Friedrich CP24N30

by Alan
(White Plains NY)

As US appliance manufacturers have moved some or all of their production abroad over the years, I feared that an attendant drop in quality would be my experience when I was forced to buy a new A/C in the midst of a brutal heat wave last June when my 10 year old GE's compressor gave out.

I had few choices due to size constraints but my fears were unfounded - although nearly 20 years had elapsed between purchases, my latest Friedrich Air Conditioner, the CP24N30, proved the venerable name is still one of the best buys on the market.

What makes this new model so different, so great, and so wortwhile a purchase? For starters, its compact design was a snap to install inside the side wall of my dining room, and its metal sleeve was manufactured without some of the warping and burrs encountered in recent years with other models.

Its super-quiet operation makes it by far the least noisy air conditioner I've ever owned. While I fail to note a specific Energy Star certification for this unit, its timer and power saver settings ensure that its not as much of an energy hog as older blowers. Although it is not unique in this regard, the accompanying remote control makes changing the settings less of a tedious chore, operating well from 10 to 20 feet away.

Most importantly, one should consider how well the unit operates within its core function, cooling the home.

The CP24N30 passed this test with flying colors -
multiple cool/fan settings can be set and changed with ease from within the unit's control panel or with the remote control. Ultimately, several months of silent, efficent use were enjoyed for the rest of the summer and early fall and I expect it to operate without a hitch when needed in the upcoming months.

My only gripes are that a) there is no brace or bracket to cradle the remote on/in the unit (I remedied that with a small piece of Velcro) and b) the unit, although equipped with a sliding/closing vent lever, seems to be unable to fully prevent all cold winter air from coming in from outside the house. Whether that is by design or not, a plastic cover of some kind would probably solve that dilemma as well.

At @ $800 w/ tax and warranty, this is a purchase I would gladly make again.