Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Arc Fault Circuit Interrupt (AFCI) is too sensitive, July 7, 2006
I purchased an Amcor PLM 14000E portable air conditioner based on its selling points, including being able to use it in a standard outlet, its light weight and size, and the BTU rating. The a/c unit arrived in a box that had significant wear and tear, but the unit was intact and all parts were there. It actually weighs 83 pounds (per UPS scales) vs. the 75 pounds as indicated by the manufacturer and the 58 pounds indicated in the description. The installation and setup was very easy - about 10 minutes. The weather strip provided by the manufacturer is basic and cheap. I used a better quality weather strip from Home Depot. After waiting the required 2 hours, I turned the unit on. The unit ran well for approximately 3 hours, and then the built in Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) tripped. I reset the AFCI (built into the unit's power cord) and the unit ran for about 10 minutes and the AFCI tripped again. I cannot get the unit to run for more than 10 or 15 minutes without the AFCI shutting the unit down.
I plugged the unit into a standard, 15amp household circuit. I checked the voltage at the outlet and it read OK. I also calculated the total load of all the lights and appliances in the room to see if I was drawing too many amps. If I powered on EVERYTHING that's plugged into my master bedroom circuit, including the new A/C unit, I might be pushing 15 amps. The unit indicated it took 9.5 amps and I typically only have two 75 watt lamps running at the same time the A/C unit was running. Total amps never exceed 10 or 11.
I called Amcor and they told me the AFCI tripping issues was a "known problem" (quoted directly from the service representative) and that it was due to the very sensitive nature of the built in AFCI. He went on to say I could call an electrician to inspect my home wiring (house is only 8 years old) and/or have a 20 amp dedicated circuit installed, and/or have the built in AFCI removed from the unit's powercord. He was sure to emphasize that he nor Amcor supported removing the AFCI unit. The other option the Amcor rep suggested was to return the item and request a refund - which I did.
So I'm out roughly $140 in shipping charges due to Amcor selling a portable air conditioner with a "known problem." I'm not sure it qualifies as a defect, but it certainly does not work as advertised.
Other "issues" include:
The fan is a bit noisy and does not shut off after reaching the desired temperature set on the thermostat, but the compressor does shut down. It would be better if both the fan and compressor shut off.
The remote control has a display panel that can easily get out of sync with the unit's display panel. If you change the thermostat temperature on the remote control and do not point it directly at the unit, the change will not take affect on the unit, however, the remote's display will indicate the new temperature setting. I'm not sure how useful the remote's display panel is.
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36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A very personal account of using this unit, August 26, 2007
(This is a lengthy review which focuses on a personal account rather than the features of the unit itself. It should provide valuable insight for those of you contemplating a portable AC purchase).
PURCHASE REASONS
1. I live in New York, there are typically 3 months a year of hot, and sometimes humid, weather. I need to cool a 300 square foot room.
2. In my living room, I have only one window wide enough to hold a window ac unit. I would hate to have my main vista view window obstructed by an ac unit.
3. On some days, it's better to have an open window and use a fan.
4. I want selective room cooling.
SUMMER 2006 EXPERIENCE
A week into the purchase, I was feeling elated ("wow, this unit cools really well and it's 80F outside"). Then that feeling turned to frustration ("damn, this circuit breaker is way too sensitive"). And finally, after a month of usage, annoyance set in ("damn it's 90F and humid outside, this machine keeps shutting off every two hours and getting on all-fours to empty the water tank is a pain".... "damn!!! it's 2am and I feel hot'n'sticky but I've got to empty that tank"). By the end of summer 2006, I was so disgusted by the underwhelming performance of the unit that I vowed to either improve its usefulness or junk it.
PROBLEM
When the internal water tank is completely full, the unit stops working. On a very humid day, that can mean less than 2 hours of continuous operation. Appalling. Alternatively, you can fore-go the internal tank and use continuous drainage. Unfortunately, the drain outlet is an inch from the ground which makes it impossible to use a hose and bucket (since any drainage hose must run downwards). There must be a really good technical reason why the outlet is located at near-ground level, otherwise it is an incredibly stupid design flaw. Furthermore, the exhaust outlet (for expelling hot air) is situated 1 foot off the ground. How many window sills start at 1 foot height? Stupid, stupid, stupid!
SOLUTION
I elevated the unit by two feet. I placed the whole thing on a sturdy table. Warning: this unit is heavy so you need a strong, rigid platform. It also has wheels (which I didn't want to remove), so the unit needs to be stabilized. I bought some pvc hose pipe (1 inch diameter) from home depot and also bought two buckets from some random store (each bucket holds five times as much water as the internal tank).
SUMMER 2007 EXPERIENCE
Besides a couple of circuit breaks, I've had flawless operation. I'm glad I now have a truly usable unit (which doesn't demand my attention in the middle of the night). However, it required a lot of effort to get there (including my strength to raise the unit onto an elevated platform).
IMPORTANT POINTS
1. I did my research before my purchase but still felt like I initially bought a turkey. Many net reviews are very inadequate. There is either too much regurgitation of the units features or superficial user experiences ("wow, this unit cools my space really well"). For example, a seasonal user in Boston may have a very different experience from an all-year user in LA.
2. Pay attention to the EER rating. AC units are power hogs and the electricity bill can sky rocket.
3. Consider buying a powerful fan to circulate the cool air. It can make a BIG difference.
4. Don't gloss over the noise levels. These units are completely within the cooled room so they will be noisier than comparable window units. I now use headphones to watch TV.
5. Have a REALLY good reason for choosing a portable unit over a cheaper, quieter, (better performing?) less maintenance window unit.
6. Pay attention to where you buy from online. You may need to pay hefty courier costs if you need to return the unit.
CONCLUSION
Portable units are a great idea but they are still in their infancy. The technology needs to be seriously improved before they can be considered the default option (over a window unit).
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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
DON'T BUY THIS, July 11, 2006
I am having the same problems as others. The unit is tripping each 2, 3 hours. I called electrician about this issue as AMCOR suggests, but he said it must be AC's problems, not circuits.
Also water started leaking from this unit even though I did empty the water tank! My new carpet got water damaged! I am so in shock this.
I have tried to call Amcor, but could not reach them because always busy. So I decided to retuen this and have been trying call Air & Water which I bought this from, but also I could not reach them at all, either. Waiting has been forever on the phone, so I gave up and had to do return process by online. Now they want me to pay return shipping fee and 15% restocking fee. I just feel it is not fair.
Don't waste money for this unit. Find reseller that not ask any fee to return.
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