When it comes to window air conditioners there are a variety of different brands and makes out there. Some of the most common that you may recognize already are Frigidaire, LG, Whirlpool, and many others. While these names may have that brand recognition that we’re used too I wanted to take the time today and alert you to a much better brand on window air conditioners. The company, and the brand, is known as Friedrich.
Friedrich is by far one of the better, if not the best, manufacturer of window air conditioners out there today. In fact, I wrote an article the other day where I dove into what the best window air conditioner brand names were. Friedrich was on the top of my list. Now, there are a few reasons why Friedrich rises above the rest of the competition. The first is that Friedrich manufactures air conditioners and ONLY air conditioners. Other companies, like say Frigidaire, sells air conditioners but also sells microwaves, toasters, and all sorts of other appliances. Friedrich is different. They understand what kind of difference specialization can do. The second and most prominent reason is quality.
Friedrich is headquartered out of San Antonio, Texas and can trace it’s roots all the way back to 1883. In fact, the founder, Ed Friedrich, was one of the first people to invent the refrigeration system. In the 1950’s they moved away from refrigeration and into the air conditioning market. Ever since they have been providing outstanding quality products. I really want to emphasize the word quality here. Friedrich uses commercial grade materials and components for their air conditioners. Because of this they provide a lasting and durable unit.
I will have to say that the price on Friedrich units are usually quite a bit higher then the competition units such as Frigidaire or LG. If you were to ask me though folks, I would say that the price is far worth the superior quality you receive with a Friedrich unit. Would you rather pay for a hammer that has it’s handle snap off after only a few uses or would you rather pay for a nice solid steel hammer that will last you forever? The same principal applies. You are paying for quality.
Considerations
Before you make the decision to purchase a window air conditioner there are some considerations and thought that needs to be taken to ensure that you are purchasing the correct unit for you and your family. Let’s take a brief look at some of these before move onto the various products from Friedrich. Also, if you find that you want a more in-depth explanation on how to buy a window unit then check out our window air conditioner buyer’s guide by clicking this link.
BTU Size
In order to find what sized air conditioner you need you first need to understand BTUs. BTUs are the traditional measurement unit of heat. In the air conditioning world BTUs are a measurement of the cooling capacity of your window air conditioner. The bigger the number of BTUs the more powerful and the higher cooling capacity of your A/C unit. As a standard measurement an air conditioner needs around thirty BTUs for each square foot of living space that you wish to cool. If we use the example of a two-hundred square foot bedroom then we would need:
200 feet * 30 BTUs = 6,000 BTU Window Unit.
Window Size
We all know that old rule, measure twice and cut once. Well the same rule applies to air conditioners. Always always always be sure to measure the width and the height of your window to ensure that the air conditioner that you will be buying will fit and will fit correctly. To get even more specific you may even take into consideration the depth of your new AC unit and see if there are any trees, shrubs, or anything else that could obstruct exhaust flow of your unit. Remember folks, that heat has to go somewhere and if there is something obstructing your exhaust your air conditioner isn’t going to have a good time.
As I said before it is best for you to measure the window so you know exactly what you are dealing with but I will give you this bit of advice. Most windows found in homes today range between twenty-four to thirty inches wide and forty-eight to fifty-six inches high. If you are unsure of the dimensions of the air conditioner you are wishing to buy either on Amazon or the manufacturer’s official product page will have the full details for you.
Heater Option
Another benefit of Friedrich’s quality is that they offer models with built in heat options as well. You can choose between a heat pump or an electric heat option. The heat pump option works the same as a regular air conditioner except in reverse. Instead of removing the heat from a room they are removing the cold and supplying you with a supply of heat. Heat pumps typically work best at temperatures of forty-five degrees or higher. If you get any colder then you will need a different type of heater. The electric heat addition to your window air conditioner is just like having a built in space heater. The electricity flowing into the unit heats the element and then a fan pushes the air against the element and into your room. As I mentioned before, electric heaters are meant more for your colder climates that routinely dip below forty-five degrees.
EPA’s Energy Star
The Environmental Protection Agency runs a program called Energy Star. This program began all the way back in 1991 and was originally designed to regulate the energy usage of lighting in commercial buildings. Since 1991 the EPA’s program has grown and grown to now become one of the leading sources on finding out exactly how energy efficient a unit is.
In the window air conditioning world the Energy Star is measured by Energy Efficient Ratio, or EER. In order for a window unit to be Energy Star certified it has to have an EER rating of 10.0 or higher. Since Friedrich is known for it’s quality and efficiency you will find that most units are at 10.0 or surpass it.
115 Volts VS 220 Volts
Most of the time this won’t apply to you but if you are going to be purchasing a larger window air conditioner then you should definitely stop and think before you purchase. What kind of plug-in does this air conditioner have? Does it come with a standard one-hundred and fifteen volt plug, or does it comes with a two-hundred and twenty volt plug? The worst thing you can do is order a unit, have it come, get it installed, and then when you go to plug it in you realize that you don’t have the right outlet for it.
Friedrich Window Air Conditioner Products
Ok, folks, so now we’re onto the good stuff. The products. Now, I’m not going to cover every single one of Friedrich’s products in this article. Instead, I am going to do a quick write up of their top selling products. It’ll be then up to you to decide exactly what unit you need, and remember to be thinking of the considerations we gave you above before purchasing anything.
Friedrich Chill CP06G10B 6000 BTU
The CP06G10B is a great introduction window unit for those of us who are looking to cool a small bedroom or office. It is rated at 6,000 BTUs and can cool rooms up to two-hundred and fifty square feet. It is Energy Star Certified with the EPA, comes with three cooling speeds, and even has an auto-restart feature in case you lose power in the middle of the night. The far side of my house struggles with cooling during the summer. In the winter I have a basic infrared heater that I plug in to keep my kids bedroom warm but in the summer I need that extra boost of cold air to ensure they have a cold place to sleep. This Friedrich CP06G10B does just that.
Friedrich Chill CP08G10B 7,800 BTU
The CP08G10B is the next size up. We’ve reached up to nearly 8,000 BTUs and at this size we are rated to cool rooms up to three-hundred and fifty square feet. This unit also comes with a bit more bells and whistles then the previous CP06G10B. With this we get a remote control, four different cooling modes including an energy saver, you also get a twenty-four hour programmable timer, and an automatic air sweep that helps circulate air around the room. One extra benefit on these smaller BTU units is that they are quite a bit lighter then the other units. That means that it is a lot easier to install as they typically only weight about sixty to seventy pounds.
Friedrich Chill EP08G11B 7,500 BTU With Heater
Ok folks, remember how we briefly went over some of these window units coming with a heater as well? Well the EP08G11B is one of them. With this unit we get a cooling capacity larger enough for a three-hundred and fifty square foot room and an electric heater rated to warm a room of up to one-hundred and twenty-five square feet. Along with that you also get an EER rating of 11.2 which means it’s cooling is very efficient, a remote control, a twenty-four hour on/off timer, and an automatic air sweep that aids in air circulation. This unit is a great year round at heating and cooling.
Friedrich Uni-Fit US08D10C 8,000 BTU
While this unit is fairly similar in size to the two above products this one is different in how it installs and sits in your wall. Yes, I said wall. A lot of people don’t realize that window units can be installed through their wall as well as their window. Friedrich’s Uni-Fit line allows users to easily replace their existing wall unit with the Friedrich model. The idea is for it to pop right into an existing wall sleeve even if it is from a competitor. Along with the easy of replacing your old unit with this new Friedirch model you also get all of the benefits we’ve mentioned above like Energy Star certified, twenty-four hour on/off timer, remote control, and many other features.
Friedrich Chill CP10G10B 10,000 BTU
We’re getting up there in BTU size now folks. The Friedrich CP10G10B is at 10,000 BTUs and is rated to cool rooms up to four-hundred and fifty square feet. This is about the size of a large master bedroom or a good sized living room. This unit is Energy Star certified and has an Energy Efficiency Ratio of 12.2. That is a HUGE EER rating, remember that the EPA’s guideline is 10.0 or higher. Again, like with most Friedrich units, you get a lot of the same features such as remote control, twenty-four hour on/off timer, varying cooling speeds, and many more.
Friedrich Chill CP12G10B 12,000 BTU
This 12,000 BTU unit is rated to cool rooms up to five-hundred and fifty square feet. These units are great for an open layout living room/kitchen, a small apartment, or even a finished loft above your garage. The CP12G10B is Energy Star certified as well and it’s EER rating is 12.1. Again, remember that that 12.1 number is huge when comparing to the EPA’s required 10.0. Something else to note is that as get into these larger sized units the type out plug-in may change. I am glad to say that on this unit it is still a one-hundred and fifteen volt plug-in. This is your standard outlet you can find anywhere around the house. Like the other Friedrich unit this product comes with a variety of features such as an energy saver mode, a twenty-four hour on/off switch, a remote, and many more.
Friedrich Chill CP15G10B 15,500 BTU (NOT AVAILABLE)
Next on our listing is Friedrich’s CP15G10B 15,500 BTU air conditioner. This unit is rated to cool rooms up to seven-hundred square feet. Depending on the size of your home or house this could be the majority of a second floor area, it could be a larger apartment, or it could be a finished room above your garage. Like with most Friedrich units this product is Energy Start Certified and boasts an EER number of 11.9. Even though we are at 15,000 BTUs here the CP15G10B still comes with a one-hundred and fifteen plug-in. That’s a big deal for this BTU size. The usual features come with this Friedrich unit. One last point to mention is that with these higher BTU products they can weigh quite a bit more then what we’re used too. In some cases over one-hundred pounds.
Friedrich Chill EP18G33B 18,000 BTU
Alright ladies and gentlemen we are now on to the big boy! The Friedrich EP18G33B 18,000 BTU is a very large unit that is rated to cool up to one-thousand square feet. That could cover an entire floor of your home or a very large open area like a living room/kitchen combination. While this unit is not Energy Star Certified it is rated as an 11.2 Energy Efficiency Ratio. This unit also comes with an electric heater that has nearly 10,000 BTUs and is rated to heat rooms around three-hundred and fifty square feet. I will warn you now that this product does need a two-hundred and twenty volt plug-in.
Conclusion
Well folks, I hope that this short guide was able to help you understand the importance of the Friedrich brand, guided you in the right direction in buying your new unit, and answered any questions that you may have had. If you didn’t find the exact product you are looking for in our product listing above then click this link to be taken to Friedrich’s official Amazon store where you can search through all of their products.