LG LW1516ER 15,000 BTU Window Air Condtioner
Hello folks and welcome to RefrigerantHQ. Today we will be doing another one of our product reviews. Over the past few weeks and months one of our main focuses has been on anything and everything to do with window air conditioners. Today is no different. Our goal here is to become the resident expert on everything to do with window air conditioners.
Today’s featured product is LG’s LW1516ER 15,000 BTU window air conditioning unit.
Depending on where you are in the country window air conditioners could be an unnecessary tool or it could be a lifesaver. Our climate is so different here in the United States. For me, a Kansas resident, air conditioning is a must. We routinely have summer days that break over one-hundred degrees. On particular bad weeks we may have an entire five to seven day spread of straight one-hundred degrees temperatures. The majority of people cope with this heat by using their traditional split air conditioner system at their home. But how do the people who have older homes without central air or people who live in apartments with no air conditioners cope?
Well folks their best option is window air conditioners. They provide a cheaper alternative and an easy installation to allow all of us no matter where you are to enjoy the nice cool air during a hot summer day. But the question now is what window air conditioners are the best? Should you get the LG LW1516ER 15,000 BTU unit? Or, should you be looking at a different product? A different size? Or even a different brand? Well folks, let’s dive in and find out exactly what you need!
LG
Now before I get into the actual details, Pros, and Cons of a product I always like to take some time and look at the company behind the product. After all, the manufacturing company can say a lot about the quality of the product. Brand names have power. Don’t believe me? Just ask Coca-Cola or Toyota. These names mean something to people when they hear them. While a window air conditioner bran d may not mean anything to you I can assure you that the same differences can apply.
I’m sure most of you have heard of the company LG before. But, if you haven’t then let’s do a quick introduction. LG is a South Korean company that can be traced all the way back to 1958 under the name of Goldstar. (Just after the Korean War!) In 1995 they reorganized and became the company we know today as LG Electronics. Today, LG is a huge multi-national company spanning multiple countries and employing over eighty-thousand people. Their income is in the billions. I like to think of them as the General Electric of South Korea.
While this product may not be American made I can assure you that the quality is second to none and you also get the LG Electronics company standing behind your purchase. As I said before LG is a huge company and companies do not get to be giants unless they are providing a quality service or product.
Product Features
The LG LW1516ER is rated at 15,000 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. In this case 15,000 BTUs is rated to cool around eight-hundred square feet. That could be the size of a large apartment, a second story of a home, or a very large living room/open area. This unit is also rated to dehumidify at 3.3 pints per hour.
This unit comes with a one-hundred and fifteen volt plug in. While this may seem like an odd thing to mention it is worth noting that larger BTU window units make as witch over to a two-hundred and twenty volt outlet. These types of outlets are the ones you find in your home for your oven or your dryer. With this one-hundred and fifteen volt outlet you are good to plug it in in any room without worry. This is especially important since we are looking at a 15,000 BTU units. These are the sized units that you begin to see the two-hundred and twenty volt plugins start to appear. Luckily, this LG LW1516ER comes with the one-hundred and fifteen volt.
This window air conditioner will fit windows between twenty-six inches up to thirty-six inches in width. While the height doesn’t really matter as most windows are taller than the air conditioner this unit comes in at seventeen inches and the recommended window height is twenty inches. Please be sure to measure your window before purchasing so you don’t accidentally buy the wrong sized product. It also comes with side curtains and insulation strips to prevent any leaks or air from coming in from outside.
This unit comes with what’s called an air conditioner kit. This kit includes everything you will need to get the unit installed, mounted, and secure. Included in the kit are a filter, support bracket, side panel leaf covers, and window sealing foam. There are many customers stating that the brackets that ship with the product work great with the product and there is no need to buy aftermarket brackets. Another thing that I wanted to mention here is that since we are dealing with a 15,000 BTU unit these things can be heavy. This unit comes in at over one-hundred pounds. When installing I would recommend at least two people to help. This is not only the safe thing to do but it could also prevent damaging the unit or risking it falling out of your window and into your yard.
This unit uses the HFC R-32 for it’s refrigerant. While R-32 isn’t the most common refrigerant today I can say that it’s popularity is picking up due to it having a lower Global Warming Potential then other refrigerants. If you do need a repair down the road you don’t have to worry about finding or paying an arm and a leg for a refrigerant refill.
The LW1516ER comes with a cool and energy saver mode. The cool mode does just that, it cools the room to your desired temperature. The energy saver mode will cool your room to the desired temperature and then turn on again when the temperature begins to rise. This is a great feature to have for those of us who go to work during the day and want to come home to a nice cooled room. On top of those features it also comes with an auto-restart that will start your unit back up and cooling your room even if the power goes out in the middle of the night. Personally, I’m a big fan of this feature as there is nothing worse then going to sleep in a comfortable room and then waking up in the middle of night as a sweaty mess. This product also comes with a remote control to help you change the temperature without having to get out of bed.
Pros
The most satisfying part about this LG unit is the price point. As I write this the price on Amazon is in the four-hundred dollar range. (Prices are subject to change at any time.) While that price point may seem high it is important to remember and to compare that price to other equivalent units. This is a 15,000 BTU unit and the higher up in power you go the higher the price goes. This LG unit is aggressively priced to sell. On top of the price you also get the LG brand name that has over fifty years of reputation behind it.
Something else to take into consideration when it comes to air conditioners is if they are Energy Star Certified by the Environmental Protection Agency. When a product is Energy Star Certified it means that that product has met strict energy efficiency guidelines set fort by the US EPA. A Energy Star certified unit will have higher seasonal energy efficiency ratios as well as having improved energy efficiency ratios. The LW1516ER is Energy Star Certified with the EPA. On top of that it is also rated at 11.9 for it’s Energy Star Efficiency ratio. In order to meet the Energy Star requirements a unit must be rated at 10.0 EER or higher. This unit is at 11.9 and is exceeding expectations. Lastly, this unit’s Energy Guide estimated cost is set at one-hundred and fourteen dollars a year. That’s pretty cheap for a year round window unit.
The LW1516ER comes with basic settings such as sleep mode, twenty four hour on/off timer, a remote control, varying fan speeds, and cool/energy saver/fan only cooling modes. While most of these modes and options are pretty standard I am going to point again to the price point on this unit. For an 15,000 BTU with these features at this price you are saving a lot of money while getting all the standard features.
The last feature I’ll mention on this LG unit is that it comes with a one year manufacturer warranty. This is a great insurance policy if for whatever reason your new unit doesn’t last the year. There are always outliers out there and having this warranty to back you up ensures you that your investment is protected.
Cons
As far as the Cons on this LG window unit there really aren’t that much to go through. There are few main things that I want to make you aware of before you purchase. A lot of these are ‘bad luck’ type of situations but I would be amiss if I didn’t make you aware:
- This is an 8,000 BTU window air conditioner. I mentioned this above in our product features section but you should be aware that this unit is rated to cool a three-hundred and fifty square foot room. If your room is bigger than that then you should look at getting a larger BTU unit. If you are unsure of what sized unit you need please check out our window air conditioner buyer’s guide.
- When buying things online there is always risk of damage from the transport carrier. This is moreso when you are dealing with a machine with a lot of moving parts like an air conditioner. While most people who order this item receive it in fine condition there is still the risk of the unit arriving to your home damaged. If this does happen then I would recommend filing a complaint with Amazon on your order. If you aren’t having any luck in that avenue then you could file a claim on LG’s website under their one year warranty. You can find their official product page in our ‘Important Links’ section below.
- The last complaint that I have found in my research is that through usage and the passage of time the fan can become loosened and begin rubbing up against other components of the unit. While this isn’t a big deal mechanically it does result in a larger noise when the air conditioner is running. So, if this happens to you you may have a noisy unit to contend with. While this may not matter during the day it may make it difficult to sleep with if the LW1516ER is in your bedroom.
Conclusion
Overall I would say that if you are looking for a new window unit that will cool your living room, master bedroom, or small apartment then this would be a great fit for you. It comes with all of your standard features you would need on an air conditioner as well as coming in at a great low price point. If you would like to purchase or learn more about this unit then please click here to be taken to Amazon’s product page.
If you find that your room is too big or too small for this unit then I would recommend checking out our official RefrigerantHQ Window Air Conditioner Buyer’s Guide.