18000 BTU Air Conditioner Review
An 18000 BTU air conditioner is designed to cool rooms that have an area of 1100 to 1500 square feet. Due to the size and power of these units they are frequently wall mounted but they can also be window mounted or used as a split air conditioning unit. In addition to cooling the air in a room, they also help to purify it. We will review three popular units from Frigidaire, GE, and LG.
Frigidaire FRA18EMU2 Air Conditioner
This unit is window mounted and it has a cooling capacity of 18500 BTU. It can also be used as a heating supplement since it has a 16000 BTU heating capacity. This unit is great for rooms that are about 1200 square feet in area. It is also an effective dehumidifier since it can remove about 5 Ω pints of water each hour. Frigidaire has also equipped it with an antibacterial filter to remove airborne allergens.
Since this unit is window mounted it will not use up wall space in a room and it has side panels, so it will fit into the majority of window spaces. In contrast to many units of similar size, this unit has an eight way airflow directional and several speeds so it will rapidly cool a large space on a hot and humid day. The heating option will also serve as an adjunct to your heating system in the Winter if the need arises.
This unit operates very quietly and it has a sleep mode to save energy that will gradually adjust the room temperature upon activation. It also comes with a remote control that will operate all the functions of this unit. In addition, when you start it, it will not induce a large power spike since it is designed for a low power consumption start up.
This unit has three different cooling speeds and a directional air flow options that has eight settings. It also has a feature that will adjust the speed of its fans as the room temperature changes and a twenty four hour timer. It also has three heating speeds.
Operates Very Quietly
This unit is extremely quiet and it will keep the air comfortable and save energy by raising the temperature automatically. This unit is quiet even at the highest fan speed.
Very Versatile Controls
This unit has controls which are ready-select and it also comes with a remote that has full functional control of the unit.
Power
With a cooling capacity of 18500 BTUs this unit can cool rooms that are 1200 square feet.
Potential Problems
You will need a 230 volt power outlet for this unit. This is something to consider before purchasing it. In addition, many consumers have complained of receiving damage units due to poor packaging.
Final Remarks
There are very few models of this size that can fit into a window that have the features this unit has for its price level. It is very easy to control and it functions well in the window space it was designed for.
GE AHM18DP 18000 BTU Air Conditioner
This unit can also cool spaces of up to 1200 square feet. It is a very efficient model with a 10.7 energy star rating. It is estimated to cost about $140 to operate for one year.
It is designed with an electronic thermostat, an LED display, and a panel that has touch control. It also features a delay timer.
This unit has 3 fan speeds and 4 separate mode setting. Therefore you can operate it in cool only, fan only, auto modes, or energy saver mode. The auto mode is used to turn off the compressor when the temperature setting is reached. In energy saver mode the fan will also turn off when the compressor is not operating.
By adjusting its louvers you will be able to direct its output to almost any room locations. You can use its built-in timer to set it to come on before you get home and off when you retire for the evening. Its remote control will allow you to adjust all of its features from as far away as twenty feet from the unit.
If power is interrupted it has a restart feature that will restart your unit at the prior temperature setting when power is restored with no additional adjustments required.
Like the Frigidaire, this unit will fit into a window opening that at least 17 3/8' high and 28 3/8' wide. There are instructions for installation modification for other types of windows and for wall mounting. The unit is designed with a chassis that will allow you to slide the unit out. This makes it much easier to clean and install it. The unit has an air filter located behind the front grill that's easy to remove for cleaning.
This GE unit also requires a 230 volt electrical outlet. It is sold with all necessary mounting hardware and it has a one year warranty.
LG LW1812ERS 18000 BTU Air Conditioner
This is another unit that can be window mounted and it will cool an area that's up to about 1000 sq. ft.
This unit is quite efficient and comes with several features to save energy. It has a twenty four hour timer that is programmable and an energy saver function that will turn off the compressor and fan when they are not needed.
This unit is also designed with an coating to prevent corrosion and it has a full function remote as well. The fan on the unit has three speeds and it comes with auto cool functionality so you can set the unit and it will operate in the most efficient manner for your settings.
Before you decide to purchase this machine you should understand that it is quite heavy. It weighs close to 50 kg. So make sure that your window sill can support this much weight before you buy it, otherwise, you will have to install it as a wall unit and have bracing for it. An 18000 btu wall air conditioner is not a common site in a residential setting due to it's size.
Next, like the other two units mentioned above, you will need a 230 Volt electrical outlet in order to operate it.
Conclusion
We have discussed three 18000 BTU air conditioner models that can all be mounted in a window. All of them are good choices, but for the price and features offered, the Frigidaire is our top choice. It features a combination of power, efficiency, and price that is difficult to match.
Hopefully these three18000 btu air conditioner reviews have been helpful.
