FRIEDRICH PH14B AIR CONDITIONER IMAGE SOURCE: FRIEDRICH

This air conditioner is a fantastic option for mid-sized rooms of up to 650 square feet. One of the best portable air conditioner units, this is rich in features, including three cooling settings, three fan settings, a 24-hour on/off timer and a dehumidifying mode. Truly, the single-hose Friedrich PH14B can meet all interior climate needs. The quick-install window kit (included with the Friedrich PH14B air conditioner) makes it easy to ‘exhaust’ the unit through any horizontal or vertical opening window, while there is great mobility thanks to the unit’s fully directional caster wheels. This is also a minimal maintenance model, thanks to the unit’s slide-out washable mesh filter, and its auto-evaporation technology, which makes manual draining unnecessary.

Friedrich PH14B Air Conditioner Review

Performance

The Friedrich PH14B offers 13,500 BTUs of cooling power, a massively impressive amount of power, this unit is suitable for living spaces of up to 700 square feet, although we are going to cap it at 650 square feet, as there have been reports of Friedrich potentially overestimating this figure. Furthermore, this unit is capable of providing up to 10,700 BTUs of heat as well. Unfortunately, the maximum airflow figure for this unit was not available to us at the time of writing this review, and nor was the dehumidification rate figure.

Efficiency / Certifications

Unfortunately, when it comes to efficiency, this otherwise wonderful unit tends to stumble, having an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of only 9.5. Considering the industry average of 9.7, this unit would not be considered to be very efficient. As a result of this, it’s unsurprising that this unit does not avail of an Energy Star Certification. However, with 3 cooling and fan speeds, this unit can be operated efficiently in a low setting when its full strength isn’t needed.

The Friedrich PH14B has been assessed by the experts at Underwriters Laboratories, and as a result, the PH14B is now UL and C-UL listed.

Convenience

With wireless remote control, this unit can be utilized from anywhere in the room. This may seem like a relatively minor addition, however, the difference truly shines on those sweltering days, where instead of having to pull yourself off the sofa to change the settings on the AC, now you can do it while you lounge.

Another immensely useful feature included with this device is the 24-hour programmable timer. This essentially allows the user to program when exactly during the day they would like their unit to power-on. The unit will then follow this schedule, operating at the set times, even when the operator is not present. This is especially useful for professionals who find themselves out of the house, now instead of returning home to a hot and clammy living space, simply program your unit to power-on while you’re engaged in your commute.

A self-evaporation condensate system means that there is no water bucket to be emptied, even when in dehumidifier mode. As well as this, the Friedrich PH14B has condensate overflow protection, so you don’t have to worry about any moisture escaping the device.

The dual-hoses located at the rear of the unit mean that the Friedrich PH14B has up to 40% faster cooling than single-hose units.

The Friedrich PH14B functions as a sort of 4-in-1 unit, capable of functioning as a heater, conditioner, dehumidifier, or fan.

Design

Weighing 96lbs, the unit is one of the heaviest portable air conditioning units we have come across. Thankfully, the Friedrich PH14B does stand on caster wheels, and with side handles, transporting this unit around the home should not be too difficult, provided you don’t intend to move it up and down stairs.

Functioning at a noise level of 51dBa, the Friedrich PH14B is slightly quieter than we were expecting. For reference, the average human conversation would usually register at around 60dB.

With a digital thermostat controlled by the LED and buttons display at the top of the device, or by remote control, there have been some reports of people finding the display of this unit to be user-unfriendly. However, once control of the device is figured out, it works like a charm.

A 6 ft. long power cord allows for more flexible placement of this unit in your living space, as does the unit’s easy-to-use window kit.

Dimensions (Inches)

Height: 33 1/2″

Width: 19 1/2″

Depth: 15 1/2″

Window Opening (min/max): 26″ / 46″

Help & Support

The Friedrich PH14B is backed by a 1-year appliance, and 5-year compressor warranty. One of the largest warranties in the industry, Friedrich must be commended for their generosity in this regard. If you have any questions regarding Friedrich warranty policy, their customer service agents are contactable via telephone, email, or through the online message feature located on their website.

If speaking directly to a customer service representative doesn’t sound appealing to you, there is also a detailed FAQs section on the company’s website, as well as downloadable user manuals, how-to videos and a store locator. It’s clear that Friedrich have put a lot of effort into their customer support service.

Verdict

We were very enthusiastic to test out this unit, and Friedrich did not disappoint us. A 4-in-1 unit, this product was capable of carrying out any operation we required it to. There are not many units on the market today as versatile as the Friedrich PH4B. While we acknowledge the issues with the interface, and although it’s quiet for its class we wouldn’t necessarily recommend using this unit in a quiet space. However, this product is one of our favourites from Friedrich nonetheless.