A Silver Star is What This Goldstrar A/C Unit Earns
Written: Aug 01 '04 (Updated Aug 12 '04)
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Pros: Quietness, Energy Star Rating, Energy Saver Mode, Air Distribution, Remote Control
Cons: Must Be Manually Restarted After A Power Outage, Poor Owner's Manual
The Bottom Line: Great for a room in your home, but don't use it where cooling is absolute.
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| workscorp's Full Review: Goldstar Goldstar WG5200ER 5 200 Btu 11.0 EER Wind... |
Why I Purchased This Unit
I was in need of air conditioning for a new outbuilding on our property. The building is long and narrow so, after much research, it was decided that three small room air conditioners spaced far apart along the back wall would cost much less to install then central air and also cost less to operate.
I went to Home Depot, Lowes, Best Buy and WalMart to compare models. I decided on this model at WalMart because they were $97 each, 5,200 BTU (rather than just 5000), had electronic controls (so the temperature would be stable throughout the building, instead of guessing with knobs), and the cool air was discharged at an upward angle, instead of blown out straight ahead.
How This Unit Has Performed
Exceptionally Well.
In very humid climates, you can drain the excess condensate (moisture removed from the inside air). A very handy feature if, in the rare instance, you notice water dripping from the back of your unit outside.
In less humid climates, you can use this water to make the unit more efficient by using it to cool the hot, outside coil. The unit has a "slinger fan" on the outside. The outside fan "slings" the condensate onto the hot, outside coil, along with air, helping to cool it more efficiently. This makes the inside coil (and inside air) colder.
In a nutshell, that's how you get the energy usage on the yellow card. Don't drain the condensate unless you have spillage.
There are 4 modes to this model:
- Cool
- Energy Saver
- Dry
- Fan (Hi and Lo)
COOL
The inside fan blows constantly and the compressor cycles on and off as cooling is needed.
ENERGY SAVER
The inside fan only runs with the compressor, so the entire unit is shut off unless cooling is needed.
However, every 3 minutes the inside fan kicks on for a just few seconds to check the air temperature, and see if cooling is needed.
DRY
What a mystery! This function is unknown as it is not covered in the owner's manual. I assumed it worked as a dehumidifier, that is drying the air without changing the air temperature, but, alas, I was incorrect (please see my review on the Whirlpool AD50USL Dehumidifier as to how one works).
When I tested the DRY function on this unit here's what I found: It runs in cooling mode, only on low fan speed, and is regulated by the temperature you select. That is, if you have it set at 72, it won't run below temperatures of 72.
It's basically the air conditioner set to low fan speed in Energy Saver Mode.
See below for further help I tried to get.
FAN
Just the inside fan blows to circulate inside air. It will never kick on to cool the room.
What I Like About This Unit
The cool air is output through vents that aim up a bit, rather than the typical vents that air straight out. This helps recirculate air more efficiently, thus ensuring a more consistent air temperature. Air direction to the left or right is effective.
The electronic temperature control is very precise. Usually the units will turn themselves off and on within minutes of each other.
The cabinet is very stylish and the air filter is easy to clean. Just pull on the top decorative grill piece and soon you see that it is the handle for the filter. Simply turn it upside down under running water, flush out the dirt and reinstall it.
It has a remote control that can change any function. Even though we have no use for them, one could be quite handy when the unit is used in a room in your home.
It is very quiet inside (and out). The air output is very cold.
It is Energy Star rated. All 3 units together will cost less than $100 a year to operate.
What I Don't Like
If the power goes out, even for a second, these units, even though electronic, must be restarted manually. Someone must push the power button on each unit to restart it. Then the mode button must be pushed a couple times until Energy Saver is selected. If you don't want the temperature to be 72(which we always set it at), then you must re-adjust this as well.
The owner's manual. It is very poorly translated into English. One example: when it is trying to say "select the lower number for lower temperature of the room", when it says "select the lower number for lower temperature of the moon".
Again, it also has no information on the Dry mode. There is a toll-free number for service and repair, but none for customer service. I dialed the service and repair number and there is no link to customer service.
Overall
This unit is great for use in locations where it can be monitored.
Since it must be manually restarted after power glitches, don't use it in a very hot climate where air conditioning is absolutely required. If it goes out in the middle of the day or night, you'll be welcomed by hot air. But when it's running... it's very cold and very quiet.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 97
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Epinions.com ID:
workscorp
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Location: Asheville, NC
Reviews written: 25
Trusted by: 7 members
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