Review People who favor fans over air conditioners like to feel a house breathe. A good window fan is a real blessing to a fan person, and doubly if that fan may be set to blow in two directions. Double the benefits still again if that window fan has two fan blades, each of which may be set either in or out. The Holmes HAWF3095 window fan has those quadrupled benefits, , then many. There are two 3 speed fans in the unit, each of which may be set for air intake or exhaust, or for air exchange, when one blows in and one out. Also, there is a programmable digital thermostat and timer, so the fan can shut off automatically when nights get too chilly. And of course there’s a simple on/off mode, particularly good with the air exchange configuration. Air direction is set by using the sliding switches located above each fan blade. The mode button can be used to turn the fan on and control the speed. The mode button also cycles through three auto thermostat settings: Auto High, Medium, and Low. There are two extra temperature modification buttons to fine tune the thermostat to a personal comfort level. Also, a timer setting lets the fan to be programmed to turn on and off at one hour increments over a period of as long as 16 hours. The HAWF3095 fits most windows, if it be a casement, slider, or double hung style. The fan can function either horizontally or vertically, and there are two 3 inch extenders that can slide on at either or both ends to help tailor the fan to most any window. Generally unplug fan before cleaning. Use a soft cloth moistened with a light, nonabrasive soap solution. Don’t use gasoline, paint thinner, or benzene as a cleaning solution; also don’t let water to drip on or enter fan housing. The Holmes HAWF3095 window fan measures 25 by 13 by 5 1/2 inches. (For certain casement windows, a exactly intended bracket can be required; upon ask, Holmes buyer service supplies this bracket free, with installation information.) Holmes gives a five year restricted warranty against defects in material and workmanship under normal use conditions. Garland Withers

47 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars The perfect bedroom fan!, June 22, 2005
By Live Simple (Pacific Northwest) See all my reviews This review is from: Holmes Window Fan with Accutemp Plus, HAWF3095 U (Kitchen) purchase this fan if you want something unobtrusive that will easily fit in a window, and if you like the “Acu Temp” feature. If you live in a weather where you on occasion want a little extra cooling but do not really need AC, its ideal, particularly if space is at a premium.

It puts out a good hard breeze and its nice and calm. It’s still a fan of course so I will not say its silent. Another reviewer complained about airflow, and I’ll say its not a heavy responsibility blast like you get from a big fan. But. Its not a big fan, is it. High on this fan is more like medium on a big heavy fan. I like a cool bedroom and this fan has lots of air for me. In fact I only use three (high) to cool the room down intially, then sleep using one or two (low, med) except on the hottest days. We have a another honkin’ big fan we can move wherever we need it for the rest of the house. We love this calm more light fan in our bedroom.

We replaced our old “Cool Breeze” window fan with this one, and 1st off I has been thrilled at how much easier it was to securely install it into the window. It’s a really good design. If you decide to use them, the baffles on the sides let the fan to fit across the whole width of the window. It was an unweildy job when I installed the old fan, but with this one it only took a minute to get it in and I did not swear at all. The fan is nice and sleek so it easily fit into the window without interfering with the screen.

Using the “Acutemp” thermostat feature, you do not have to get up and turn off the fan or get a sheet in the center of the night (the old one was so deafening it kept me up so I was awake anyway). You decide your airflow level and temperature at which you want the fan to turn off, so you go to bed when its still warm and you want that fan, but then it sooner or later cools down (at least here in the Pacific Northwest it does, thank the goddess) and the fan turns off. Likewise, you may be able to set it to turn on when it gets above some temp in the room.

Of course you may also just turn the fan on to low med or high (1, 2, or 3) without the auto functionality.

The one thing that was not obvious when I ordered it, is that the darker control panel area that appears gray in the picture is really a grayish olive green. Its pretty neutral though, kind of a nice sage color. Not a problem for our bedroom but I suppose many people may not like it.

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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of five stars SNAP TO INSTALL, NICE CONTROLS, A BIT UNDERPOWERED, July 30, 2005
By mhill “Matt Hill” (Massachusetts, USA) See all my reviews This review is from: Holmes Window Fan with Accutemp Plus, HAWF3095 U (Kitchen) This Holmes fan is great for pulling in cool air from the outdoors when it is more comfy outside than inside.

It’s not powerful. The high setting may be medium or low on other fans I have used. But think about the major point of a window fan is air exchange, not blowing you with a big gust. Still, if you have to cool a big area, this Holmes fan can be too small. It should suffice for a common bedroom. And it is comparatively calm.

I like the LED thermometer, which stays on when the fan is turned off. It seemed correct comparing it to many other thermometers I have.

It is really easy to install. I have a large window at 32″ but it was no trouble using the included extender panel. You do not have to take off the screen.

I would not use a window fan with a/c. That will drive up costs and decrease comfort. Likewise, do not use it when it’s LESS comfy outside than inside, as one reviewer did.

I think of it usually as a fan for the evening and nighttime.

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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of five stars Love it! It solved problem, , then some!, November 10, 2005
By Morganism (San Francisco, CA) See all my reviews This review is from: Holmes Window Fan with Accutemp Plus, HAWF3095 U (Kitchen) I live in SF so it is rarley HOT like it was in Fl.And so my demands arent as high as others’ can be. But for keeping my room cool and new feeling, it’s great! The best feature is that you may have the two fans running in different directions. One out and one in. That’s the key to really changing the weather in a room. I have had other fans that were “reversible”, which meant there nothed stopping you from removing the fan from the window and flipping it around to change the input or output of air. That was almost useless. This fan has a direction switch for each fan so you may be able to change as needed just by flipping a switch. As for sound level, I’d say it improves the sound level by adding pleseant white noise so lessening the street sound considerably.
As someone else pointed out, this isn’t the kind of fan you need in hot places to cool you quickly. A window fan is more proper to circulate and freshen air while lowering the temperature enough to be comfy.
This is the best of four that I tried (can’t recall what the others were, sorry.)

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Frigidaire’s FRA086AT7 8,000 BTU Mini Compact Window Air Conditioner is perfect for medium to big size rooms up to 350 square feet. This unit features electronic controls and full function remote control with remote thermostat. The antimicrobial filter decreases bacteria, room odors, and other airborne particles for a comfy environment. And with Energy Star efficiency, this unit gives savings with cool, calm comfort.

183 of 186 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of five stars Great Air Conditioner, But., July 23, 2010
By Dominick Fontana See all my reviews This review is from: Frigidaire FRA086AT7 8,000 BTU Mini Compact Window Air Conditioner (Kitchen) I’m reviewing the Frigidaire FRA086AT7 8,000 BTU Mini Compact Window Air Conditioner. I’m giving this AC a good review, but will talk about some things I did not like about it. All of the complaints are minor, except for one, which was a problem for me, but may not be for you. I will start with the background info, then list the features, , then list the good points and bad points.

Background Information:

This is a great AC with many features, good looks, digital display, remote control, and it cools the room well. I am using it installed in a window for my bedroom. Mine is 8,000 BTUs, but Frigidaire has alike models with different BTUs. It only comes in White. Though it’s portrayed as “Mini Compact,” it appears tough and well made and is not really that small. Installation was a breeze because the unit weighs only about 50 lbs. It comes with the AC unit, a window installation kit, a nice manual, bubble that you may put between the windows, and self adhesive weatherstripping to cover any openings. All hardware is included. You just need a Phillips screwdriver to install it and a drill if you want to screw the top of the unit into your window. It’s Energy Star Compliant. The warranty is ONE YEAR Full Coverage and FIVE YEARS for the AC compressor.

Features:

It has a green LED digital display with membrane button controls. You press buttons to control the unit. There aren’t knobs. Membrane means that all the buttons are covered by hard plastic and you press the label on the plastic that covers the buttons underneath. Each button press emits a beep, but if you hold the temperature/timer button down, it scrolls faster and only beeps once.

It has buttons for On Off, Mode, Fan Speed, Temp/Timer Up, Temp/Timer Down, Timer, Sleep, Filter Reset, and Clean Air.

The Green Digital display shows the Temperature and Timer. Usually, when the unit is on Cool or Econ, it shows the temperature you have set, like a thermostat. But, when the fan only is on, it shows the real temperature in the room. When you’re setting the Timer, it displays the count down timer.

It has green LEDs for the three modes, the four fan speeds, if the digital display is showing Fahrenheit, Centigrade, or Timer, Timer On, Sleep On, Filter Reset On, Clean Air On, and Remote Sensing On.

You turn the unit on and off and it remembers your last settings. You press Mode to choose from Cool, Econ, or Fan Only. Econ is Economy Mode that cycles the AC compressor on and off, once it reaches the set temperature, to conserve energy.

Fan Speeds are Low, Med, High, so you have three speeds for both the AC and fan. The AC also has Auto Fan, which regulates the fan speed automatically for you. It comes on full blast when you 1st turn it on, then slowly lowers the fan speed as it reaches your wanted temperature.

The Up and Down buttons were used to set the temperature on the digital display. You may be able to set it from 60 degrees to 90 degrees and display it as either Fahrenheit or Centigrade. These buttons are used to set the Timer.

The Timer button lets you to program the unit to either turn on or shut off one time over a 24 hour period.

The Sleep button raises the temperature you have set by two degrees, one half hour after you activate it, , then by another two degrees, half an hour afterward. Then it keeps this temperature for the next seven hours. It sounds more confusing than it’s. Just, you may be able to activate the Sleep feature when you go to sleep. It assumes an 8 hour sleep cycle. If you set the temperature for 72 degrees, then an hour after you go to sleep, it’ll be set for 76 degrees for the next seven hours, , then go back to 72. The hypothesis is that it you may be able to fall asleep with the temperature you have set, and it can slowly get a bit warmer throughout the night, without it disturbing you, plus, it’ll prevent you from becoming too cold.

Filter Reset has an LED that lights after every 250 hours of use. When it lights, it reminds you to clean the filter. After you clean it, you press the button to turn off the LED and reset it. Then it’ll remind you after the next 250 hours of use.

Clean Air is a fitted Air Ionizer and Purifier. If you turn it on, it’ll automatically remove dust and impurities from the air while either the AC or fan is running.

It has two separate air vent openings at the top that may be controlled independently.

The enclosed remote (2 AAA batteries included) has an unlit LCD Display that shows the real temperature at the remote, presumably that’s where you’re sitting. You may be able to control everything from the remote, except the Filter Reset and the Clean Air Filter. A red LED blinks when you press a button. You may also turn Remote Sensing on and off from the remote. When it is on, a corresponding LED blinks on the AC unit to show it is activated. Usually, the unit controls the temperature, depending on what the temperature is at the AC unit itself. When Remote Sensing is on, the unit then controls the temperature depending on what the temperature is where the remote is.

Good Points:

Cools fast and very well.

Calm.

Six foot long, 3 prong power cord, so you most likely will not need an extension cord.

Remembers your last settings, if the unit is shut down caused by a power failure.

Auto Fan speed is nice and is alike to digital weather control in a car, plus you have the other three manual fan speeds.

Sleep feature is a nice touch to prevent you from to get too cold while sleeping.

Reminds you when to clean the filter.

Air ionizer is a smart idea and makes you wonder, why did not someone think of this before.

Nice looking unit.

Remote control adds a level of convenience, but it’s the temperature display right on the remote that’s an added bonus. Plus, having the unit control the temperature right where you’re with the remote is nice.

Small and easy to remove air filter. It slides out from the top.

Energy economical and the increase in my electric bill is less than with other AC units I owned.

Bad Points:

Can not speak French. (Honeymooners’ reference.)

It is somewhat annoying that if the AC is on, you must cycle it to Fan to display the real temperature in the room, , then set it back to AC. There should have been a separate toggle button that could let you to view either the temperature you set or the room temperature right on the AC unit itself. There’s a temperature display on the remote, but when I’m closer to the unit than the remote, I frequently use the unit to see what the temperature in the room is.

The vent is generally closed. It is the 1st AC unit that I have owned that strangely does not have a Vent Open and Vent Closed control. Some my other ACs have Vent Open, Vent Closed, and Exhaust controls. It is not that big a deal, but with all of its other features, I wonder why this basic control was left out.

When you press a button on the unit, the beeps are deafening.

For many people, the Timer feature will be a great thing, but I have been spoiled. The Frigidaire unit I’m reviewing is replacing a Carrier AC that lasted me 21 years! The Carrier worked perfectly from 1988 till the end of summer 2009 , then it broke. I replaced it with this unit.

The Carrier was ahead of its time and it also had a timer. It was an analog timer, but it allowed you to turn the unit on or off, at hour intervals, as many times as you wanted over a 24 hour period. That may sound like overkill, but I could use it to turn the AC on one hour before I came home from work , then shut off two hours afterward, just in case there was many emergency and I did not make it home right after work. Usually, I could come home, the room was nice and cool, , then I could turn the timer off. But just in case, I had the peace of mind knowing the AC could shut off in two hours, instead of staying on all night, if I did not make it home.

You can not do that with the Frigidaire. You simply set a countdown timer and when it reaches zero, the unit will turn on, if it’s off, or turn off, if it’s on. As well, you must set the timer every time you use it. With the Carrier, you could set the programmed times once, , then just turn the timer on when you wanted to activate it. Again, this isn’t that big of a deal and many people may not use the Timer.

The big disadvantage for me and the only thing that prevented me from giving the unit a 5 Star ranking was that the air directional controls are totally awful. I am talking about the opening at the top of the unit where the air blows out from. I honestly can not understand how such a nice unit may be so deficient in this regard. They really missed the ship on this one.

All the ACs I have had over the years had alike air direction controls and they all worked great. Just, they all had little handles, where you could rotate the vent flaps either left or right. Then there were also up/down flaps, where you could direct the air to blow upward. The bottom line is that you could control the direction of the air flow beautifully.

With the Frigidaire, they promote it as 8 way air control. If you look at the picture you may be able to see that you may control the left and right vents individually. So the left vent may be controlled left right up down and that is four ways. Then the same for the right vent, makes eight ways. Well, it sounds good on paper, but the vents simply do a bad job of. Read more ›

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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars Nice features, great price, 8000 BTU, October 4, 2010
By Chris See all my reviews () This review is from: Frigidaire FRA086AT7 8,000 BTU Mini Compact Window Air Conditioner (Kitchen) The best thing about this little AC unit is the “remote sensing” feature. It has a thermometer on the remote control and can use that as the input for the thermostat, set the remote in the center of the room and it’ll keep it at an temperature. It also has an “econo mode” setting and a “clean air” ionic air filter. It’s small, comparatively calm, and the 8000 BTU’s do a great job keeping the place cool (it hardly ever runs in econo mode but still keeps it cold). This unit was only $10 more than the equivalent 6000 BTU Frigidaire unit.

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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of five stars hard ac unit, August 29, 2010
By ManchesterUnited08 (Brooklyn, NY) See all my reviews () This review is from: Frigidaire FRA086AT7 8,000 BTU Mini Compact Window Air Conditioner (Kitchen) I do not have many of experience with window a/c units, but this little man looks to do alright. I moved to Brooklyn newly in the midst of mid 90s heat, into an apt with zero a/c. Units were sold out all over town (except in overpriced expertise stores) so I had this unit rush delivered. The quality looks pretty good, given the relative low cost. I have the installed in my bedroom and it keeps the complete room chilly (68 F) on the lowest fan setting. Another plus is that I have not been bothered by any water dripping inside or out of the unit, which was a problem of mine in other units.

The one negative I have is the volume of the lowest setting. I wish there was another setting lower that was a bit quieter.

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Frigidaire’s FRA123BU1 12,000 BTU Compact Air Conditioner with Remote Control is perfect for medium to big size rooms up to 640 square feet. This unit has electronic controls with full function remote control. The antimicrobial filter decreases bacteria, room odors, and other airborne particles for a comfy environment. It includes low voltage start up protection. With Energy Star efficiency (9.8 ratio), this unit gives savings with cool, calm comfort.

Eight of nine people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars sweet.., May 6, 2011
By Sketch See all my reviews () This review is from: Frigidaire FRA123BU1 12,000 BTU Compact Window Air Conditioner (Kitchen) Package arrived early and in perfect condition via UPS, it slid right in, fired right up and cooled right down.

I bought an same one two years ago, but only 3500 btu’s, and its been running like a champ since, just needed a bigger one…

I am satisifed.

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Three of three people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars Good value for the money., May 12, 2011
By James Stark See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) () This review is from: Frigidaire FRA123BU1 12,000 BTU Compact Window Air Conditioner (Kitchen) I bought this on Tuesday and got it the next day. I used prime and usually with a bigger package like this I’ll decide next day air so it’ll be in transit for a shorter time period. It installed pretty easily for me, but the only thing is if you have vinyl windows like I do you are not going to be drilling into them like the information point to. Mine came with the exhaust vents dented a bit, but I am wanting to bet if you bought one in the store this could probably happen also (the fins are easily bent back). They really sell combs to straighten these back out for this reason, and you really want to be sure they’re straight for efficiency reasons. Nevertheless unit looks to cool my room pretty good 500 sq ft. It has not been over 90 still so we will see. It definately takes the humidity out of the air which is a big deal around here anyway.

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Two of two people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars Comes with Installation Kit for Window and Remote, May 12, 2011
By KFox See all my reviews () This review is from: Frigidaire FRA123BU1 12,000 BTU Compact Window Air Conditioner (Kitchen) I ordered and received it less than three days later! I had many packaging issues. The box was not damaged but the many of the air intake vents were smashed. Other than that, it comes with a remote, and a window installation kit. It also looks better in person than the picture shows.

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The Westinghouse Contempra IV fan is part of Westinghouse’s “Hugger” series of fans and is ideal for rooms with low ceilings because it hangs down from the roof less than common fans do.The Contempra IV gives powerful cooling and air with its 52 inch, five blade design. The blades are reversible, with one side being white and the other white washed pine, versatility in home decorating. Both sides coordinate handsomely with the fan’s antique white finish.The fan will include a four light lighting kit with the four globes resting below and at the center of the fan in a square pattern, welcome light when needed. The globes are made of frosted ribbed glass.52 inch fans are best suited for big rooms like living rooms, dining rooms, great rooms, and big bedrooms. The fan is covered with a 25 year restricted warranty. Jeffrey DaltoWhat’s in the Box
Fan, lighting kit with four globes

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of five stars Good fan but uses none standard light bulbs, May 17, 2009
By W. D. (San Jose, CA USA) See all my reviews () This review is from: Westinghouse 7871400 Contempra IV Four Light 52 Inch Five Blade Indoor roof Fan, Antique Brass with Frosted Ribbed Glass Shades (Tools & Home Improvement) We bought this kind of fans more than two years ago from OSH. We like the look, the cost and how it works (very calm and stable, also flush mountable). You get the best bang of your money. A month ago, we bought another one from Amazon.Com. In the product description it states using “standard base light bulbs”. After opening the package, we found that it uses candelabra established light bulbs. For this, we returned it to because we’d like to use more generic merchandise for easy light bulb substitute.

After talking to some number of sales persons and electricians at local Home Depot stores, I found all new roof fans changed light bulbs to either candelabra base or Intermediate base (or E 17 Intermediate) in recent years to bypass an energy saving prerequisite forced on Standard Medium Base light bulbs. Now, there’s no particular energy saving prerequisite on the candelabra or Intermediate base light bulbs. The downside of using none standard type bulbs is that you’re locked in to purchase them from restricted number of dealers. It may be hard to find substitute bulbs.

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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars exactly what it says it’s, August 27, 2007
By AnyWoman "AE" (NYC) See all my reviews () This review is from: Westinghouse 7871600 Contempra IV Four Light 52 Inch Five Blade Indoor roof Fan, Polished Brass with Clear Ribbed Glass Shades (Tools & Home Improvement) it is very light, great for low ceilings or apartments and spins silently but with strength! my boyfriend who is a contractor installed it, but said it was easy to hook up and to make flush with the roof, keeping away from nearly any shakiness! it does feel somewhat flimsy so I will update this review after a year or but after nonstop high spinning throughout three steamy hot nyc summer months, i love this thing! for $50 and amazon’s free shipping, YOU can not BEAT IT

July, 2009 UPDATE
Still running the fan just day and night, reversing the direction in the winter to blow upward and using the light function for at least a couple of hours/day and it’s working smoothly and steadily, with no shakiness or loss of strength. The wood panels have not faded, the brass has not tarnished, and I’m hardly as consistent about keeping it clean as I’m about keeping it on! one of the best home purchases I have made.

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Six of six people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of five stars great Fans!, June 14, 2008
By Robert W. Marshall See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) () This review is from: Westinghouse 7871400 Contempra IV Four Light 52 Inch Five Blade Indoor roof Fan, Antique Brass with Frosted Ribbed Glass Shades (Tools & Home Improvement) I bought five of these for our new house when they were on sale. Have been totally happy with them, installation was easy, they look great, and are calm. I had Hunter roof fans in my old place, and was a bit worried that the Westinghouse fans may not be quite the quality, but I was pleasantly surprised to find them every bit as good as the Hunters.

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