a relatively easy fix, covered under the manufacturer's warranty of course.

Much smaller and lighter than the one it replaced, efficient, relatively easy to install, seems like a good value for the dollar

So far it all looks good, just hasn't been hot enough to turn it on! You keep asking for a review, but don't know the answers yet. I do know I like the one I bought 2 years ago, it only had 8,000 BTU's, but it is perfect for the bedroom. The new one should cool the living/dining rooms, which would enable us to eat at the table during summer! Made the whole area nice and cool within minutes during installation test. Can't wait for those hot days!