Frigidaire FAC106P1A Compact II Air Conditioner
With an excellent dehumidifier and a
beneficial air purification system
With a ?high marks? recommendation from Consumer Reports and a very high Energy Efficiency Ratio(EER) of 10.8 this ENERGY STAR® compliant wall-mounted air conditioner is compact and offers value for money, with a 10,000 BTU cooling capacity.
Powerful room air conditioner with 2-way air direction and a permanent E-Z out filter. Mechanical controls, quick mount installation. Thermostat. 2 cooling speeds, 2 fan-only speeds.
Overview
Low energy use and low running cost, combined with consistently good performance and high cooling efficiency makes this unit worth serious consideration.Some of its many good features include an extremely efficient dehumidifier function,a variable fan speed and most importantly, very impressive cooling ability.
One very useful function is the LVC Technology (Low Voltage Compensation), which ensures the proper operation of the unit when voltage fluctuates
It appears to be a great air conditioner with some very good features.You may like to view a précis of Customer Comments, both pros and cons, which can be seen in the section entitled Summary Points.
Installation
A good instruction manual with simple, step-by-step instructions on installation and how to set–up the unit, comes with the Frigidaire FAC106P1A.One satisfied customer suggested that that you “need to give the outside edge a little more downward tilt than the inside to make sure the water vapor exhaust works properly”.
A“Use And Care” owners product manual, installation instruction and wiring diagrams, which include safely advice and energy saving ideas can be downloaded as PDF files for your convenient perusal, at:-
Click here for Product Manual
Efficiency
One way this ENERGY STAR ® qualifiedair conditioner, with a very high EER of 10.8, demonstrates its efficiency is through the LVS – or low voltage start-up. LVSensures proper operation of the unit should there be any voltage fluctuations and it also contributes to consumer comfort, reduced running costs and safety.It is a 10,000 BTU (British Thermal Units) per hour model, which is able to cool about500 square foot area. This equates to a room size of about 16 feet by 30 feet, and uses only uses 925 Watts for 10,000 BTUs of cooling! Very efficient one could argue!!
There is also an energy-saver mode on the electronic touch pad control, which switches the compressor on and off, while the fan continues to run on high.
This means air continues to travel across the cold coils, continuing to cool the air. The compressor only switches back on again only when necessary.
Dehumidifying Functionality
As well as its efficient cooling properties, the system has a Dehumidifying Functionality of 3 pints an hour, which makes the cooling much more effective.This system does not require the normal water pan, because it vents all the moisture to the outside. However before expelling the moist air,it isfirst sprayedover the hot outside coils, which further increasesits efficiency.
It is really important to get the correct size unit for the room. An undersized unit will be overworked and reduce the overall efficiency while an oversized unit, as well as being more expensive to purchase, will not dehumidify properly.
Touch Pad and Remote Controls
The unit has a user-friendly remote control as well as an electronically controlled touch pad and can be activated by either touch pad alone or with the remote.The Control Touchpad
A digital display face displays the time / temperature or fan speed.
Two Arrows are used to set the Speed of the Fan, by increasing / decreasing the speed between 10 to 99.
Another set of two Arrowsare used to increase / decrease the Temperature or the Timer, which is also shown on the digital screen.
The Digital Display Face always defaults back to the temperature setting, once the fan speed and timer have been set.
There is a pad that activates the Timer, which can be delayed for up to 24 hours.
There is an Auto temperature featurepad whish is used to automatically set the temperature.
A Clean Air Filter Alert Light reminds you that the filter needs checking and a Reset Button is pressed once the filter has been cleaned
The fan has Three Modes and this button is used to select one of 3 modes:- Cool / Fan Only / Energy Saver.
A simple On/Offpad is used to turn the unit on or off.
The Sleep Modeadjusts the temperature automatically overnight and a light indicates that this mode has been selected.
On The Remote Control
- Button to activate timer
- Button to set modes
- Fan speeds
- On/off switch
- Light
- Temperature and time adjustments
h3>Popular Settings Designed to ensure better nights sleep, the Sleep Mode very gradually increases the room temperature by 4 degrees during the first hour. The air temperature is then maintaining it at this slightly raised level for a maximum of 7 hours, before reverting back to the original thermostat settings.
The speed of the fan in Auto-Temp Mode is adjusted in accordance with a change in room temperature. Any change is the temperature is immediately picked up and compensated by an increase in the speed of the fan.
A light on the unit indicates when the Clean Air Button is switched on. When the clean air filtration is functioning, an electronic air purifier isactivated to remove pollen and other impurities from the air - a real boon to people with allergies and respiratory sufferers. The air quality from this settingis considered much higher than conventional filtration systems and has been described by one satisfied customer as breathing in purified air, ‘like after a rain storm.’
The Variable Speed Fan displays the selected speed on the touchpad’s digital display face. Speed setting range from between 10-99 and can be speeded up or slowed down with the touch of a button.
A faster fan speed is great for cooling a room quickly while a slower fan speed is often preferred at nighttime as the noise level is reduced with the slower fan.
There are three ‘Modes’ from which to choose:- ‘Cool,’ ‘Energy Saver’ and ‘Fan Only.’ The latter is only used to circulate air in the room Os well as to exhaust any stale air.
Internal Thermostat
You will find that the internal thermostat on this model not only delivers a very accurate temperature reading but also switches off the fan, immediately the set temperature has been reached.The auto-temp mode is regulated by speeding up or slowing down the fan and is equally efficient.
Cooling Capacity
The cooling capacity of any air conditioner depends on correct installing the choosing the right unit for the size and aspect of the room. The Frigidaire FAC106P1A works very efficiently and its 10,000 BTU cooling capacity is ideal for rooms measuring 490sq ft (46sq m).To help calculate the size of A/C required, try visiting:- Calculate your AC
Noise
When purchasing any Frigidaire air conditioner it helps to be able to recognize the various sounds they make – as each sound is linked with a normal operational function.A gurgle or hissing sound often is caused by refrigerant passing through the evaporator and is part of the normal function of the unit.
The sound of rushing air at the front of the unit is caused by the fan blowing the air.
A high-pitched chatter occurs during the cooling cycle while a pinging or swishing is the result of little drops of water falling onto the condenser during the normal operation of the unit.
Vibration may be a cause for concern and may indicate incorrect installation or a poorly constructed window or wall.
Some of these sounds can be irritating to some people and there have been complaints that the unit is a little on the loud side.
However whilesome customers complain that this unit is too noisy, others happily regard the sounds associated with the unit as acceptable.
Air Filters
The filter is a Clean Air Ionizer is a useful ‘Check Filter’feature on this unit - a reminder to clean the air filter and thus to ensure continuing, efficient operation and the Tilt-Out Filteraccess simplifies the cleaning process.The manual supplied with the unit give clear instruction on checking and cleaning the air filter and recommends a monthly air filter check.
Safety
LVC Technology (Low Voltage Compensation) is a good built in safety feature, which ensures that the unit continues to operate correctly even if the unit voltage fluctuates below its normal levels.Important electrical and general safety instructions are supplied with every unit.
Summary Points
Manufacturers Features at a Glance
- Air Direction Control:- 8-Way
- Clean Air Filtration :- Ionizer/Electrostatic
- Controls:- Electronic with Remote Control
- Cooling Area:- 490 Sq.Ft.
- Cooling Capacity:- 10,000 BTU
- Dehumidification:- 3.5 pints per hour
- Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER):- 10.8
- ENERGY STAR®
- Fan Speed:- Variable Speed Fan: 10-99
- Fan Modes (Cool / Fan / Heat)
- Filter:- Tilt-out Filter Access / Clean Air Ionizer
- LVC Technology (Low Voltage Compensation)
- Pleated Quick Mount Window Mounting Kit
- Sleep Mode
- Temperature-Sensing Remote Control
- Timer :- 24 Hour On / Off
Customer Comment - Advantages
- Cooling capacity is great
- Extremely fairly priced
- Functionsextremely well
- Good value for money
- Great unit: great features
- Leave the door ajar to cool more than a room
- Low energy consumption is a bonus
- Quite easy operate
- Receivedpositive comments from Consumer Reports
- Strongly recommended this unit
- Very good dehumidifying function
Customer Comment - Disadvantages
- Pretty badly packaged
- Pity the remote doesn?t have it own?dock?
- The test and reset buttons stick out
- Unit makes a loud?beeps? and ?chatters?
- Unit is much too noisy
Additional Information
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| Unit Height 14.25 inches |
| Unit Width 19 inches |
| Unit Depth 19.75 inches |
| Weight 75 |
| 10 000 BPU |