Living in Minnesota, there are four or five weeks a year I dread. Those few in January or February where the temperature never makes it above 2 degrees. And the dog days of summer, where the temp pushes 100 degrees and I break into a sweat taking out the garbage or retrieving the morning paper.
If I had to choose, I’d take the Arctic cold, because you can always layer up, grab a sweater or a down jacket. But during a heat wave, there are fewer easy options. Maybe take a dip in a pool if you own one, or sit inside with your air conditioning cranked.
With our annual mid-summer family road trip to our rustic cabin in the woods coming up, I figured I’d try out a portable air conditioner. After some due diligence and research, I came across a unit I was excited about: The LG 7,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner.
What Is the LG 7,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner?
The LG 7,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner is a standalone AC, dehumidifier and fan in one. It features multiple fan speeds, an easy-to-set on/off timer, and an auto restart feature that will automatically turn the machine back on if you lose power.
The bright white, plastic-cladded unit is beefy, around 27-1/4-in. tall and 16-1/4-in. wide, weighing about 55 lbs. But once you get it out of the box, it’s easy as pie to operate and maneuver on easy-rolling casters.
The large digital user-friendly dashboard features indicator lights for fan speed, timer and temperature control. It also features an innovative auto-swing air vent to help circulate the cool air, plus a clean filter light which illuminates when it’s time to clean the multiple air filters.
How We Tested It
With vacation days beckoning, my family and I headed north for a week’s stay in our cabin. LG says the unit will cool rooms up to 300 square feet, but I wanted to test it in our 200-sq.-ft. bedroom as well as the 550-sq.-ft. living area. I also planned to play around with its LCD remote control, on/off timer and fan mode, then dig deeper into its routine maintenance and upkeep.
Performance Review
Performance
We arrived to blistering hot weather and a steamy cabin. I was already sweating as I thumbed through the instructions and assembled the window venting kit, which was more tedious than I anticipated. I needed a Phillips screwdriver and a pair of scissors to get it buttoned up tight.
Once installed, the LG Portable Air Conditioner did an adequate job of slowly cooling the large living area, almost double its recommended size. The user-friendly remote was great for adjusting minor things like temperature and fan speed, though its short proximity range left something to be desired.
At night, we rolled the machine into the bedroom to help us sleep comfortably. That meant reinstalling the venting in a bedroom window. Again, this process was tedious and required different adjustments because the windows were different sizes.
This brings up a fundamental misconception I had about all portable air conditioners. I thought you could just wheel them from room to room and cool down whichever area of your home you felt necessary. Though this is true, it requires a few extra minutes to get it set up and vented properly.
The unit kept us so cool and comfortable in the small bedroom I started using the timer to turn it off in the middle of the night and fire up the fan setting to circulate the chilled air.
Maintenance
Maintenance on the LG 7,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner also seemed to be simple, with only two items to stay on top of.
A dashboard light indicates when it’s time to clean two washable air filters. It’s as simple as popping them out, rinsing, drying and putting them back in place. The other: Draining any built-up condensation. Two spigots on the back of the machine empty the air conditioner and dehumidifier, respectively. Make sure to connect a drain hose or empty them regularly.
Why You Should Buy This
Overall, I was impressed this LG Portable Air Conditioner. The unit cooled both rooms better than expected with straightforward operation.
Installing the window venting kit proved to be the most challenging part. But it’s still easier than installing a window air conditioner, and easier on your back. And when the heat wave is finally over, the LG Portable Air Conditioner rolls out of sight or into a closet for easy storage.
Where To Buy
The LG 7,000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner is available at The Home Depot, Lowe’s, Amazon and LG.com.
Article source here: This LG Portable Air Conditioner Will Help Get You Through the Dog Days
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