Product

How much of your home energy bill

is spent on air conditioning?

2% 5% 12%
MARINE COLD/VERY COLD MIXED-
CLIMATE HUMID

Update 17%
HOT-DRY/
MIXED-DRY

Source: Averages are based on EIA 2015

27%
HOT-
The latest ratings from our labs Residential Energy Consumption Survey. HUMID

How to Beat
the Heat
In search of better A/C?
Don’t sweat it. Our expert
PHOTO: JOHN WALSH/CONSUMER REPORTS

testing and advice will

help you chill out on the
hottest summer days
without overspending.
Chris Regan, a senior test by Mary H.J. Farrell
project engineer, moves an
INSIDE LG window A/C into CR’s
climate-controlled chamber.
CR’S LABS

JUNE 2019 CR.ORG 19

Product Update

FEW THINGS CAN suck the fun there. We also factored in predicted
out of summer faster than a weak reliability and owner satisfaction BEST WINDOW UNIT
or fickle air conditioner—except, ratings from our latest annual member IN EACH CATEGORY
perhaps, a broken one. Whether survey of the owners of 6,729 room air
it’s central air conditioning or conditioners. To calculate a brand’s
a window unit, we all want air predicted reliability, we asked our
conditioning that cools quickly, members about the products they
runs quietly, and soldiers on when own, and used the data to make

0
we need it most. projections about how new models
5,000 TO 6,500 BTU/HR. 78
To help you find a dependable from a given brand would hold up
!
0 LG LW6019ER OVERALL
cooling system, we put 22 window over time. We also asked how likely $270 SCORE
and portable air conditioning units members were to recommend
through rigorous testing in our lab— their air conditioner, and then
starting with a simulated heat wave. translated their answers into an owner
In a climate-controlled chamber, we satisfaction rating. We wrapped all of
cranked up the temperature to 90° F, that testing and survey information
then measured how long it took a
window A/C to lower the temperature
into the Overall Scores you see in our
A/C ratings on page 23.
7,000 TO 8,500 BTU/HR.
!
0 Kenmore Elite 77087
0
78
OVERALL
by 10° F and a portable unit by 5° F. The results yielded a cool surprise: $310 SCORE

We checked thermostat accuracy by Every brand of window A/C in our

setting window units at 75° F and survey earns an Excellent rating for
portables at 80° F. Then we gauged reliability. That makes them one of
how noisy the units are and how the most reliable products we test.
well they operate and recover during Portable units also proved to be
brownout and blackout conditions
when voltage is low or power is off.
reliable, though some brands didn’t
fare quite as well. Three of 7 brands
9,800 TO 12,500 BTU/HR.
!
0 SPT WA-12FMS1
0
80
OVERALL
But we didn’t stop our evaluation earn an Excellent for reliability. $340 SCORE

WINDOW AND PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONERS

Spring: If you removed solution of dishwashing one more time before

an air conditioner from liquid and warm water. shutting down the A/C
a window last year, Let it dry before putting for the season.
TLC for reinstall it following your
owner’s manual. If you
it back. If you leave it in place,
you can prevent cold air
Your A/C left it in place, inspect
the window seals around
Fall: Window units are
built to withstand colder
from wafting into your
home by covering the
Dirt is the enemy of an efficient it to make sure air isn’t weather, so you don’t indoor side with plastic
unit. If you keep it clean and passing through. If you need to remove them or cloth covers sold
notice leaks, reseal from windows if it’s a online for about $10
maintain it year-round, you’ll be
around the unit with hardship. “But doing so to $20. Make sure the
rewarded with steady cooling for
weather stripping. will extend the life of the side panels are also
years and lower utility bills.
product,” says Tom Kelly, properly insulated.
Summer: Take out the senior product manager Portable air
filter at least once for GE Appliances. conditioners require
a month, vacuum it with Whichever option one extra step: Drain
an upholstery brush, you choose, make sure the internal water tank
then wash it using a mild you clean the filter before storing the unit.

20 CR.ORG JUNE 2019 ILLUSTRATIONS BY ELIAS STEIN

 With so many dependable options
to choose from, start by looking
we rate brands for reliability
based on what our members tell us Considering
for the products in our ratings that
match the square footage of the
about the systems they purchased
and had installed over the past
Central Air?
room you want to cool. Don’t just decade. Our central-air reliability You’ll want a brand that’s
go for the highest Btu you can find. ratings include 21 national brands predicted to last and well-liked
A unit that’s too powerful will cool (see chart at right). by owners. The brands below
your space too quickly without If you haven’t shopped for a that earn an orange rating
of Fair are more trouble-prone
removing enough humidity, making new air conditioner in a while,
and aren’t eligible to be
the air feel clammy. you’ll be happy to know that newer
recommended by CR. The
“Then consumers should take models—both room and central— more reliable brands also
a closer look at the owner satisfaction come with features that add tend to have higher owner
ratings when considering which convenience and save energy. More satisfaction ratings.
one to buy,” says Simon Slater, CR’s window units are WiFi compatible,
associate director of survey research. allowing you to control them
Of nine window unit brands, only remotely from your smartphone Brand
Predicted Owner
Reliability Satisfaction
Friedrich earns a Very Good rating (see “Smart Moves to Keep
for satisfaction. Four brands earn a You Cool,” on page 22). And by taking Trane 4
0 5
0
middling rating of Good, and four advantage of these smart features,
earn a score of Fair. (None rate Poor.) you can enroll in utility programs
Armstrong 4
0 4
0
For portable units, most were reliable designed to save money and energy Ducane 4
0 4
0
but not very well-liked. (see “Can Your Utility Company Help American
Standard 4
0 5
0
Because the installation of central Save You Money?” on page 22).
air conditioning differs from home And no matter how you cool your Bryant 4
0 5
0
to home—based on floor plans, home when it’s hot, we’ve got simple Lennox 4
0 5
0
ductwork, and other factors—CR maintenance tips to keep your system
doesn’t test these systems. Instead, in top condition all year long.
Carrier 4
0 5
0
Payne 3
0 3
0
Rheem 3
0 4
0
Ruud 3
0 4
0
Arcoaire 3
0 3
0
CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONERS Day &
3
0 3
0
Night
Heil 3
0 3
0
Spring: Now is the best Summer: When there’s Unsdorfer, president Tempstar 3
0 3
0
time to service your heavy use, check and of Central Heating &
system. (If it’s part of a possibly change filters Air Conditioning in
Amana 3
0 3
0
Cleveland. It’s built to
central heating system, at least once a month.
withstand the rain and
Goodman 3
0 3
0
have it serviced again in Make sure that shrubs
the fall.) Hire a licensed and tree branches snow, he says. Coleman 2
0 3
0
professional to change don’t encroach on the In fact, covering a unit
or clean any filters, clean outdoor condenser, traps moisture, which can Luxaire 2
0 3
0
which will affect the lead to rust or mildew
and flush the coils, inspect
unit’s efficiency. Keep and provide a haven for
York 2
0 3
0
the condensate drain,
and vacuum the blower vegetation at least rodents. But you can Frigidaire 2
0 3
0
compartments. The 2 feet away. shield just the top of it
contractor should make in the spring and fall to Maytag 2
0 3
0
sure that the system Fall: Wondering whether prevent seedlings and
has the proper amount your outside unit should leaves from dropping Source: Consumer Reports’ 2017 Fall Survey and 2018
Summer Survey, covering 21,770 units.
of refrigerant and that be covered during the inside. (Be sure to remove
there are no leaks or off-season? Usually not, the shield before you use
mechanical problems. according to Stewart the unit again.)

1
0 2
0 3
0 4
0 5
0 !
0 JUNE 2019 CR.ORG 21
POOR EXCELLENT RECOMMENDED
Product Update

Collectively called “demand enrolling your thermostat and a $50

response,” these programs are energy-efficiency rebate. The company
designed to reduce stress on your says that 25,000 of its customers have
local electric grid during the hottest enrolled a total of 34,000 thermostats.
times of the day by encouraging Before the advent of smart
consumers to use less energy or to thermostats, taking advantage of
Can Your shift energy-intensive tasks to times
when demand and rates are lower,
these programs was more difficult
because utilities usually had to go into
Utility Company often at night. homes to install demand response
A hallmark of most programs is that switches. But now most utilities allow
Help You they require you to register a smart people to enroll on company websites

Save Money? thermostat or smart A/C with a utility,

essentially giving it permission to take
if they have a compatible smart
thermostat, such as the Nest or Lyric.
control of your air conditioning system “The idea that consumers can
on very hot days. That can mean use their own thermostats has helped
NEXT TIME YOU open your electric turning your A/C off for a short time, increase participation,” says Jessie
bill, take time to read the notices but more typically it means adjusting Mehrhoff, a research analyst at
stuffed in the envelope. It may save you the temperature upward. Navigant Research, which studies the
money if you’re willing to be flexible on “If you enroll in the program, energy sector.
your air conditioning preferences. when the grid is under stress we Worried that you’ll be sweating
Utilities across the U.S. are offering can bump up the temperature in it out if you sign up? Joining may
incentives in exchange for the your house from, say, 68 degrees be less of an inconvenience than
ability to adjust the temperature in to 71 degrees,” says Shira Horowitz, you’d imagine. Last year Con Edison
your home during times of peak manager of demand response for Con adjusted home A/C temperatures
power demand. Edison in New York. “And when you during four peak power events in New
The various programs, with use less energy, you save.” York. Plus, if a utility nudges your
such names as Cool Points, Peak In addition to the savings you’ll temperature up at a time when you’d
Rewards, Smart Therm, and Bring see on your bill, some utilities offer rather have it cooler, you still have
Your Own Thermostat (BYOT), offer extra financial incentives for enrolling the option to manually change it
benefits that include free thermostats in a demand response program. back to your desired temperature,
and rebates or credits on your bill if With Con Edison’s BYOT program, Mehrhoff says. There’s no penalty;
you use less energy when there’s for example, you get a one-time you just won’t see savings for that
high demand. sign-up bonus of $135: $85 for particular demand response event.

SMART MOVES TO KEEP YOU COOL

Smart thermostats like air conditioners as well as its With a smart A/C you can Of the window A/Cs in
the ones from Ecobee, own, offers smart features on turn it on and off remotely our ratings, five have smart
Honeywell (Lyric), and many of its A/C units. and also check and change features or can be connected
Nest have made it easy A WiFi-enabled window the temperature, control with an add-on kit. Although
to control a central air unit costs about $30 to modes and fan speeds, and we didn’t test every app, Chris
conditioning system from $50 more than one without set up a cooling schedule. In Regan, who oversees our
your smartphone. smart capabilities, according some cases, you can connect air conditioner tests, took a
But what about window to John Desmarais, senior several air conditioners and smart A/C home and said he
units? Over the past few marketing director at GE run them at the same time. appreciated the convenience
years we’ve seen more of Appliances. “And they work Some apps even monitor of controlling it remotely.
them come equipped with on any connected platform, your energy use and send Even so, when shopping,
smart capabilities. Haier, for including Alexa, Apple, and you alerts when your air filter first consider how well a unit
example, which makes GE Google Home,” he says. needs cleaning. actually cools.

22 CR.ORG JUNE 2019

Ratings   Cold Comforts To help you find a quality air conditioner that lasts, our experts combined the cold,
hard facts from our performance tests with data on predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.

Brand & Model Overall Price Survey Test Results Specs

Score Results

Indoor noise,

Indoor noise,

Max. window
Min. window
satisfaction

Weight (lb.)
Ease of use

width (in.)

width (in.)
Predicted

Brownout
reliability

Btu/hour
Comfort

Remote
control
Owner
Rank

high
Rec.

EER
low
WINDOW AIR CONDITIONERS 5,000 TO 6,500 BTU/HR. (COOLS 100-300 SQ. FT.)

!
0 1 LG LW6019ER 78 $270 5
0 3
0 4
0 4
0 4
0 5
0 4
0 6,000 12.4 23 37 56 0

!
0 2 Amana AMAP061BW 74 $200 5
0 2
0 4
0 3
0 3
0 5
0 3
0 6,000 12.2 24 39 44 0

!
0 3 SPT WA-6022S 74 $200 − − 5
0 4
0 3
0 5
0 3
0 6,000 11.2 23 39 45 0

!
0 4 Kenmore 77060 73 $220 5
0 3
0 4
0 4
0 3
0 5
0 3
0 6,000 12.2 23 39 45 0

5 Toshiba RAC-WK0611CRU (Home Depot) 70 $219 − − 4

0 4
0 3
0 5
0 3
0 6,000 11.1 23 39 43 0

6 Friedrich CP06G10B* 68 $320 5

0 4
0 4
0 4
0 4
0 3
0 3
0 6,000 12.2 22 36 62 0

7 Frigidaire Gallery FGRC0644U1 60 $280 5

0 3
0 2
0 4
0 3
0 5
0 3
0 6,000 12.2 23 39 46 0

8 GE AEW05LY (Walmart) 51 $156 5

0 3
0 2
0 4
0 3
0 5
0 3
0 5,100 11.2 23 37 43 0

WINDOW AIR CONDITIONERS 7,000 TO 8,500 BTU/HR. (COOLS 250-400 SQ. FT.)

!
0 1 Kenmore Elite 77087 78 $310 5
0 3
0 4
0 4
0 2
0 5
0 4
0 8,000 12.1 23 37 58 0

!
0 2 Kenmore 77080 76 $270 5
0 3
0 5
0 3
0 3
0 5
0 3
0 8,000 12 23 39 52 0

3 Whirlpool WHAW081BW 73 $250 5

0 2
0 4
0 3
0 2
0 5
0 3
0 8,000 12.1 24 39 51 0

4 Frigidaire FFRA0811U1 70 $285 5

0 3
0 4
0 3
0 1
0 5
0 2
0 8,000 11 22 39 49

WINDOW AIR CONDITIONERS 9,800 TO 12,500 BTU/HR. (COOLS 350-650 SQ. FT.)

!
0 1 SPT WA-12FMS1 80 $340 − − 5
0 3
0 2
0 5
0 4
0 12,000 12 24 37 68 0

!
0 2 Frigidaire Gallery FGRC1244T1 76 $470 5
0 3
0 5
0 3
0 2
0 5
0 3
0 12,000 12 24 36 74 0

!
0 3 Kenmore 77120 75 $370 5
0 3
0 4
0 3
0 3
0 5
0 3
0 12,000 12 23 38 70 0

4 Toshiba RAC-WK1011ESCWU (Home Depot) 70 $350 − − 3

0 3
0 2
0 5
0 3
0 10,000 12 24 38 61 0

Brand & Model Overall Price Survey Test Results Specs

Score Results
Electronic control
with built-in timer

Remote control
Auto-fan speed
Indoor noise,

Indoor noise,
satisfaction

Weight (lb.)
Dirty filter
Predicted

Brownout
reliability

indicator
Btu/hour
Comfort
Owner
Rank

high
Rec.

low

PORTABLE AIR CONDITIONERS 9,000 TO 15,500 BTU/HR.

1 Whynter ARC-14SH 67 $450 5

0 3
0 3
0 3
0 3
0 5
0 14,000 0 80 0

2 Whynter ARC-12SDH 67 $460 5

0 3
0 3
0 3
0 3
0 5
0 12,000 0 71 0

3 Honeywell HL12CESWB 64 $550 5

0 3
0 2
0 4
0 3
0 5
0 12,000 0 67 0

4 Honeywell MM14CCS 62 $600 5

0 3
0 2
0 3
0 3
0 5
0 14,000 0 0 0 74 0

5 LG LP1417SHR 61 $650 4
0 3
0 2
0 3
0 2
0 5
0 14,000 0 77 0

6 Honeywell MN10CES 60 $450 5

0 3
0 2
0 3
0 3
0 5
0 10,000 0 0 0 64 0

HOW WE TEST: After installing a unit can recover after a brownout or likelihood that newly purchased to recommend their A/C. In cases
in a double-hung window in our blackout, and how loud each unit is. models from a given brand will where we have insufficient survey
test chamber, we measure how Overall Score combines test results encounter problems within the data to provide a brand-level
long it takes the A/C to cool a 90° F with survey data for predicted first four years. Owner satisfaction rating, as indicated by a gray dash
room. We also gauge temperature reliability and owner satisfaction. is based on the proportion of CR (−), we assume the model has
accuracy, whether each model Predicted reliability estimates the members who are extremely likely average reliability and satisfaction.

1
0 2
0 3
0 4
0 5
0 !
0 *Has a slide-out chassis, which eases installation.
POOR EXCELLENT RECOMMENDED
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