bit-tech Shopping: Samsung AW12ECB8 Window Air Conditioner

• Automatic Shut Off
• Digital Control
• Remote
• Removable Grill
• Timer

Rating: 10

Time with product: Array

Strengths: Low noise,CoolsGreat,Very affordable

Weaknesses: LArge unit,Some what involved to install

Summary: This Samsung A/C is alot of A/C for the money with its many features and style.First of all if you have a very large master bedroom say 25X15 sqft then this is the unit for you. The quiteness is by far in my opinon the best feature. Cools well and for the price you won't be disapointed.This unit also has many features associated with higher priced models.Check this one out.Its a good one!

Rating: 10

Time with product: 3

Strengths: Strong. Quiet. Cheap. Remote. Quiet.

Weaknesses: Terribly designed top brace bar.

Summary: Much more powerful then my previous 12,000btu from whirlpool. The price for the amount of cooling that it offers compared to other brands that are out there was much cheaper then I expected without sacrificing quality. Remote is a simple and a perfect compliment to a great unit. I run my AC's 24/7 and after replacing my older one with this of the same strength, my power bill actually went down in the first month. I love the built in surge protector on the plug. The only downside was that the top lip which is used to brace against the window is plastic and must be manually screwed in by you. This is a terrible design and does not leave me with a secure feeling hanging it out of my 6th floor window. It should have been metal and welded to the frame. Circuit City's buy online and pickup in store feature worked great, as it allowed me to research and compare against other stores and brands and still pickup that evening when i needed it.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 2 Weeks

Strengths: Cool Air, Strong Wind Projection, ENERGY STAR Compliant 10.8 EER, Extemely Quiet Operations, 5-Yr InHome Warranty (displayed on box, but Manual says no), Digital Remote and Timer Features.

Weaknesses: Bigger than Advertised (slightly),Ineffective Directional AirFlow,No Downward AirFlow, Negligent Dehumidifier Ability, Sticks out 5" inches with Bracket, No Auto Swing AirFlow,

Summary: I'm pretty satisfied with this unit especially compared in both quality and Price to my Frigidaire 10,000 BTU. However, there were some disappointments in expectations towards the advertised specifications of the Product.First off, I had a fixed size compartment for which to mount my AC and based on the measurements listed, I thought I had a near perfect size. However, when the unit arrived, it turned out that the height of the AC was NOT 15.5" but was in actuality 16.25" due to the Bracket welded to the bottom of the AC that added .75" to the total Height, resulting in .15" TOO HIGH for my compartment. For most, this is probably not an issue, but for me and few others, they may end up purchasing this AC and having to return it. Ultimately, I had to use a Metal Grinder to adjust my compartment and forcfully push the unit snugly into place. Another slight personal issue I have (which is common in most ACs) is that it has a "long Nose" where the portion of the AC that sticks out beyond the bracketed border is about 5".OPERATIONS:-At the lowest coolest setting of 64, it generates and considerably low hum where my frigidaire was more like a ROAR.-The coolness of the air at 64 is actually cold enough to make you feel TOO COLD if directly blown at you from within 15ft, which is pretty reassuring that it'll be able to chill the air effectively rather than just a very expensive electric chugging fan. It is what i expect of an air conditioner which unfortunately, nowadays, many ACs fail at providing.-The projection of the wind is strong enough where i can still feel a consdierable breeze at 20' ft.-Unfortunately the "4-Way" directional airflow is practically non-existant since regardless of which way you point it, It still blows primarly straight, even at 20' distance. There are four wings to direct the left/right airflow but the wings lack depth and are spaced so widely apart that it fails change the airflow direction against the 5 STRAIGHT walls of the same depth along the wind vents. The up/down adjustment only goes from straight to 2 notches upward, providing negligible angle even at it's highest upward direction.-The unit is also equiped with a antimicrobial filter and dehumidifier. I cant really comment on the effectiveness of the antimicrobial feature, but the dehumidifier only processes @ 3.4 pints/hr. That's a negligible feature as well with little to no gain in that department. If you are even slightly concerned about effective dehumidifying, get a 30$ dehumidifier thats turns over 40pts/hr.-There's a great 5-Year In-Home warranty with the product but I can't yet comment on their fulfillment to that level warranty gaurantee. You may even have to fight for it since the Manual Explicitly says 10,000+ BTUs DO NOT qualify for inhome warranty at all, however, the BOX itself DOES HAVE 5-YEAR In-Home Warranty in big bold advertisement in at least two sides of the box. I cut out that portion of the box to include the AC Part# & model just in case If I ever choose to call them to honor it.-and lastly, this unit IS ENERGY STAR Compliant. For 10K+BTU ACs, they must have at least a 10.7 EER to earn the ENERGY STAR branding. This ultimately means that in the great scheme of things, this AC unit will have cost you less in it's lifetime of usage than a non-EnergyStar AC that might have been 50$ cheaper.OVERALL I am happy with the product and I probably would'v bought it again. The price @ 250$ is cheaper than most Units bragging the same features & BTU capacity w/o Energy Star... and doesnt work as well as this samsung in my experience. The flaws mentioned within this Unit unfortunately is a common flaw among most AC units nowadays such as ineffective airflow manipulation or negligent dehumidifier.