Window air conditioners not lasting?

Pooky1 · ‎12-23-2015

Is it just me or have any of you had window air conditioners that doesn't last to long? Years ago we had acs that last 25 or more years. In the last 10 or 12 years we have had to replace our 8000 and 12000 thousand btu acs were on are third units of both. The Ge one was really good and it only lasted under 3 season's. Our cooling season's are only like 5 months long here in Rhode Island.

MaverDaver · ‎06-28-2013

Nothing today lasts long. Components to acs, refrigs, tvs, etc, are cheap plastic and don't get me started on workmanship. Yeah, it's hard to find good help these days.

Pooky1 · ‎12-23-2015

Actually now that you said AC units are much easier to lift than they use to. Years ago they were super heavy.I would rather deal with a heavy AC and have it last a long time.

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

We had a window unit upstairs in the bedroom but it. got to heavy to take in and our every season. We now have one that the tubing. goes outside and the unit sits on the floor...but it does not cool the room like the window unit did.

gardenman · ‎03-09-2010

There's a tradeoff between efficiency and durability. The government insists on appliances being more energy-efficient. To make a motor and compressor more energy efficient, you don't make them bigger, stronger, and heavier, you make them smaller and lighter. Instead of a larger motor that has more than enough power, you use a motor that's just strong enough. But then as components wear, friction increases, and the motor may not be able to handle the additional load.

To make a compressor more efficient you have to make the internal components lighter so they need less energy to move. Lighter seldom means stronger or better.

You can make appliances that are made to last forever, and are easily serviceable by pretty much anyone. You just can't make them to meet modern efficiency standards. To meet modern effciency standards, things have to be designed to be just powerful enough. Any extra strain puts them over the edge, and they fail.

If a manufacturer makes something that fails to meet the efficiency standards, they can be fined $575 for each item sold. Yeah. That adds up in a hurry. Engineers can make things that last forever. They just can't make them with the rules that are currently in place. Appliances from the 50s and 60s are still chugging away in much of the country. They're not energy efficient, but they were built to last, not to meet some standard that forces the makers to make them less durable.

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