Quietest air conditioner (window)

I just bought my tenant a Friedrich Kuhl, and she's very found of it.

ali r.
DG Neary Realty

I am OBSESSED with quiet AC. Nothing kills the vibe of a beautiful room more than a hurricane, er, loud AC unit. It's hard to think about AC when it's 24 degrees outside. But it's on my radar this week too.

The Kühl has impressive specs... but a bit $$$. Will the Kühl work "through-wall" in standard 27" Friedrich sleeves? Kuhl appears to have side-vents - is that ok? But the product specs say it works through-wall. Hmm...

My new building requires "through-wall" (no window units) - and the smallest units appear to be 8000 BTU. That's too much for an 11' x 12' bedroom. What do others do for the "small" rooms? 8000 BTU will not operate efficiently -- it'll stop and restart constantly. Bad for the compressor. A 135 sqft room only needs 6000 BTU according to the experts. And through-wall really kills usable wall space -- you can't put furniture where the AC unit is. Why do architects do this?

Back to the OP - for regular window AC, I am a fan of the Friedrich CP series -- used to be Panasonic brand -- same unit/built in same factory, but unlike other most Friedrich models, CP series is not made in US. It's still VERY quiet for its size and I would get another. Also, Sharp has a quiet series (they own the trademark, "library quiet" - but I don't think they make through-wall. ALSO (see below) watch out for Sharp models with a slightly different letter suffix- it's not the same quiet model.

Didn't mean to hijack your thread... but your timing was spot-on. Better to solve AC questions before our mid-spring heatwave.

I learned last year that some manufacturers have entirely different models depending on the retailer. For example, Sharp (makers of some very fine AC units) have an ENTIRELY different model if sold at Costco. The Sharp models sold at Costco have a different model number letter suffix, and these units have ZERO sound proofing/insulation. Save, $100, ruin your interior vibe. I think this practice is deceiving and I returned the unit to costco in 11 pieces a day later, once I learned that the letter suffix change was an ENTIRELY different set of engineering (and different model). Buyer beware.

I bought my latest Friedrich CP at RCI (Broadway and 98 st) and paid them to do the install - they fit a custom aluminum bar, and replaced the stock side panels with custom cut clear plexi...keeps the room bright(er) and also allows a screen and window normal operation. TOTALLY worth the installation fee. And although RCI prices are a few $ more than a discounter, it's a neighborhood business and if/when you need them, they are there for you.

Now that the thread has been thoroughly hijacked (sorry), back on topic -- all opinions on the QUIETEST ACs are welcome!!!!!

I have a Panasonic in the living room that I've been quite happy with.

NYCMatt - Panasonic stopped selling these in the US about 5 years ago. They have been rebranded "Friedrich CP series". Same AC. Same factory. Different brand name.

fsbo88, Friedrich CP it is! Thanks!

openhouse - I appreciate your confidence in an internet message board -- but you really MUST do your own due diligence. There's nothing WRONG with Friedrich CP series, but there are possible quieter (read: more $) alternatives. I found the price to value to features to quality to noise ratio of the CP to be a good balance. Is it WORTH IT to pay more for a quieter unit? Some would say yes. But Friedrich CP doesn't suck by any means!

I have to buy through-wall units, so my budget was forced to increase by $1000 for 4 units. :-(

fsbo88 - message boards are just as reliable as, say, reviews on all "relevant" sites. It's all general word of mouth and the numbers theory. I've heard some awful things about the the most extravagantly expensive ACs, so there's no foolproof solution. I'm always taking the ACs out for the winter, so I can take some risks and get that Friedrich CP unit. For that price, I don't have to feel commitd - to my air conditioner!