Goldstar Performance

I recently purchased a Goldstar KG8000R air conditioner from Kmart. I was in need of an air conditioner - and fast - as the temperatures have been in the upper 80's recently with a great deal of humidity in the air. Aside from that, I am renting a small loft-like apartment with low ceilings and little cross-ventilation.

I had priced GE air conditioners from a local plumbing and heating business. I happened to be in Kmart later that day and noticed a display of Goldstar air conditioners in various BTU capacities. Although the price was around $40 less than the GE's, I was wary to buy a Goldstar appliance of this size. In the past, Goldstar was considered a inexpensive alternative to other appliances of its kind. Unfortunately, it was literally a "get what you pay for" situation with many of their products, as they often had a poor reliability record.

It seems that within the past few years, Goldstar's reputation has improved. As a matter of fact, I had bought an inexpensive Goldstar VCR for my daughter several years ago, and it has outlasted the more expensive one that I purchased for myself.

After taking a close look at the appliance itself, I decided that I preferred its design to the GE's I had viewed earlier. I read about its features on the box and decided to go ahead and make my purchase.

I certainly haven't been disappointed! This air conditioner was easy to install. After initially turning on the unit, the room cooled quickly. Once cooled to the desired temperature, it automatically turned itself off. Later, when the temperature began to rise, it came back on. This is one of the specified features of the unit, and it lives up to its word.

If the unit is set to "energy saver," it runs on the lowest fan setting and checks the room temperature every three minutes. If a rise in temperature is detected, the unit switches refrigeration on and runs until it reaches the desired room temperature setting.

To set the room temperature desired, simply program it in by using the up and down buttons on the front of the unit. The temperature is digitally displayed on the front of the unit. All settings can be programmed by using the remote control unit, as well as by using the buttons on the appliance itself. This is one of my favorite features, as it prevents having to get up and walk over to the appliance to make the desired changes in settings.

The unit is relatively small in size and is more attractive the old air conditioners. This one is almond in color and has a sleek, stream-lined appearance. It is also lightweight, making it easy to install. The unit is very quiet. Therefore, you won't have to turn the volume up on the television or stereo. Because of its design, this appliance is quite easy to clean and change filters when necessary. The instructions in the user's manual are straightforward and easy to follow.

With this unit, you have the choice of turning it off and on at hourly intervals. Also, you can turn it off and set the timer to come on anywhere between one and 12 hours, depending on how you program it. The reverse is also true in that it can be turned on and set to cut itself off according to programming.

This air conditioner can also be used as a fan only in order to circulate air.

I am very pleased with this air conditioner and would certainly recommend it to anyone with the need to cool a medium-sized room quietly and efficiently. According to the Energy Guide sticker, this air conditioner should cost approximately $58 a year to run, based on a 1995 US Government survey.