Sunpentown WA-1340DE Portable Air Conditioner
As the latest addition to the Sunpentown portable air conditioner line up, the WA-1340DE provides 13,000 BTU's of cooling
capability in a dual hose package. With an array of digital features and auto-restart function, the Sunpentown WA-1340DE is a highly
efficient portable air conditioner suited to remove moisture from and cool nearly any room in your home or apartment.
What I liked about the Sunpentown WA-1340DE
The fact that this is a dual hose portable air conditioner is likely one of the WA-1340DE's best attributes. Single hose models often
create negative pressure by venting warmed air out of the room. When air is pulled out of a room way, you can bet air is being pulled back in through
another. The dual hose feature side steps this by essentially circulating and cooling air already inside the room, while using a second hose to pull air
from outside the room to cool the motor. Traditional single hose units use already cooled air from inside the room to cool the
condenser then forces that air out the exhaust. What this all boils down to more efficiency for you. The Sunpentown dual
hose portable air conditioner cools quicker than single hose models.
The digital control system is better than I have seen on some other models. The Sunpentown WA-1340DE has a temperature control, but it also
has a thermometer that provides actual room temperature. The unit has a remote control, but the batteries for the remote were not included.
The exhaust hose was fairly easy to work with and set up, and the WA-1340DE has a plastic kit instead of dense foam like less expensive Sunpentown models. This provides a more solid and efficient seal around the window while making it easier to install.
The auto-restart feature is a nice step up. Most portable air conditioners do not have this, but it has been a popular selling point for
dehumidifiers for a few years now. So seeing it in a portable air conditioning unit is a welcomed addition.
As with all Sunpentown models, most of the moisture that is extracted through the cooling process is self-extracted. This means it is pushed
out of the room with the warm exhaust air. Sunpentown portable air conditioners produce little condensate but for very humid conditions, there is a
built-in condensate tank that can be continuously drained with an included hose.
Lastly, this model provides all of the great features common in the Sunpentown brand, adjustable louvers, very free moving casters, washable
large particle filter, programmable timer, and an thermostat range of 64 - 90 F.
What I did not like about the Sunpentown WA-1340DE
Unlike some models, the Sunpentown WA-1340DE is not Energy Star qualified, and at over 1300W this unit consumes some power. Off setting the
power consumption, this model attempts to make up for this by offering a wide array of features.
Draining the water from the unit is not difficult, but the Sunpentown does not have a bucket that is accessible.
This makes drainage inconvenient and possibly messy. You have to pull the plug from the back of the unit and drain
it with a length of hose. If conditions are right, you can set up a continuous gravity drain.
Recently, the R22 refrigerant was banned from being used in newly assembled appliances. However, sales are allowed to continue of previously
manufactured models with this refrigerant. But, while R22 is not as environmentally sound as R-410A refrigerant, it is more effective as
a cooling solution than the eco-friendly R-410A.
Overall, this is likely one of the best Sunpentown portable air conditioners available. Being a dual hose portable air conditioner puts it
in front of most single hose unit, and the array of features outweighs the energy consumption while the cooling power is some the
best among air conditioning units.
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