Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Honeywell Contempo Series Portable Air Conditioner, Dehumidifier & Fan with Dual Filtration System for Rooms Up to 400-550 Sq. Ft. Polished & Powerful (Blue/White)

Small footprint, big chill, right price.

Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2019

Color: Blue/WhiteSize: 14,000 BTUStyle: Air ConditionerVerified Purchase

I replaced two older portable A/C units in my rec-room with this unit a few weeks ago. It arrived just in time for a week of 90 degree days and high humidity. Setup it up in minutes, and found it much more powerful than the two older 10k units it replaced in the same space.

I bought a condensate pump at the local big box to pump the water it extracts from the air because putting a bucket next to the unit seems silly. And waiting for the unit to fill up and stop then drain into a bucket also sounded silly. The old units had a terrible internal collector that you had to pull out and then dump. Most of the time it spilled all over the floor. The Honeywell has a collection tank you can drain in two locations and a drip tube is included.

The pump I bought is common, self primes and pumps it out to the sump using standard inexpensive vinyl tubing. Total cost was less than 80 bucks including my time. In my book the savings to never have to empty the tank is a win-win. The drip hose included with the A/C unit is connected all the time at the top and drains into the pump housing. If you want to collect water in the unit the rubber stopped holds the water in and it is easy to drain. I just wanted to forget about it.

As far as performance goes even on the most humid days the rec-room is 75 and comfortable dry with no issues. The noise is tolerable even if you are seated right on top of it. Far less than the 747 sounding units it replaced.

To be fair I used the existing units window mounts, but the new one looked just like the existing ones, so I can't testify to those. The unit came with plenty of hose and weatherstrip if I had to install the window kit. So I'd say it was a positive feature.

I have used the timer function to shut it down at night - or turn on in x number of hours. Works like a charm. I used the remote, but more often than not I walk over to it and set or adjust the temperature or turn it off.

The unit is sleek and attractive and in dehumidifier mode it still cools the air, but cycles on and off more often then in A/C mode, and only has one fan speed.

The only thing I miss from the other units that this one doesn't have is oscillation of the blower fan but I got used to that. I guess I could turn on a small fan to move the cold air back and forth, but it doesn't need it. The room is solid cold across the space. The animals including me just miss the breeze finding me every few minutes

I would suggest to Honeywell that they have a power saver mode so it would shut down the fan when not actively cooling, but most units portable or window don't offer that feature either.

All in all this is a great unit. Came with everything you need to set it up and be cool. Price was excellent for the power and size. I'm thinking of getting a second one for another location that has no A/C that I work at.

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Blessed Soul

This changes everything!

Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2020

Color: Blue/WhiteSize: 14,000 BTUStyle: Air ConditionerVerified Purchase

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I recently purchased a 1947 Cape Cod home. The top floor is a loft-style master suite with two south-facing dormers. The total square footage of my bedroom is 865 square feet. This is my dream bedroom... until the first summer when I thought I was going to die from the heat and resulting lack of solid sleep.

Not only does the attic insulation need to be replaced/replenished but the wrong soffits were installed into the house. The house should have vented soffits. It could also use better venting in the attic. It was hotter than Hades up there last summer. When the first floor was 70 degrees Fahrenheit with central air, my bedroom remained at least 78 degrees and once neared 90 degrees. There are central air vents in my room; but, because it's basically attic space, it wasn't enough.

I spent so much time researching window air conditioners versus portable air conditioner and single hose portable air conditioners versus two hoses. I decided to buy a portable unit because it's easier to handle compared to installing and removing a heavy window unit. When it's not summer, I just roll the portable unit into my closet.

I went with a single hose unit because, after much reading, it seems that dual hose units are most effective when the temperatures are over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. We don't get a lot of those in Ohio. I choose this model because it was good for a 700 square foot area. While my room is 865 square feet, I still have the benefit of central air vents. It's the largest area recommended for any portable unit, and I trust the Honeywell brand.

Other concerns I had for using supplemental air conditioning in my room was the draw of AC current in an older home and the money it would cost to run the unit. I did have to get an electrician to put in a new AC outlet since none of my outlets are grounded and are all two-prong. This AC unit has a three-prong plug. I haven't blown the circuit using the AC; and, while I got this unit in the middle of my electric billing cycle, my bill was only $20 more compared to my bill last year. The average outdoor temperature of this last bill was one degree higher compared to a year ago. Also, with the whole COVID-19 pandemic, I've been home all day instead of away at work 50 hours plus each week. I'm cooking all my meals at home now compared to hardly any last year. So I'm using a lot more power versus last year.

It seems my whole-house air conditioner runs much less since I've gotten the portable unit. Perhaps keeping the attic cooler has resulted in the entire house remaining cooler.

This portable air conditioner is very efficient. It doesn't take it long to lower the temperature in my room. One thing to note is that once it's on, it's always running. When it's not pushing out cold air, the fan remains on. It does help to keep the air circulating. I've seen some reviews that complained this unit was too loud. While that's subjective, I don't agree with it. It's louder than my central air vent but not louder than a box, turbo or Dyson fan. I've included a video on the unit pushing out cold air which is a little bit louder than when it's just running the fan. I've also attached photos of my room to give a sense of the size of the room as well as the size of the unit.

I am so happy with my purchase. It is so pleasant in my room now compared to the sweltering heat last year. Sometimes, as I'm climbing the stairs, the air gets cooler instead of hotter which is a much welcomed change. I also sleep so much better now that I'm not drenched in sweat.

I highly recommend this air conditioner especially for those with similar conditions.

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Sleeplessnashadow

Very nice A/C unit. Don't expect portable to be a whole house a/c unit. Amazon gets a Fail for shipment packaging.

Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2016

Color: Blue/WhiteSize: 14,000 BTUStyle: Air ConditionerVerified Purchase

I like the unit and most everything about it. Easy installation, heavy but wheels are adequate. What a person deems as "loud" or "quiet" is somewhat of a personal thing added to how close to it a person is. Given it's BTU rating I didn't expect this to be silent. It's an a/c unit. It's nowhere near as loud as a window mounted unit. It's louder than a whole room fan on low but quieter than the same fan set to high. Does a good job of cooling one large room. Note the shipping weight is 72 lbs. The weight is directly related to the 14,000 BTU rating. Once it's out of the box and set on it's wheels the weight is moot.

My one complaint isn't the a/c unit, it's the factory packing Amazon shipped it in. The unit sits in a thick styrofoam base. The top inserts into another another thick styrofoam panel containing the accessories. The box slides over the top and covers the base but isn't attached to it. Holding it all together was one strong vertical strap pushing the bottom up and top down. While this works for buying it from a brick and mortar store it's inadequate for shipping via UPS. The styrofoam compresses under the pressure of the strap eventually loosening the strap, which fell off. UPS was careful but bringing it upstairs the accessories began falling out, the prongs of the plug were flattened. Towards the top the box came out of the base and we almost lost it. Had we known the one strap was the only thing holding it together it would have helped but this isn't clear until taking it all apart. This is when we also noticed the sides inside the box have no protective packing.

I was very thankful I was able to repair the plug, recover the parts that fell out and the unit works. If I had to send it back I would have had to come up a means of putting humpty dumpty back together again. I was more fortunate than a few others and now have a much cooler large living room.

5 people found this helpful

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SIR BUYSALOT

This Unit Is Exactly What I Was Hoping For!

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2020

Color: Blue/WhiteSize: 14,000 BTUStyle: Air ConditionerVerified Purchase

I have a double-wide garage that's converted into a game room, and with the brutal summer heat here in Florida, the existing wall air conditioner (15,000 BTU) needed some help, to keep it from being 85 degrees in here when I get home from work. This unit is 'just the ticket' to accomplish that. But there are a few things you should know, assuming that you've read a bunch of the reviews, and are now afraid that it's: noisy - leaky - lousy, or whatever. The unit that I received is not loud at all. It makes the normal amount of noise that a 14,000 BTU unit makes. It does not leak, but because a few reviews told horror stories about water drainage, from the get-go, I bought a 24" water heater drain pan and sat the unit inside it...just in case. So far (3 days), the pan is bone-dry, but if there ever is a certain amount of drainage,it will be confined to the drain pan. Next issue: they could be cool and tell you up-front about this, but: the power cord is about 6 feet long, and they caution you to NOT use an extension cord (nobody wants a fire), SO, you will need to have both an electrical outlet and a window (for venting) within those parameters (6 feet MAX)! If you don't, you will have to get 'creative'. The vent hose only extends about 4 feet from the unit, so you won't have a lot of wiggle room. BUT, if your situation accommodates all that, you will be happy with this unit. It does a good job. Actually, having the unit sitting inside a water heater drain pan makes it easier to move around, because it's pretty much just sliding it (fairly heavy) around, which is easier than trying to roll it around on carpet, with those tiny little wheels. Do I recommend it? Yes! After adding extra insulation to the exterior of the storm door window I used to vent the exhaust with, it's nice and cool out here now, and the wall unit doesn't have to work so hard. One bonus feature is that when "winter" comes back around (it CAN get cold here) the unit can be used as a heater!

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LUCKY TO LIVE IN LA

BUY THIS AS A LAST RESORT

Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2018

Color: Black/WhiteSize: 14, 000 BTUStyle: Air ConditionerVerified Purchase

I think the best review of this product was already written by Consumer Reports, which I didn't read until after purchasing. I am in the process of replacing my central AC with a new unit(I'm thinking Trane) and bought this to supplement until I decide and get it installed. According to CR all of these portable units are not energy efficient and put out cool, not cold, air. Window air conditioners are much more efficient and put aout much colder air. Portable units like this Honeywell should be purchased only as a last resort. If you live in a building, for example, that does not allow window units, a portable may be your only option. They are better than no air conditioner at all. They will drop a single room temp by about 10 degrees, like 90 to 80 degrees F. And if you are sitting right next to it, it feels pretty good. However they are a bit loud. (You will have to turn the TV volume up.) You will also need room to store it when not in use in winter months. They are kind of bulky. CR also says the models of portables that have two large hoses coming out of the back instead of one (like this one) is slightly more energy efficient than the single hose model. I was able to confirm this fact with an engineer. However I do not recall seeing a dual hose model option on Amazon. So if you must buy a portable air conditioner, buy the dual hose version.
Set up was easy but they only provide one size of a sliding plastic panel to conform to many window sizes. This means it may not be long enough for a large window and may be too large for a smaller window, forcing you to have to hack off the end crudely with a hand saw or reciprical saw. Honeywell needs to include a longer and a shorter plastic sliding panel, after all, most people have various sized windows in their homes. Honeywell needs to redesign and reengineer this product to improve function and efficiency. Overall it seems like an antiquqted product. Even the remote looks like something out of 1983.

BOTTOM LINE: Choose a more efficient window air conditioner or central air conditioner over a rolling portable if it is an option, otherwise, this is better than no air conditioner at all but choose a dual hose model. (I would not disagree with a 2 star review on this product due to lack of efficiency. If it were at least efficient, it would make it more worth purchasing, despite cool, not cold, air output.)

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P-ro

Great unit!!! Exceeded my expectations- make sure you check yours, though

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2019

Color: Blue/WhiteSize: 14,000 BTUStyle: Air ConditionerVerified Purchase

I was not at all happy with how long it took to ship (8 days for Prime??? I ordered it on a Tuesday, they didn’t even get it ready for shipping until Sunday). It was especially frustrating because most of the days I had to wait were right in the middle of the killer heat wave that swept the nation.

That being said, now that I have this unit, I LOVE IT. I am very happy I bought it. The reason I bought a portable unit— my central air stopped cooling and required service/possible replacement. The electric bills were already out of control; I learned this past winter I could cut my electric bill in half by dropping the thermostat to 55 and using a couple of new *safe* space heaters for my relatively small living area. So, this April, I decided that I would tough it out as much as I could with just fans and the windows open long enough to save enough on my electric bill to justify spending money for a good portable AC unit like this. Turns out - I saved more money, more quickly than I thought I would. So, after spending many sports-bra & underwear evenings (it’s just me & my pooch, don’t judge), this unit finally arrived. It was a struggle to move up the stairs - the UPS guy left it outside of the garage under the house, which I am grateful for, given the recent proliferation of porch thefts. But it was still only me. I still managed to slide it on up the stairs by myself 💪. I was able to set it up in about half an hour— and the only reason it took me that long is because my window happened to be one of the weird sizes that it wasn’t adapted for. Luckily, I figured it out without having to cut anything just by flipping things around, and using a towel and tape to fill in any gaps I felt (see photo).
I turned the unit on- super easy- and I closed all the windows. Right away, I felt everything cooling. The fact that it could make such an immediate difference was very impressive. My dog and I have been comfortable since. I am especially pleased that I have been able to place the unit in the doorway between my bedroom and my living area, and it has been able to keep both area cool & comfortable. I’m talking my bedroom/bathroom stay “cold”, my open living room/dining area +small kitchen stay “cool”, and even the guest bathroom is comfortable (with the two other bedrooms that face it closed). I’ll post an update once I get my next power bill— but judging from other people in my area, I do believe I’m going to be high-fiving myself for choosing to make this purchase. So far, this unit is the bomb 💣 👍

It’s all working great, though I will probably go get some thermal film this week, just because it will make me feel more energy efficient.

I also plan on using this unit to dehumidify my downstairs area..... once I can stop reveling in this cool air I now have up here.

Highly recommend this unit 👍❤️

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Ken

JUST PLAIN JUNK

Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2020

Color: Black/WhiteSize: 14, 000 BTUStyle: Air ConditionerVerified Purchase

Unpacking and set up was easy. Let unit sit for 24+ hours then turned it on early afternoon to try it out. Initial temperature in room was 81 degrees. Came back to check on things in one hour and the dreaded P1 code was flashing. Temperature in room was 79 degrees and the unit had shut down. Unplugged the unit and drained about a cup of water out of the lower drain. It is very hard to drain this unit as the drain plug is only about 1/2" off the floor.

Turned it back on after a couple of hours around 8 pm to see if it would work overnight. Set the unit at 73 degrees. It worked through the night with no apparent problems but only got the room temperature down to 75 degrees, a four degree drop overnight. That is the good news.

The next day started up at about 4:30 pm and got a P1 error flashing within 15 minutes . Emptied water out (not much) but continued to get P1 message between 1/2 hour to an hour after emptying water. Decided to connect a hose to top drain and continually drain into a large 2 gallon bucket. This seemed to work as the P1 code did not come back .

However, the bucket did not have enough capacity and had to be emptied every 5-6 hours. Not good for night time sleeping. This unit was supposed to evaporate water out the vent hose and not accumulate water in the unit so obviously the unit was not operating properly. And yes it was set on cooling and not dehumidify.

Anyway, packed it up (not fun as box was very flimsy and heavy) and returned.

In conclusion, humidity sensor or whatever didn't work, was very noisy, did not cool more than a few degrees and was just a real pain to deal with. Not worth 10 cents never mind over $600.

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Timber's Mom

Great Purchase!

Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2019

Verified Purchase

We live in a pre-war apartment in NYC. To anyone outside of NYC, this means nothing. To residents, you know that means thick brick walls and good insulation. When we moved in, we rented window ACs but we didn't want to continue renting them. We decided to try this Honeywell 14,000 BTU portable AC. It works great. It blows cold immediately. The vent opens and closes on its own when you turn the unit on or shut it off. It shows the temperature of the room surrounding it. Once the set temperature is reached, the compressor shuts off and the fan keeps circulating that cool air around the room.

The hose ends come attached. Anyone that's tried to screw on the connector ends to these large hoses knows what a convenience that is. From unwrapping the components, all you have to do is snap the hose into place and then snap it to the window fitting, put the window fitting into place, close the window, plug the unit in and turn it on. That's it! It took less time to get this unit set up than to write this review.

It handles humidity well with its dehumidifying feature. But you need to read the instructions. To get the dehumidifier to work, you need to turn off the unit, unplug it, insert the drain hose into either the upper or lower plug opening, then plug the unit back in and then turn it on. If not, it won't single the control panel to drain the humidity out of the hose. Once that's done, you will be amazed at the amount of water that this unit pulls from the air. They aren't joking about 111 pints/day. When you don't want to use the dehumidifier, you need to reverse the above instructions.

The fan works great for days when you want the windows open. It helps circulate air well. The unit doesn't have an auto-swing feature, but when I stand off to the side of it about six feet away, I feel air blowing, so it circulates air to all areas of a room.

The only con is that portable ACs are a little bit more expensive to run, but this unit cools down a room quickly and the fan helps to circulate the air well so you don't have to keep the temperature that low. Most nights, we either leave the fan running on the unit or turn it off and the temperature in that room is good in the morning.

We're very happy with this purchase. Everything about this unit is elegant, from it's set up to its manoeuvrability, its performance and its looks. It fit our needs. We highly recommend this Honeywell 14,000 BTU portable air conditioner.

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Ryan

Quality Control Issues... Same internal damage to 3 units

Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2016

Verified Purchase

I’ve owned several portable air conditioners from LG, Idylis, and Whynter. With the summer heat approaching, I decided it was time to replacing my failing LG portable A/C. After reading all the positive reviews on other model Honeywell portable air conditioners I figured I would give them a shot. From here on out, my experience with Honeywell was a nightmare.

The unit arrived within 2 days thanks to amazon prime and FedEx. Unboxing was quite simple and only required cutting 2 straps and removing the top portion of the box. The only protection for the portable air conditioner is a foam insert on the top and bottom. After inspecting the unit I noticed 2 of the prongs on the plug were severely bent, and the ground prong was missing. I called amazon customer service about the issue, and they were fantastic. A replacement was sent out the same day.

The next day UPS delivered the replacement, and picked up the damaged air conditioner. This unit arrived with damage to the outer box. One strap was missing and there were several holes throughout the box. After unboxing, I noticed the panel on the bottom right had popped out. This is a removable panel with a cheap mesh filter. After I removed the panel, I could see major damage to the fins on the evaporator coils. This damage could not have happened during shipping since all the parts on the inside do not move at all. I called amazon again, and they agreed to send another replacement.

UPS once again delivered the replacement, and picked up the damaged air conditioner. This time the box had very little damage. YAY! After unboxing, I noticed there was no window adapter or mesh filters installed. Out of curiosity, I removed the bottom right panel and the fins on the evaporator coils were smashed on this unit as well. At this point I was extremely frustrated because it is not easy to repackage this portable air conditioner. I called Honeywell about the issue, and they said they do not manufacturer these portable air conditioners. I was told to call JMATEK/Airtek. They were very friendly and asked for photos of the damage. I sent the photos as requested, and within 4 hours I received a “response” asking for a picture of the setup of the unit including the exhaust hose and where it leads to among several other things. WHAT?!?! This had nothing to do with my original email.

Once again I called amazon, but this time I asked to speak to a supervisor. I explained the situation and it was almost like she did not care. I told the supervisor I could provide pictures of the damage if needed. Her response was no and chuckled. She agreed to send out one more replacement. I asked if this time they could ship it as fragile, and her response was no but she would pass the shipping issues on to the appropriate department.

UPS delivered the last replacement, and picked up the 3rd damaged air conditioner. This box had no damage, but was shipped with only 1 strap instead of 2. The straps hold to bottom and top of the box together. This time everything was included…. The remote, window adapter, exhaust hose, and drain hose. This time the window adapter was cracked. I removed the bottom right panel for what seemed like the millionth time just to check the inside… Guess what, the fins on the evaporator coils were smashed on this one as well. I called JMATEK back and explained that on 3 of the units there was the same damage present to the fins. This information was passed onto a supervisor there. I was told this is not normal, and there should be no damage at all to the fins. I figured at this point I should at least try to use the air conditioner, and see what happens. The air conditioner was meant to cool a bedroom roughly 200 sq ft.

Setup was quite easy, and only took a few minutes. This was probably the best window kit (minus the damage) out of all the portable air conditioners I have owned. Some companies have massive window kits that just look awful from the outside, but this one is slim and has a low profile.

It took roughly 1 hour to bring the temperature from 80 degrees down to 72 degrees. I was quite surprised at how quiet this portable air conditioner is compared to the others I have owned. This is a big plus considering how loud some of these can get. After running for 3 hours it could not bring the temperature down below 70 degrees. Performance wise it does not seem to be very powerful.

The next evening when I went to turn the air conditioner on, the compressor started making a strange noise after 5 minutes of use. With less than 4 hours of total use, the compressor had died.

Clearly there are quality control issues with this portable air conditioner if the same damage was present on 3 units, and another unit had damage to the plug. I was extremely disappointed considering Honeywell is a great brand.

I called amazon back and spoke to another supervisor who said it would be better if I returned the air conditioner for a refund while they do an investigation as to what is going on.

I strongly suggest if you do purchase this portable air conditioner to check to make sure there is no internal damage, especially to the fins. This can be checked via the small bottom right removable grille/panel.

Pros
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Great window kit
- Quiet Operation
- Friendly customer support from JMATEK

Cons
- Quality control issues
- Shipping issues

359 people found this helpful

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Krista

Great AC, there is a tiny butt. 🍑

Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2023

Color: Blue/WhiteSize: 14,000 BTUStyle: Air ConditionerVerified Purchase

This ac worked perfect in my bedroom that gets a lot of sun. Perfect for hot summers, but it is noisy, so if loud ac units keep you up, you might want to skip this one.
Also note to the manufacturer and writer of instructions for this model. Please make the how to access and change/clean the filter more clear.
It didn’t get changed for several years because instructions were unclear, when a simple “pull here to open” would have made things easy. Instead cleaning the filter was harder than it needed to be. Or maybe I’m just incompetent, either way…instructions unclear.

I was shocked when it did finally get a cleaning that it was still functioning after how dirty the filter was.
So kudos on the maker of this AC. This thing is still trucking after 6-8 years. That’s why it has a 5 star rating.

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