Air Conditioners Tips

Friedrich X-Star XQ05L10 Thru-Wall/Window Air Conditioner Product MPNMPN:XQ05L10 Other FeaturesMoisture Removal (Pt/h):1.2ENERGY STAR:With ENERG...

Friedrich Z-Star® ZQ05C10 Thru-Wall/Window Air Conditioner Product MPNMPN:ZQ05C10 Other FeaturesMoisture Removal (Pt/h):1.3Swing Louvers:Left / R...

I have a large old house with no central AC. I buy a least one new window air conditioner every year with only one criterion QUIET. I have bought at least 6 different brands of window AC units over the past four years.

The only window AC unit I have found that is quiet is the Frigidaire Gallery FAC055K7A2. Unfortunately one of my two FACs failed at the end of last summer. The Frigidaire model I bought to replace the FAC was loud and fell out the second story window when I was removing it for the winter. I was not sorry to see it fall as it was too loud.

In June of 06 I went looking for a new QUIET window AC unit. I decided on the Friedrich QuietMaster based on the little information avaible on the internet. The name was QuietMaster so at least they had the idea, right? Wrong.

P C Richards sold me a Friedrich XQ05L10, 5500 BTU window AC unit for $430 plus tax. This unit is sold as a “commercial” unit which I took to mean there was more care and quality in its manufacture. The unit is apparently made in Texas and I was told Friedrich is moving all their manufacturing to China.

I had reservations because this small end of the Friedrich line did not say QuietMaster on the box. I checked twice with the store people and once with Friedrich and was told that the X-star was the small end of the Quietmaster line.

The unit is good because it slides out of the metal sleeve so it is easy to install. The compressor is mounted on rubber feet so it seems like some care was taken in design. There is a metal grill over the aluminum fins of the expansion coil so they don’t get bent, another good feature.

I was psyched. I installed the unit and thought I would be in quiet cool. No way. The compressor is the loudest I have heard in a small window AC unit. Come to think of it, it is the loudest I have heard in any window AC unit. I could hear the compressor vibrations downstairs in the kitchen every time the unit came on in the second floor bedroom. I removed the unit and put an old Sharp in its place. Both the small Sanyo and Sharp window AC units I had in other rooms are quieter.

To sum up the Friedrich X-star XQ05L10 is not quiet. The compressor is way too noisy, noisier than any other of the six brands I have tried over the past four years. It is over priced for a unit that is so loud. Oh yes and there was a problem with the exhaust vent not working right out of the box, but that didn’t matter to me. All I wanted was QUIET, Friedrich is not quiet.

Friedrich X-Star XQ10L10 Thru-Wall/Window Air Conditioner Product MPNMPN:XQ10L10 Other FeaturesMoisture Removal (Pt/h):3.2Swing Louvers:Up / Dow...

Friedrich SM18L30A Thru-Wall/Window Air Conditioner Product MPNMPN:SM18L30A Other FeaturesMoisture Removal (Pt/h):4.5ENERGY STAR:With ENER...

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Friedrich Z-Star® ZQ10C10 Thru-Wall/Window Air Conditioner Product MPNMPN:ZQ10C10 Other FeaturesMoisture Removal (Pt/h):3ENERGY STAR:Without ENER...

Friedrich CP05A10 Thru-Wall/Window Air Conditioner Product MPNMPN:CP05A10 Other FeaturesMoisture Removal (Pt/h):1.3ENERGY STAR:With ENERG...

Friedrich CP10C10 Thru-Wall/Window Air Conditioner Product MPNMPN:CP10C10 Other FeaturesMoisture Removal (Pt/h):2.7ENERGY STAR:With ENERG...

Friedrich Uni-Fit® US08B10 Thru-Wall/Window Air Conditioner

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Filed under: Air Conditioner Reviews