Portable Air Conditioners - My Experience with an ElectriQ EcoSilent 12000 BTU
Вставка
- Опубліковано 29 сер 2024
- Prized for like 9 whole days of the year on average in the UK, but what an impact it's had on those days. Portable air conditioners fly-tip the heat and humidity from any room straight out of the window. They do the job and while I'm happy with mine, such convenience comes at the cost of other comforts which you have to be aware of before you buy.
Links to buy the unit I got (I sometimes receive commission if you buy via my links, but I have a dayjob anyway so I ain't gonna starve if you don't, but thanks nonetheless):
Appliances Direct (14,000 BTU version): tidd.ly/4dmIPSs
Amazon (more expensive): amzn.to/2V3PXAK
This particular portable unit is the ElectriQ EcoSilent 12000 BTU which really pulled me through the mid-July scorcher we just had in 2021. With another round of biscuit-melting weather due in August, I'm happy to have it. It's also going to be essential kit for when I'm doing my sim racing and general exercise, too. Aircon is rare in UK houses as it rarely gets hot enough to warrant a full install, so this is my way of fighting back without committing to a permanent installation.
I never thought I will be researching for Air Condition units in the UK. The last heatwave that broke so many business fridges and freezers is a wake up call for things to come and has made me look around for something decent. Thanks for posting the informative video. This unit looks good but I may go for something that offers app connectivity for control while away from home so my cats don't get backed in my apartment when the future heatwave hits us :)
this is actually Smart device compatible
Just got one of these from the airconditioningcentre (yours was -o/s) it's really silent and at 14000btu amazingly draws only 1.5kw (50p p/h) very impressed and it's made by Daewoo one of the biggest aircon company's in the world! , Thank you Danny for a 1st class review it helped me decide to buy one ...your the man 👍
It's been running nonstop at home this week. Prized possession.
@@dannyleeracing would be interested to here your long term thoughts on you unit
Near silent?? I have same model and it sounds like a jet engine
I have a near identical model and it has been a godsend for simracing 🙏
I bought this one as i live in a mobile home and when its 30 outside its almost 40 inside, although i paid close to 600 euro for it i dont regret it one bit, it works well in non heatwave conditions and going as low as 17c once temperatures reach high twenties you start to notice the drop off, but it still worked pretty well, 30 outside and it manages to keep the room at 25 (even though it is set lower) now bare in mind this is in a mobile home, its a green house, 30 inside it will keep it at a cool 22-23, its usually knocks a good 7-10c off temps, but i guess it would depend on the room and such, next to my dog its a mans best friend
Now seems like a good time to purchase this, its currently £350 (3rd Feb '24). Just ordered mine using your link. Thanks for such a good review! There are very few good reviews like this of AC units available in the UK, making it difficult to pick one out, so this was super helpful! 👍
Thanks man - it's been a lifesaver in those vital few weeks in the year where it's just unbearable!
The joy of having a portable AC.
My Sim room is in the loft Danny and as you can imagine in summer it is hotter that the surface of the sun.
I used to have a 6000 BTU unit I bought from Argos many years ago that eventually died and replaced it with the small ElectriQ 9000 BTU unit.
It is much quieter than the old one but being small I have to put it on a small table to reach the Velux window in the roof with the vent pipe.
It's a must have in the summer.
I think we're gonna get more frequent blazing summer flashes like this! It was the same last year, and even when it's not warm, I get warm when racing and that's when I need the portable air fridge. I think there's a cutoff point whereby if you spend too little you end up with something ridiculously loud and it puts people off. Would be great to have a vent in the wall but I don't know if I've got the nerve to cut a 10cm hole through the brick...
@@dannyleeracing ha do it 😁 then you can review the sds drill you used 🤘 great video by the way, convinced me to buy one, collecting it tomorrow.
Hi Danny, This is a really good review. You have covered every aspect brilliantly. Clive
Apart from hepa filter
You can make it totally silent if you move it to another room or cupboard and duct the cool air to you. I have done it with the ecoflex model and it cools the whole house. Can be used as a heat pump in winter too for cheap heat!
That's pretty clever - never thought of that!
What material do you use to duct?
It's all Flexi duct. I use metal flexi when I go between floors for fire regulations. I use plastic for other connections.
How do you use it as a heat pump? The heat mode uses a lot of electric
How heat pump? You just flip it round so the hot air goes in the building instead of cold air. simple.
Very well narrated and informative. Thankyou
At this point I'll be waiting for a review about which sandals that's good to use for walking to the nearest convenience store
How is this even an argument? It's Crocs
😂
I brought the 10500 version of the unit and it’s really not performed. Also a sim racing for the room the rigs in. Also when wheeling it about water leaks out the bottom. Like the water is in a tray not a tank
What would be more helpful would be showing the room temperature before and after it being on for 1 hr and the lowest temperature achievable
Nice review, but you mention under operation it sounds like a large fan, but i'd disagree when the compressor kicks in - unless my unit is faulty. The noise difference is huge.
I just bought one. Mine sounds more like a very loud fridge when it's starting up but it goes a little quieter. If I have the fan setting on about 3 or higher then the fan sound dominates, on 1 or 2 then the fridge noises dominate.
Hi. First of all, great review. It helped me to choose this unit as my portable aircon. My questions are as follows:
1) This unit comes with a heat pump. Did u manage to test this functionality?
2) There are two filter areas, upper and lower frame. Do u use both or just the upper one?
(the unit comes with a hepa filter for the upper frame)
3) Your video does not show the HEPA filter installation. It comes with two parts (white filter and black mat) and I wonder if both have to be inserted in the upper frame (size wise they match) and in which order.
Thanks for your feedback.
Little note on the whole on/off for phone calls, RTX voice would probably solve that problem.
awesome review
UK: Heatwave coming!
The rest of Europe: it could snow today..
Last year in London, in our small apartment got to 39 degrees inside. I’ve never experienced that in Europe as there’s always air conditioning.
It's coming next week get your portable units ready :D
A normal person with some decent information. The amount of nonsense I had to watch on other videos... Anyway what is the noise level in dB for this unit of yours?
I can't give you a measurement of the dB level, but I can tell you that the noise of me and my other half whinging about the heat is a lot louder
It's 63dB(A)
Great review mate! How is it holding up? I was thinking of buying this today, thanks to your review. Thanks mate!
The other night when it was absolutely blazing hot, this thing made it comfortable. Portable aircon has limitations, but being able to just razz it to another room and make it freezing cold is what it's all about.
Thanks for the reply brother! I literally came here just for the review but now I’m thinking of getting that racing set up of yours 😂
Hi Danny, just had a question; does the fan actually hit you or does it expel the cold air into the room in an upwards direction? And does that still feel effective for the room's cooling to you?
Hi mate. I am planning on buying the Meaco 8000 for £359. My room size is approx 10 sq.m (bedroom) and this is ideally going to be used in there.
Would you still recommend a 12,000 btu for an approx 10 sq.m room? Or the 7000 BTU from electriQ is better than the meaco in my scenario ? Please advise :) thanks !
Good explaination
Great review. 👍👍.
Danny,
Thanks for this video, most informative 🙂
I'm thinking about getting one for those hot,hot days (and nights).🙂
As it's also an heat pump, did you ever use it for heating in the winter or drying clothes?
This one is already out of stock 😮
I've never tried it for that, though it might work pretty well in a small room with a proper vent to match
Nice review. Does this have a dehumidifier? One that works without cooling at the same time. (basically acting as a standalone dehumidifier)?
Yes
Really interested in getting this for this year and onwards. Similar to you, I do spend a lot of time on a PC either working or playing games, and my apartment is so well insulted it becomes as hot as a sauna on recent days.
How has it held up until now? Thanks for the review, very balanced and honest points.
We've used it twice this week to keep the bedroom cool whilst sleeping! Godsend
@@dannyleeracing what’s the customer service like from aircondirect? Ever had to use them? Sorry for all the questions, your video was a godsend in itself as the amount of realistic reviews is so sparse
@@vanillafloats7410 I ordered it for click and collect as the nearest shop was a 45 minute drive away, they were totally sound, no issues. Can't say much about the service as for me everything's been fine, it's only when something goes awry that you find out, I guess!
Hi mate , did you ever use the heat pump function on this unit ? Thanks
I like the sound of air cons so I don’t mind the noise I just need some cooling in my room for the summer, does it cool the room or does it only cool the area it’s facing like a fan
It cools the room well if you seal it off (close the door), even a fairly big room
What is the efficency of this. Does the scop work as the split unit heat pumps do( 300 + %) , anyone ? thanks
Have you had issues with the machine breaking down because of the way it’s vented ? I’ve had mine less than six months and been told the angle of venting was wrong and I e damaged the unit
Hey Danny will this need to be refilled like the air con in your car? Also I totally know how it is when your racing online in the hot weather I always lose focus and its really off putting. I really wouldn't be off put by the sound as I always race with a head set on so this is a great addition to any racer. Cheers for the great content keep it up mate
I don't believe they need regassing like car aircons because they're fully sealed, at least that's what I have seen. I just finished my first league event with the aircon and I definitely felt none of the classic 'creeping heat' that I usually get in longer races! I bipped it down a few degrees with the remote whilst I was on the straight when things got tense
Thanks Danny. I'll defo be looking into one of these machines as I live in a flat and it gets so hot in here especially when I'm racing. Take care and keep on with the great content.
@@greymonleggomon1185 Cheers Graham, thanks for the kind support. I dare say it'll make a big difference, I can honestly say it did a good job this evening keeping me cool and concentrating well, I had none of the brain fade I'm so used to!
Grate info mate 👍 i got some 11m acrylic and cut the vent mount into it with a drill and jig dos well and some valvro yo stick to windows frame so can remove at your own will for a better seel
Ps sorry about grammar and spelling
@@dannyleeracing getting this one thanks to your review
Do you use the smart cool function and set to a reasonable temperature, say 20-22° like this it really does go into a quiet mode once the required temperature has been reached only kicking in again to top up the air. I notice yours is on 17° which seems excessive!
If I just need it to stay on passively I'll just peg it at about 22, such as last night. It was on all night - it goes louder when actively cooling, and when it takes the foot off the gas it sounds like a quiet fan. The lower the temp you set, the more it has to work.
I would love to get this in UK... but it seems to be out of stock.. any alternatives?
Would it work without a window sealing kit, ie just venting it out a slightly open window.
It does work well enough, I had it like that for a while, but it'd work a lot better and be more efficient if you had something to block air coming back in - literally a piece of cardboard with a cutout for the pipe would make a big difference
@@dannyleeracing thanks yes it’s difficult the window is quite large and has no lip around it so hard to secure anything to it
My Electriq model didn't have the extra ring connector shown in your video where you connect the hose to the exhaust, thus making it really difficult to screw on. I nearly gave up. Or did you buy that as extra from somewhere?
Should be in the box! You checked absolutely everywhere?
@@dannyleeracing yeah nothing. Still managed to screw hose in raw lol. Will ask them. Thanks
Can you let me know if you have to connect exhaust pipe even when using dry mode or fan mode?
No hose needed in dry or fan mode according to the manual
Or you can have a window unit, like Americans do. It will be as portable and noisy as this, but it will be as efficient as a proper split system. Because it is in fact a split system, while this type is not. Not only the pipe is a massive heating element, but it's also sucking air from the room. This makes under-pressure that in turn sucks (hot) air from everywhere (other rooms etc.) In essence you are cooling and heating parts of the room at the same time. And this is ineffective and (energy wise) very expensive. I had this type, a window unit type and finally a proper split system (with heating for winter times!). Not worth even thinking about anything else. The proper one paid itself in a matter of months. In fact I have 2 of them running 24/7 for more than 10 years now. And now talking about this type of unit for me is like talking about using a cat toilet with sand instead of a proper one with a flush. It can be done, it kinda works in a way, but it's stupid.
American window units would be great for us, were it not for every window in the UK typically being a side-hinge type window rather than a slidey up window. Presumably it's better for keeping heat in when cold...
Just bought mine 4 days ago mate, my room faces the sunlight during the day so I’ve blacked out the windows, applied the window kit for my exhaust pipe but after the first day, the cool mode on air conditioner doesn’t really cool the room anymore and it’s actually oversized for my room so I am really surprised. I have even cleaned the filters 2x. Any tips ? Manufacturer suggested it just simply requires a lot of hours to cool down but 6-7 hours for no change in room temp is bizarre. As I type the room temp is 27c whilst it’s 14c outside at 3am in London. Have even insulated the exhaust pipe too
I bought one tier lower -probably louder model cos it was like jet plane... It was 12k BTU and there was literally no cold air coming out Im returning it now and not sure if give a another go on nah...I think unit is faulty waste of two weeks +
That doesn't sound right at all, is it putting proper cold air out? Is it the same model as in this vid?
@@dannyleeracing yeah mate the cool air is definitely coming out, but since I posted the comment, I’ve set the thermostat to the lowest possible (16c) and that’s the only way my room cools now. Really strange
Hi. Quick question. I have purchased one of these but the airflow seems very weak on the left side of the top vent vs the flow from the right hand side airflow. Is this the same for yours?
What about when you turn the 'swing' mode on?
@@dannyleeracing tried that but it doesn’t change anything. Had a quick look inside and it seems to be the way the fan is setup it can’t blow evenly on both sides. Thanks for the response and keep the Sim videos up. 👍
Hiya when you're running the AC does it occasionally start blowing hot air for a while then starts blowing cold again?
It shouldn't blow hot if you're on cooling mode - it should be fully cold until the temp you set has been reached, then it sorta relaxes and won't blow AS cold (but definitely shouldn't be hot)
Can this make the room feel cold, or does it just bring it down to a comfortable temperature?
It can deffo make a room feel cold - depends on the size of the room and how well you seal it, but it definitely gives you that wall of cold that you want
How loud is it at its lowest cooling setting? The air con i have is ridiculously loud. I was expecting it to sound like a very loud fan. The fan isnt too bad but the compressor is ridiculously loud
It's louder than a fan (deeper tone) but it's not too loud to have a conversation next to it!
@@dannyleeracing thank you. Maybe similar to mine then. I'm a little concerned if I bought a high enough BTU. According to manufacturer I absolutely did. But it's taking half an hour to go down by 1.5C with it on constantly and it's not particularly hot today so not sure it will stand up to a heat wave. My room is in the loft so I went up a BTU to allow for that
@@Lucy-lp9kv So long as your doors are closed and your windows are as well-sealed as they can be (a cardboard cut-out seal around the pipe going out the window can improve things and help block air from coming back in) then it should do the job. It's all about making sure your room as as 'airtight' as possible. Being in the loft you might also be fighting against heat rising through the floors below, so that'll also be giving it a lot to chew on.
Gonna have the neighbors thinking your Growing weed
Hi, links say o/s do you know anywhere else to get this same unit ? (cool video lol 😉)
Looks like stock's been picked clean. Not surprised!
What kind of extra expense on you electricity bills have you experienced using this unit ?🤔
We've had it running non-stop day and night on Monday/Tuesday over 48 hours and it clocked up around 40Kwh which I measured on a metering plug. For me, that means around £15 on our fixed rate from mid-2021
Bro I had mine spitting water, and only on the second use. Did you experience this, as I have it vented similar to urs in the video. Thanks
I haven't had any issues whatsoever with mine, used for many hours - might be worth consulting the manual as that might indicate some fluid loss or defect
@@dannyleeracing I'm thinking of buying this
Have you emptied the water tray
Whats the noise level in decibel for thi sunit please ?
63dB(A)
bro do these require you to empty any water? Thanks
It does have an internal water tank but I haven't had to empty it at all since owning it - it's not normally something you need to empty, according to the manual all water vapour should be vented if done correctly
@@dannyleeracing thank you. Maybe the water tank is just for the dehumidifier mode
Long review and yet didn't talk once about the drainage??!
Funnily enough, I used this unit for a long time with the drainage bung fitted, which supposedly means the water is flushed out of the vent. Somewhere along the way I lost that bung, so now the unit drains into an old windscreen washer bottle.
S way to hot for me i carnt sim race at all, but i do mess around with beam ng
Just stick to the info on the unit. We don’t want to see you playing at driving😂
But it’s single hose which means it gets a 0 from me. How can you extract hot air and bring in cold air from the same hose😂 .
It draws air in from the surroundings, vents cold air out the top and exhausts hot air out the pipe and out the room. It'll never be as efficient, quiet or effective as a proper unit, but it's been the most important object in the house these last few nights! The portability is handy
Do not bother with this junk .... Trust me
I loved mine 🤷 Absolute LIFESAVER in the summers gone by, well worth it for me
@@dannyleeracing I have the 10500 uses more less same components but never gets a room down to temp 😩 .. 4-5meter squared, got any tips ? Use filters or remove ? Drain the water tank? Tech support is crap pal
Absolute junk