Coolblus Portable Air Conditioner, 8500BTU, White

I received my air conditioner yesterday morning, and waited the required time to set it up and turn it on per the instructions (you have to allow time for the refrigerant to settle after shipment). Setup was easy - about what I was expecting. What I was not expecting was how freaking loud this thing is! I turned it on, and it was frankly shocking. Like all room air conditioners, you're hearing at least two fans (the condenser fan which blows air out the back duct, the evaporator fan which blows cold are around the room), plus the compressor. The condenser fan seems to be the really loud one, and it dominates the noise profile even when the room fan is set to "high". The vendor states, "With a noise level of just 52dB, this portable air conditioner ensures a peaceful environment." 52 dB is generally equated to the noise level of a quiet office. This unit is more like the noise level standing next to a large box fan turned to the high setting. The remote control is a bit temperamental as well - it doesn't do well with a combination of using the buttons on the unit itself to set the temperature / fan, and switching to the remote. It seems like it works best if you only use the remote - otherwise the remote seems to reset everything the next time you press a button. The best thing about the unit is its price - hard to believe this much cool comes from such an inexpensive unit. I haven't had it long enough to evaluate how it does with condensate water. Supposedly, it stores it internally and re-evaporates it as it runs. I'll report back if there are any issues with that. It does do a good job of cooling a small home office (~144 square feet). BUT, it is too loud to have on during phone calls or meetings. I don't think this would work for a bedroom where you'd want to sleep. It's louder than most hotel window air conditioners, in my opinion.