Midea 12000 BTU U-Shaped inverter Review
Design:
It's a nice compact window unit. One of the appealing features for me is its u-shaped design as it allows for flexibility of opening/closing the window (vertical only) whenever you please. And because the window can be fully closed, the inverter compressor will be outside giving you much more adequate sound proofing. Basically, the loud part of the AC is outside your window. The front panel has a nice aesthetic to it and the button layouts are fairly simple to understand. You have the usual stuff like cooling modes, fan speed, ECO mode, timer, on/off button. The front panel has a nice quality material to it, it's real nice to touch. It's also very easy to gain access to the filter if you decide it's time to clean it. Overall it's a classy design.
Noise:
For people dealing with sound sensitivity, this is as good as it gets. Most of the louder hardware is in the back of this unit and using your window glass as extra buffer really helps dampen the sound further. It comes with insulation and I highly recommend utilizing them because of their high quality. I tested all fan speeds and if you're looking for the absolute quietest, you should definitely set the fan speed to low. When set at low fan speed, it can get so quiet that sometimes you can forget that it's on which is really incredible for a window unit. I measured the decibel levels with my phone app and the readings were 32 dB. The AC emits a low humming sound. I will say, every hour or so, the condenser will start to make rumbling sounds which can last anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute. I think it's mechanical cycle or something for the AC, but it was nothing alarming. Now when fan speed is set to high, the noise level increases. It's definitely more noisier. I measured around 40 to 43 dB on high fan settings. Some with sound sensitivity might find it problematic, but I would say it's still relatively more quieter compared to other ACs I had in the past. The beep sound it makes when you turn on/off might annoy some also. Overall: it's extremely quiet on low fan speed, but high fan speed might be loud for sound sensitive individuals.
Cooling:
The size of my apartment is roughly 650 square feet. The Midea 12000 BTU cooling capacity is advertised up to 550 square feet. I was a little worried that I wouldn't get sufficient amount of cooling because the size of my home was a little more bigger, but I'm happy to report the size had no bearing. I set the temperature to 61 degrees Fahrenheit and fan speed to low and after about 1 and a half hours, the whole apartment had a pleasant room temperature atmosphere. After the 2 and half hour mark, my apartment was starting to get a little bit more colder. Overall: the cooling is satisfactory.
Negatives:
If you're not handy enough, the installation process will likely be a pain in ass. You might need someone else to help you set this thing up. You will also need to make accurate measurements for the insulation blocks in order to fit them properly on the base of the window.
I highly recommend this video:
Conclusion:
I think if you're sensitive to sound, I think this is as good as it's going to get. I have my AC unit in my bedroom, and if I'm around the the living room, I barely hear it (when set to low fan speed). There were times where I had to check to see if the AC was off because I couldn't hear anything. Manufacturers also say the AC achieves 35% more energy savings. I'll let you guys know what my bill comes out to when I receive it. I need to use it regularly now since it's been extremely hot in NYC the last few days.
But yeah, so far this is the best air conditioner I've ever owned especially now with my ear issues. Quiet, small, and it lets you lift the window no problems.
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