Frigidaire FAA065P7A 6,000 BTU MSII Air Conditioner with Electronic Controls

from: Frigidaire

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Gaunz Org Price: $176.18

Prices subject to change.

Average Buyer Rating: out of 5 stars

Sales Rank: 46243

Binding: Kitchen
Product Brand: Frigidaire
EAN: 0012505270901
Label: Frigidaire
Product Manufacturer: Frigidaire
Model: FAA065P7A
Publisher: Frigidaire
Ranking: 46243
Studio: Frigidaire

Piece facts:
6,000 BTU cooling capacity
Cools 216 square foot rooms
Pleated quick mount window kit included for clean installation
Filter Type: Clean Air Ionizer, Tilt out filter access
Air Direction Control: 8-Way, Energy Efficiency Rating: 10.7

0ur opinion:

:
MS ll Compact Room Air Conditioner

Piece Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Testimonials

Average Buyer Rating: out of 5 stars

Buyer's feedback: 1 out of 5 stars

- * A/C did not work right out of the box!! ...
I purchased this unit for my daughter who is in Boston. They have had a really hot summer and she was having problems sleeping due to the heat. So I ordered this unit, and right out of the box, the blower worked but it would not cool at all. So I went thru the process of reporting it and wanted an exchange, which was really easy to do using Amazon.Com's process. They sent a return shipping label and indicated a new unit would be shipped out ASAP. But that is where problem #2 occurred, and indicatates a problem in communiction with Amazon. When the unit was returned, they sent me a notice that they recieved it, and that they would credit my credit card. So I spent 30 minutes trying to get a phone number to call, which is really hidden deep in sub files and called. They said they could not send another one because they were out of stock by the time they processed the claim. So my daughter had to suffer thru the heat for another week due to this. So I bought one at Sears over the internet, and she picked it up directly!. Note that ia have purchased a lot of items from , and this is the first time I have ever had a problem. But instead of automatic responses that they send like your new unit will be sent out within the next 24 hours, they should develop a automatic response saying :oops!! we are out of stock, and cannot send you a new replacement ......."

Buyer's feedback: 4 out of 5 stars

- problem with accordian side panels
I've been pleased with the cooling and the various options. However, the accordian side panels don't snap into place but needed to be taped to stay shut (to ensure I don't cool the outdoors, let hot air in the house..or bugs, etc.). Only after I carefully taped the sides, did I then realize that due to the vibrations, my taping job wasn't strong enough. So I used more tape, taping the side panels to the window frame instead of just to the air conditioner. The cats then proceeded to try to rip it off. Finally, I covered the side panels with cardboard using lots of tape in all areas. Since I went to all this extra trouble I realized too late I should have gone ahead and used some insulation between the panels and the cardboard.

Buyer's feedback: 4 out of 5 stars

- * nice unit overall ...
I purchased this unit instead of popular less expensive units at local improvement stores mainly because I really like Amazon and I wanted a higher efficiency unit. This unit cools very well and has very nice controls for an inexpensive window unit. I actually installed this through-wall in my case, which was easy to do. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is the same as what some other reviewers mentioned...the drain holes. The drain hole is located towards the front of the unit at a higher elevation that other places in the pan. This is why the unit "swishes" when running - the standing water is being moved around. This is simply not necessary. I took 15 seconds to drill a drain hole in the back bottom corner (taking care not to penetrate beyond the hole itself so I didn't touch anything and damage it internally. The water all drains correctly and completely and the unit runs VERY quiet now.

Buyer's feedback: 5 out of 5 stars

- Brrrrr..... This thing is GREAT!
This air conditioner is a great little unit. The remote control is a really handy feature, and I LOVE that it has a built in air cleaner. Solid purchase -- would buy this unit again.

Buyer's feedback: 5 out of 5 stars

- * Delighted (and a little amazed): 6,000 BTU FAA067P7A ...
THE PROBLEM
I'm in Salt Lake City, in an unshaded 10th floor apartment with an L-shaped 366 square foot living room. The short side of the L and the adjacent kitchen face west. Until yesterday I relied on a 12,000 BTU Sharp window unit ("The Beast") facing down the long side of the L, and whose compressor sounded like a down-shifting tractor-trailer, isn't energy star compliant, and has no energy-saving features. To cool the short side of the L and the kitchen I had to run one fan to blow the cool air across the room and a second to blow from there into the kitchen. Even with that plus reflective film on the west windows that area didn't really get cool in the afternoons.

INSTALLATION
After a lot of research and with some trepidation I bought this unit (the 6,000 BTU--reviews for the 8,000 BTU DON"T APPLY to this unit!!) to cool just the western part of the living area. I didn't expect it to be quiet, just quieter than the Beast, and hoped it'd save me from running the Beast earlier in the day and in the evening. I got it from a big regional furniture and housewares store for $139, $30 off the list price.

After letting the unit sit upright for 24 hours I did my usual customization of my window sills; they've got thin metal frames and are too narrow to use the accordion wings, so I need to lay a piece of wood on the bottom to keep the unit from resting directly on the window sill and support the top of the A/C with another piece of wood. Aside from that, the installation is the same as a regular wooden-framed sash window. I upgrade the stick-on foam tape, though. The first time you install one of these it'll take some fiddling to get it cushioned, positioned & adjusted, but once you get it right it'll be easier to remove and reinstall it.

RESULTS--THE BIG SURPRISE!
So, I turn the thing on. A few minutes later the air is cold, but wait a minute, where's the compressor noise? I turned it to fan-only and the sound didn't appear to change. I turned it back to cool and finally, by listening very carefully next to the window, I noticed a very slight hum added to the fan, which is the quietest A/C fan I've ever heard. It quickly cooled that corner of the apartment, and even on low the air reaches 15 feet into the kitchen, which chills nicely too. On high, there's very normal sounding but unobtrusive fan noise; on low, it's amazingly quiet. I can talk on the phone right next to it, don't have to turn the TV up, and can hardly hear it from across the room.

The fins don't do a great job of directing the air left and right, but I've yet to meet a window A/C that does better. However they do a good job of directing air upwards when you tilt the fin assemblies. The unit doesn't project air very strongly. It's enough to reach the very hot kitchen 15 feet away but not enough to circulate air well in the room on its own. My ceiling fan does that for me; a small fan directed straight at the ceiling of your bedroom will do the same for you. Because this is a desert I don't get sloshing noises, though it can feel a little humid if the compressor cycles off for a long time and the fan is running.

I'm going to get another of these to replace the Sharp unit; that'll give me a total of 12,000 BTU's for a tiny fraction of the noise. Now that I know how incredibly quiet this thing is I'll also get one for the bedroom to replace the 8,000 BTU FAA084P7A, which is way too loud.

TIPS (YOU KNOW YOU WANT THEM!)

WAIT 24 HOURS!! Noone at the store will tell you this, and I don't even think it's in the user manual, but start off by making sure the compressor lubricant is in the bottom. Otherwise you're likely to permanently damage the compressor the minute you turn it on, which means it'll be louder and less effective. If you're absolutely, positively sure that the unit was stored and transported right side up, go ahead and put it in. If not, DON'T TURN IT ON until it's been sitting right side up for at least 24 hours.

Reduce Vibration:
All window A/C units have compressors and fans, and all compressors and fans vibrate. The trick is to minimize how much vibration is transmitted from the metal A/C housing to the window and wall, both of which can vibrate like a drum.

The unit comes with stick-on strips of open-cell foam to 1) reduce vibration and 2) seal off drafts. I always upgrade this to stick-on closed-cell foam tape like M-D Building Products Sponge Rubber Tape, 3/8-by-1/2-Inch-by-10 feet, Closed Cell, Black #06619 (you can find this stuff at any hardware store). I put it at the bottom and top of the metal A/C housing and anywhere else the housing contacts the window or wall. You'll be amazed at the difference this little improvement makes.

The Right Angle:
Make sure the unit is installed at the correct angle. Use the slots in the housing that the accordion thingies fit into; they should be exactly perpendicular. The top of the housing may tilt down a little even when the angle is right, and the plastic front is rarely vertical; that's OK, they're designed to be that way. NOT doing this can make the fan and compressor louder or cause the sloshing problem people have if the thing is tilted so that water hits the fan. I've never had a problem with this in a normal wooden sash window, but if it doesn't automatically level itself, use shims at the top or bottom to even it up.

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The Wi-Fi Year in Review for 2007, and What to Expect in 2008

The rise and fall of muni-Fi (and rise again): Clearly, the largest story involving Wi-Fi in 2007 was the at-first continued growth in cities awarding contracts with no money involved on their part to have service providers build Wi-Fi networks--and the subsequent failure of these networks to be built. Starting quietly in late 2006, the market shifted for metro-scale Wi-Fi. During 2007, providers decided that bearing the full cost of a city-wide network without city contracts wasn't financially sensible.

The full scope of the low uptake rates in cities that had large portions of the network built out also became clear: rather than 15 to 35 percent of residents subscribing, just a few percentage points would put a network in the top tier. Revenue is apparently also pretty minimal even in cities like Taipei, Taiwan, the network provider for which was predicting 250,000 subscribers by the end of 2006, and had just 30,000 regular users each month at last public report in early 2007.

MetroFi started to tell cities that without an advance service commitment at a minimum level -- an anchor tenancy -- the company couldn't proceed on networks. In 2007, MetroFi lost half a dozen bids or saw contracts canceled due to this change. Its work in Portland, Ore., the biggest network it was building, won't be extended beyond current limited dimensions until additional capital or a city commitment is obtained; the city has said it won't commit to service fees, however.

Meanwhile, EarthLink lost its CEO Garry Betty in January due to cancer. A strong backer of new initiatives to change EarthLink's core business, his death was certainly one of the causes in a quick re-evaluation of the municipal wireless division. New CEO Rolla Huff pulled EarthLink out of new deals, suspended existing ones, laid off hundreds of employees while gutting the metro Wi-Fi division, and appears poised to leave currently built or underway networks, including their flagship Philadelphia effort. They may sell the division, but it's hard to see much worth in it given the current state.

In a smaller bit of news, Kite Networks, formerly known by various names, was sold by parent MobilePro to Gobility with conditions that according to SEC filings by MobilePro weren't met. Kite was once high flying, in the company of EarthLink and MetroFi as one of the major U.S. Wi-Fi network builders. Now it's still in that company, with work on its Arizona networks apparently halted. A suitor has emerged in the form of a regional telecom that specializes in the Hispanophone market (double entendre intended), and which thinks it could boost Tempe subscriptions from the current several hundred to about 300 times that number. Hope springs eternal.

And while AT&T was able to launch a Riverside, Calif., network with MetroFi handling the installation and operation, it backed out of St. Louis, Mo., due to a utility pole problem, and the bidding in Chicago, too. The Metro Connect consortiums in Sacramento and Silcion Valley were unable to raise financing despite the apparent blue-chip participation by Cisco, IBM, and Intel.

County-wide Wi-Fi was also hit again and again by providers who pulled out--CenturyTel in Pierce County, Wash., for instance--or problems with technology or utility poles. In a few scattered areas, Wi-Fi across counties has been built out, but it's not an idea whose time has yet come.

Muni-Fi isn't down for the count. While these high-profile networks in large cities and county-wide networks have mostly hit the skids, more modest networks with well-defined goals continue to be built with a focus on public safety and municipal uses in hundreds of small and medium-sized towns. Brookline, Mass., may be a good example, in which a public safety/public access network was built relatively quickly and with no reported problems.

And there's one big city success story: Minneapolis, Minn. While local provider US Internet wound up spending more than they'd intended, reports from the ground indicate that service works quite well, and subscriptions and interest are quite high. The company was able to respond almost instantly to the bridge collapse a few months ago by deploying additional mesh infrastructure to add network capacity in the area. And it says that it could reach positive cash flow in early 2008. One of their advantages? They secured a substantial commitment from the city for the services they built.

Other trends of the year gone by: Music and Wi-Fi are clearly more aligned, with the new Zune models and firmware from Microsoft allowing wireless sync (but not yet Wi-Fi purchases), and the introduction of both the Apple iPhone and iTunes touch, which allow music purchases over Wi-Fi but not synchronization. (While the MusicGremlin preceded both the Zune and iPhone/iPod options, it didn't seem to gain any market traction in 2007.)

Security continues to be a concern in 2007, although less of one as home users have clearly accepted WPA Personal, at long last, and networks are increasingly encrypted through better software from major hardware manufacturers. Wizards make encryption a no-brainer, when they work. Corporations stung by reports and by requirements from credit card issuers are also clearly protecting their networks better, although I'm sure we'll still see breaches at those firms that didn't cross every "t."

The 802.11n standard's emergence into an interim certified Wi-Fi state was also a significant milestone for faster wireless networking. Shipments of Draft 802.11n products in 2007 increased significantly, while prices dropped so much that it makes perfect sense to purchase a $50 to $80 Draft N router than a comparable G unit. Manufacturers made it clear as the year progressed that hardware sold today should generally be firmware upgradable to whatever the final, not much changed 802.11n standard is when approved in 2008.

Gadget-Fi continued on the rise, as an increasing array of devices included Wi-Fi as a connectivity option. Most notably, T-Mobile launched its HotSpot@Home service, the largest scale offering of converged cell/Wi-Fi calling. By year's end, they had four handsets for sale--two plain, a BlackBerry, and a clamshell--but subscriber numbers are unknown.

What's coming in 2008?

In-flight Internet (over Wi-Fi): 2008 is finally the year. It was supposed to be 2005. Or maybe 2002. But we should see a number of planes, mostly flying over the U.S., equipped with either in-flight Internet access or in-flight text messaging and text email. Connexion by Boeing's failure fortunately didn't discourage a half a dozen competitors who were in the R&D phase when Boeing wrote off its satellite-based Internet access venture.

AirCell, Row 44, OnAir, Aeromobile, Panasonic Avionics, and a T-Mobile consortium are among the announced or nearly announced firms with commitments or trials underway. AirCell and Row 44, focused on the U.S. market, plan to deliver Internet not voice to fuselages; OnAir and Aeromobile are working on mobile-based services, including voice, via existing cell phones and devices.

In 2008, American, Alaska, and Virgin America will launch trials over the U.S., and potentially move into production. OnAir should be expanding in Europe beyond the single French aircraft that's equipped in a trial now to RyanAir's fleet. And Aeromobile's Qantas trial could turn into real usage. There's likely action that will happen in Asia and the Middle East, too, that's not yet disclosed.

Other trends to watch

Wi-Fi in every smartphone with better integration. The iPhone was the leading edge, pun intended, offering 2.5G EDGE cell networking as part of the subscription price, along with seamless roaming to Wi-Fi networks. With RIM finally offering BlackBerry models with Wi-Fi, it's unlikely that any future smartphone model intended for serious users would lack the option.

Wi-Fi everywhere. Despite the setbacks in municipal Wi-Fi, wireless networks continue to expand, with better and better coverage found across larger areas and more locations. 2008 might be the year of hotspot saturation.

WiMax arrives. In 2008, we'll finally see production mobile WiMax in action in the U.S., and the questions about whether it works well enough and fast enough at the right price to beat current generation cell data networks, and make money for the disorganized Sprint Nextel will be answered. More certainly, Clearwire, with WiMax as its only option, will push aggressively to steal customers away from fixed, wired broadband, especially in markets with little competition.

Gadget-Fi a go-go. Wi-Fi will become an expected part of gaming consoles (already found in a few), cameras (found in crippled form in just a handful), regular cell phones (in dozens and dozens now), and music players (with more full functionality).

via Wi-Fi Networking News

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: Frigidaire FAA065P7A 6,000 BTU MSII Air Conditioner with Electronic Controls