Question:
I just purchased a Royal Sovereign 9000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner. This is
the kind that doesn't mount in a window, and is on casters. (I can't use a
window unit where I live) The unit works, but, since I value my hearing, I'm
disappointed that it is rather noisy
Has anyone here had experience with Portable A/C units that are on casters
and don't mount in windows?
Is it likely true that the above two units are actually 8 to 12 db quieter
than mine? I'd hate to go through the trouble of returning the Royal
Soverign only to find that the published specs on the other two units are
false. Should I return the Royal Sovereign and try one of the other units?
(Keep in mind that this it will be a major pain in the neck repackaging this
thing and returning it to Sears, and the other units are only available to
me via UPS or Fedex shipping.)
Answer:
Seeing as how you'll have to mail order the alternatives, I'd go ahead
and order one while you still have the Sears unit, and compare them.
Then return the noisiest one. If that's still not quiet enough for
you, order the other one and compare it with the one that's quieter
than the Sears one.
The question is, are you bothered enough by the noise so that it's
worth the trouble, the trip back to Sears, and the shipping costs (and
possible restocking fee) of the mail-order units? 62 dBA isn't going
to damage your hearing, but I sure wouldn't want to record with that
racket going on in the control room or studio. I turn off the air
conditioning (and heat) when I record in my house. Recording season
isn't very long around here since we hardly have any Spring and Fall
is sporadic and can't be depended on when scheduling sessions.
I don't know what type of fan is on the condensor side. The condensor is in
the room, since it's a portable unit on casters. The fan that blows the air
into the room is some type of rotary spindle. Imagine a spindle for a roll
of toilet paper with fins attached. I can remove the grill, but it doesn't
lower the DB.
