Quiet and Reliable Non-Ducted Air Conditioner?

[Secguru]

Our lovely restored 34' 1983 Avion "Stella" has only a two original appliances left 1) The Magic-Chef Stove/Oven and 2) The 18K BTU Duo-Therm Brisk-Air Air-Conditioner. Both work fine, so I have not replaced either.

However..... My lovely wife hates the Brisk-Air A/C. Not because it does not cool adequately. It does, even on the hottest days in Houston, TX. But the Brisk-Air is LOUD! My Sound Pressure Level meter records 87 dba at 3'-0" above the floor. It is so noisy that it gives my wife headaches.

I'm looking at other options to lower the noise level. And (of course), none of the product data sheets list the Sound Pressure Level on their specifications.

So... Does anybody know which 18K BTU Non-Ducted A/C is the quietest? And... After enjoying a VERY COLD 31 year old A/C, could I get any frank and comradely comments on the reliability of the available units?

I appreciate your help.

(Sorry, I can't hear you. Let me turn this A/C off!)

[Foiled Again]

earplugs - economical & instant

Of course It might be that the fan blades have gotten full of crud and are out of balance, so a complete cleaning and tuning might help. People never think about balancing fan blades but it can make a big difference. In my first or second apartment the stove vent fan sounded like a DC-9 propeller. 2 inches of scotch tape on the end of one blade dropped the irritation factor by about 70%.

Can the fan speed be lowered somewhat? A resistor or something like that? I'd ask a good A/C tech about that.

Could you be getting any sympathetic vibrations from the housing or the ceiling panels. Some dampening might help. Stick on felt pads on the edges of the housing, etc.

Paula

[Secguru]

Thanks very much for the suggestions. That was actually my first thought. I cleaned the fans, evaporator and condenser completely. All of that quieted it down slightly.

It's just a 31 year old A/C and its very noisy.

I'm just wondering who makes the quietest non-ducted A/C, and which ones are the most reliable over many years.

[drboyd]

If you're looking for a mini-split two piece system. you want a Mitsubishi. Accept no substitutes.

[bovk]

I replaced 13500 BTU heat pump on my 2010 20 fc just for the noise reason. I used Polar Cub Coleman 9000 BTU. Very good results, can use it in the night and last weekend at Waco it was over 100 and full sunshine and it cooled well. It would not be good if I had kids running in and out or a bigger unit. These units are used on Casitas.
Would 2 of these units be your solution? I paid about $600 for one. No controls needed, just 110 supply.


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