Black+Decker 14000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner Unit + 11000 BTU Heater, Remote, LED Display, Window Vent Kit, 4 Caster Wheels, White

In the past year, we added a 4 season sunroom to our house, but didn’t add HVAC. We generally leave open the original sliding glass door so the room is getting heating/cooling from the rest of the house, but found it’s not quite enough to keep the room comfortable when it’s particularly warm or cold out. So we opted to try this unit to help out. The room is approximately 12’ x 16’. We picked the 14k btu unit, which kind of sounded like overkill for the size of room, but with the large windows that are south facing, we thought the extra power may come in handy. Sure enough, it seems perfect for the job. Right now it’s hot out so we’re running the AC. It does a great job of cooling the air and does a decent job of dehumidifying it. You can feel the humidity difference walking from the main house into the sunroom, but it’s not terrible. Sound wise, it’s definitely not silent, but it’s plenty tolerable. When the AC is running just in fan mode, it’s plenty quiet, but even when the compressor kicks on and it’s running on high fan, it’s not that bad. You can still carry on a conversation, and we’re currently watching a movie with it running and it’s not interfering with our enjoyment of the movie. It’s not too loud that I wouldn’t be able to sleep in this room either. The included window kit wasn’t long enough to fit the big sunroom windows, but we were able to find a longer kit on Amazon that fit with the included vent hose. We haven’t tried the heat function yet since it’s summer, hopefully it works well also. Winter update - it is now winter and below freezing outside. So far the unit is doing a good job of keeping the room comfortable. One thing to note- if you try to run this unit and also run one of those portable electric fireplaces at the same time, it will likely trip your breaker. Update- we’ve gone through two summers and are now in our second winter with this unit in our sunroom. This past summer I felt like it just wasn’t doing a good enough job cooling the room. I was working on something near the ceiling and discovered it was incredible hot up there. I adjusted the vent on the unit so it pointed up towards the center ceiling and that made a big difference on cooling the room more evenly. My only real complaint at this point is that it’s pretty noisy for both AC and heat. You can generally have a conversation with someone else in the room, but talking to someone in the next room over is pretty much impossible.

I've seen lots of other people posting around online asking how this can be done, so this review is also meant to help anyone trying to set a portable A/C up like this. I knew when I bought this unit that I wouldn't want the exhaust feeding out the window. Not only would it look weird there due to the layout of my apartment, but I didn't want even more noise from the street to make its way into my room while I was sleeping. So, since I'm next to my laundry room, I figured the dryer vent would be the perfect solution to get the A/C exhaust out of the building. Since my (and most) dryer vents are 4" and the A/C exhaust is 5", I went to Lowe's and bought a 5"-4" reducer and mounted that on a wall mountable back-draft damper. When the A/C isn't being used, it looks natural on the wall and helps to prevent any dryer dust from coming through. From there, the 4" ducting goes through the drywall into my laundry room and behind the dryer. I attached it to a 4" wye connecter with one end attached to the dryer vent and the other end to a 4" 200 CFM duct fan (see below for a link). Not only is this required since portable A/C units don't push exhaust out with enough power, but clothes dry way faster now too. To turn the duct fan on and off, I used a temperature controller (link below) with a probe inside the wye that is set to turn on when the temperature reaches 90 degrees. When just the A/C is running, the temperature gets up to 130, and when just the dryer is running it hovers around 100. The only downside of this system is that I can't use the dryer and the A/C at the same time, but that isn't a big deal to me at all. All in all, I'm really satisfied with the way this is setup. Not only does it look natural, but I can keep using my window on nice days without having to move the A/C unit. As for this unit itself, I couldn't be happier. I have a feeling a lot of these bad reviews are either units that were damaged during shipping or installed improperly, but I've always liked Black and Decker so I thought I'd give it a shot. Pros: - Cools an entire room in no time. I keep my room at about 70-73 during the day, but I can't sleep unless it's a lot colder, like 65-68. As soon as I'm ready for bed, I turn this puppy on and the room gets down to that temperature easily. I'll honestly never be able to sleep without one again. Plus, the white noise is a really positive side effect of having it on. - Easy to use remote and control panel. There's really nothing to it, just turn it on and set the temperature and it's off to the races. - The fan mode is great for circulating air. I hate stale air, and it keeps everything feeling fresh, even with the A/C off. - I've tried the heating mode once, and it really works. It sounds like it just flips an internal valve or something, but instead of removing heat from the room and exhausting that heat, it does the exact opposite. So I'd assume the air coming out is around 130 (mentioned above), but it definitely isn't dangerous and doesn't feel hot to the touch. - I've been using this for a few months now and haven't had to drain any moisture once. Cons: - Since I use this when I sleep, I always have to cover the LEDs with a drink coaster and my wallet before I get in bed. Even when the unit is in sleep mode, those LEDs are pretty bright. - Speaking of "sleep mode," I understand the idea behind it, but I like the temperature to stay constant all night so I don't use it (sleep mode will raise the temperature by two degrees over the course of 6 hours, then it'll turn off). - This is just me being picky wishing for pretty crazy features, but I really wish this was "smart" enough to be controlled by an Echo/Google Home. It'd be great to be able to turn it on and off with my nightly and morning routines. "Alexa, good night" already turns the lights off, but I'd love to hear this A/C kick into high gear at the same time. - Duct fan: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CTM0H6I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 - Temperature controller: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HXM5UAC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

After weeks of research, we finally took the plunge on our first portable air conditioner. With coronavirus, having it delivered was our safest option. We live in a very small home, about 1200 square feet. We decided on the portable air conditioner as my husband and I are getting older and truly did not want to have to lift the high BTU window units, if we had a choice. We were replacing a LG 12,000 BTU window unit. We received the air conditioner somewhere around the 2nd week of June. It took me a while to get the hose attached to both the window insert and the air conditioner. Although I loved the well-made panel that fits in the window, the hose attachment did not provide a secure fit and easily came loose. BUT, with years of using window units, I have found that there has never been an "ideal" situation when it comes to any of the extensions. The first time we used the air conditioner, my first impression was that it was taking quite a long time to cool off our tiny space of about 250 square feet. I kept asking my family, as I REALLY wanted it to work. It did produce cold air, but I remember looking at the thermometer and wondering why the temperature wasn't going down. So, we didn't need to use it for about a week or so due to nicer weather. When we tried it again I actually took notice to how long I had it on and checked our thermometer often. What I found was that it only lowered the temperature in the room by 2 degrees in 2 hours. So, to make sure I wasn't losing my mind, we took one of our 5,000 BTU bedroom window units, placed it in another window in the same room and ran it for the same amount of time. It reduced the temperature by the same amount in the same period of time. So very disappointed. At this point, the air conditioner was barely used and looked brand new. Within the 30 day return window that Amazon offers, we called up Amazon customer service and explained the situation. Customer service was kind, courteous and agreed that it needed to be returned. Although difficult to return, we decided it was worth the extra effort and returned the barely used, in brand new pristine condition air conditioner. One of the reasons we all love shopping through Amazon is their return policy. We know that if an item isn't working as it should, they have our back. But, a month later, within days of the item finally being received by Amazon, I received an email stating "We noticed that you have requested multiple returns in the last few months, and some of the items returned by you were not received in original condition." The only other returns I had made over the past 6 months were 2 bathing suits that stated free return shipping. They did not fit, I returned them and ended up purchasing and keeping a larger size that fit. I tried talking to 2 customer service reps, and there was absolutely no info or details as to why I received this email. The second rep told me that this was a warning, insinuating that I could be banned from Amazon. I tried emailing the "account specialist" who sent this email to me and received a generic response without any details. My only thought is that in the 3 weeks that it was in transit to Amazon, it may have gotten damaged and Amazon took a huge loss with a $400 air conditioner. The reason I question the shipping carrier is due to the fact that I have had deliveries left on the side of the road, under my mailbox and boxes that literally look as they they were in a boxing match over the past several months. At this point, after 15 years of being a loyal customer, and having been complemented by Amazon customer service in the past, I am frustrated. And, although this air conditioner seems to be one of the best for the price, I can't recommend it. Maybe it was just a lemon, but it turned out to be one, big headache and left me with a tasteless, vague email from Amazon.

The unit is so worth the money and I didn't want to skimp out on an Air Conditioner. I have a guest room set up with 2 computers running full blast for streaming on Twitch and playing video games. I initially thought this Unit would cool down my entire apartment in SoCal, but it definitely does not. The room that is chilled is super super cold. Does great for allowing my ambient temperatures for my PCs go down and stay down. The unit fits my very long horizontal windows in my room almost perfectly. I had to cut the foam long ways in half to make it sit snug in the window, but it worked. Also had to stuff an extra screw in the panels to make it stay as long as possible. The electric bill -- if you run it 24/7 -- is crazy expensive. +$100 easily each month at least. I do want to mention is that the unit can make the room very VERY cold...So get a nice blanket and your all set. I have not used the heater yet, and do not plan to unless I move back to the East Coast. The moisture in the Air goes away very fast. It is very comfortable relative to the rest of the apartment. Regarding noise...It is Effing Loud on Max cool. If you are streaming or gaming, I suggest you use RTX voice or figure a way to lower the sound in the background, because it will take over your microphones even from 10 feet away. Overall, I really love this portable AC! Just remember, the initial price is nothing compared to what you will pay in electricity bills over time.

This unit works fine and was fairly easy to install. It took me about 20 minutes to get it hooked up. It seems to be a nice product. However there were a few glitches with the window sections. 1). There is supposed to be a small metal stop to hold the two window sections in position. Upon opening your supposed to remove the plastic shipping stop and insert the metal one. My box didnt have a metal one so i had to use the shipping plastic piece. 2). The screws provided to secure it to the sill have no points. I had to start the holes with a drill bit. 3). There were 3 sections enclosed and one was cracked and broken. Lastly the installation instructions are a bit hard to follow. I had to read them a couple times to understand everything. But with that said, the remote works fine and the unit runs quietly and cools nicely. To use heat mode there is a clear rubber hose that is required to be hooked up for water drainage. It is HEAVY and will require 2 people to lift and move it while in the box. Also do not cut the plastic strappings away until you are ready to unbox it. The box lifts off the base to reveal the unit. Follow the directions on the top box flap to open it up. 9/14/23 Update! Still loving this unit. This will be my first winter using heat mode. So far so good. (See my video). I live in MI so we use some heat in September. The unit is a little loud in both A/C and heat modes but works perfectly. My issue was draining the water tank in winter. The drain port is way at the bottom. Having to port the exhaust at a window created a challenge. So i am buying a set of heavy duty furniture risers and cut a small section of the drain hose and the water is going into a pan on the floor. I empty about 3 to 4 inches of water every 2 or 3 days. Right now its on a small stool until the risers come. I def would buy a second one. 01/05/2024 - update. This unit has become my primary heat source and works fine. It has a compressor so does cost a bit to use but is more cost effective than my outdated system. I still have it on a stool and its working fine. As the humidity went down the drain pan is dry as well. This unit is a little loud as I said before, but im used to it now. It is heating about 3/4 of my 900 sq ft home.

I let the unit sit for 24 hours before turning it on to let the coolant settle. It is pushing out cold air. But, its still the same temperature inside as it is outside. After researching, I think there are two design flaws in this unit that prevents this unit from cooling our living area. #1. The exhaust from the AC unit is extremely warm. My instant read thermometer read 102 degrees when placed against the exhaust hose. The exhaust hose puts out so much heat, that its warming up the room. I've got the hose as short as I can while maintaining the advised 12 inches distance from the wall, but it looks like I may need to insulate the tubing because its warming up the house. #2. The single vent hose rather than a dual vent hose is a huge problem. After researching the cause of the same temperature inside the house and outside the house despite the massive amount of cold air coming from the unit, I realized that creating an air deficit inside the house by sucking air in from our living area, and pushing warm air outside via the vent hose, is creating a air vacuum that is causing warm air to be pulled in from the warmer areas of the house. This causes the unit to be far less efficient than a window unit. My window unit is far more efficient than this unit and at many less BTU's. EDIT - UPDATE TO MY REVIEW: After my initial 2 start review and deciding to return the unit, I let it run all day to see what it could do if I left it running for many hours. I also turned on my window AC unit in another part of the house. After running for several hours, this AC unit managed to keep at least a 10 degree cooler temperature inside than it was outside with the help of an additional AC unit in the bedroom. I changed my review to 3 stars. It's OKAY. I feel comfortable and cool, although I wish it could get cooler. Overall, the unit is functioning well enough that I decided not to return it. I am disappointed with its performance, but decided to keep it because its working for now and I prefer the portability over the window units. It's got wheels and a pretty easy setup in the window for the vent that I can take up and down as I wish. Hopefully the decision won't come back to haunt me at a later date. Buyers need to be aware that it won't perform as well as a window unit, and the unit is loud and never shuts down because it will never reach the coolest temps you are reaching for. I estimate its 89 outside, and probably 75-79 inside.

My wife really loves it in the summertime when everyone else seems to be comfortable and she says she's still burning up. I said it right in front of her but the exhaust out the window and let her rip full blast as low as it'll go. This makes her happy. Which in turn makes me happy.

I purchased this over a same priced same 14000 btu different brand with wifi based on the fact that this unit has the best reviews. The heating and cooling power is quick and works very well. Now that Ive had the unit for 6 weeks i can say i have a few major complaints. The remote is IR and because I have my unit behind the couch it doesn't work to control it, and there is no wifi or bluetooth either. So I have to walk up to it which brings me to the other complaint. NO AUTO MODE. The unit does not switch between cool and heat which means that when I go to work the unit will not keep the room temperature constant!!!!! This is an engineering oversight and super lame. No built in condensate pump I had to buy one and add it and it wasnt cheap or easy. The unit very quickly fills the lower condensate tank in heating mode, within 2 hours. This means that if you're using this for heating you will HAVE TO HAVE it drain or be pumped constantly otherwise the unit will not function as it shuts itself off when the tank fills up. There are very few options to pump the condensate because these portables all strangely have the drain less than 1 inch from the floor. There are a couple of options for pumps i bought the Fujiwara pump here on amazon and it works well. I would have easliy paid $100 more for a built in condensate pump because installing an external pump takes an hour and makes the unit a lot less portable.