# Recommend a window air conditioner **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 2, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479 "2007-05-02T16:04:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479/1 "2007-05-02T16:04:55Z")
I have decided to buy a new window air conditioner for this summer, but I don’t want to make the same mistake I made with our current one. It is a Maytag 6,000btu model, and it is noisier than hell. I tried inserting foam rubber between all the parts that rattle, but the bottom line is it is just a noisy bastard, and when it is in the bedroom, it makes it as hard to sleep as a hot, humid night. Any recommendations for window AC units that are quiet? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479/2 "2007-05-02T16:15:39Z")
in my experience vibrations can come up in any unit and may be dependent on the angel you mount it. I suggest buying one from a place that will allow returns, this way you can try it out to make sure. A few years ago I heard that the higher the energy efficiency the louder it was, mainly due to increased air velocity over the fins. I don’t know if this is still true and this is different then the noise you describe. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479/3 "2007-05-02T19:12:22Z")
Is it possible to mount it in a different room, and then just use a regular fan to circulate the air and bring it to the areas you want cold? ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479/4 "2007-05-02T19:49:35Z")
If you live anywhere near LA I have a fairly quiet 6,000BTU (IIRC) I am looking to unload. If you don’t live near here let me know and I will go look at the brand name. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2007, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479/5 "2007-05-02T20:01:53Z")
I’m in New England, so I would be interested the brand. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479/6 "2007-05-03T04:40:04Z")
[QUOTE=kanicbird] in my experience vibrations can come up in any unit and may be dependent on the angel you mount it. I suggest buying one from a place that will allow returns, this way you can try it out to make sure. A few years ago I heard that the higher the energy efficiency the louder it was, mainly due to increased air velocity over the fins. I don’t know if this is still true and this is different then the noise you describe. [/QUOTE] It is not true, and afaik, never was the case. There is no correlation between efficiency and unit noise. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479/7 "2007-05-03T06:05:05Z")
I’ll go look in the garage in the AM ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2007, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479/8 "2007-05-03T11:36:25Z")
I bought some from Sears two years ago, and they work really well and are not too noisy. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479/9 "2007-05-04T23:28:52Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] I’ll go look in the garage in the AM [/QUOTE] I finally woke up out of the fog, sorry for the delay. It is a Hampton Bay. Same people that make ceiling fans. ---
**Author:** ![raindog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2007, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479/10 "2007-05-05T12:54:15Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] I finally woke up out of the fog, sorry for the delay. It is a Hampton Bay. Same people that make ceiling fans. [/QUOTE] There’s a better than even chance that Hampton Bay is made by someone else, and rebadged, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479/11 "2007-06-27T14:27:59Z")
Bump. I am going to buy a new one today, I have heard that GE makes a pretty quiet air conditioner. Anyone had any experience with GE? Any other recommendations? ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2007, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-window-air-conditioner/402479/12 "2007-06-27T14:43:29Z")
I have a Panasonic that was mounted beside my bed that was quite good. It was reasonably quiet (when not in “Turbo” mode) and had a good set of features. I too am looking to unload it, but even though I’m closer than **Rick** , it’s still a bit too far for you. 🙂