Question:
I have an opportunity to purchase a 9-year old Kenmore window air
conditioner from my wife's grandfather who recently installed central air
in his house. It is in great condition (he took very good care of it, as
he does with all of his big purchases) and the price is right. It is a
12,000 BTU unit with and EER of 9.0.
My only concern is its age. He ran it every summer for 7 years
(1990-1997). Is nine years considered old for a window air conditioner?
Do air conditioners such as this one have a limited life span before
service is needed? Is there anything else I should look for when deciding
whether to buy it from him or not?
Answer:
For me, it would come down to price. If the price is REALLY right, go for it. I
had one almost twice that age, which I traded with my neighbor for a puter
modem a few years back.......and it's still going strong. This may be the
exception,though.
If it's a great deal, I'd grab it and use it. Wouldn't put much into fixing it,
though,should it break.
I have a 5000 BTU unit in my living room that I've ran full bore every summer
for 18 years. Still works fine. Even fell out of a window onto the lawn once.
I say, buy it. If the price is right, you've taken into consideration the
possibility that it may fail (not likely) after you get it.
