LG System 2 installed 20,000btu
** Update : Heh heh, sorry about the multiple updates... alright I figured out the remote situation, which was the reason I didn't recommend the LG in the first place.
I'm not 100% satisfied but at least I can recommend it now. The LG does remember the last setting, but only up to 26 degress. If you set it at 27 degrees or above it resets back to 24 when you start again. But if you set it at 26 or below then it will keep those settings. Like I said, these air cons are extremely powerful so 27 degrees is what it set it to my in my bedrooms. What I will do is keep it at 26 degrees and set it to sleep mode which will automatically increase the temperature by several degrees over a few hours time. ***
***** UPDATE 14/3/09: while shopping for the Panasonic system 2 unit I went to an Air Conditioner specialist and complained that i wanted a system that would remember the temperature setting. He said that most of the new ones were like the LG and did not remember it. Can someone verify this? If this is true then I WILL HAVE TO CHANGE MY REVIEW AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE LG
. Also, he said to keep away from all other manufacturers except for the following 4: LG, Sanyo, Carrier, and Toshiba. He said the most important thing was the efficiency of the compressor and these four had the best ones in the industry. I will probably go for the Sanyo next but the blower units are huge compared to my LGs but that's ok, they will be replacing my huge Carriers *****
Original review below.....
Ok, let me just say, unfortunately I can not recommend this LG System 2. It really comes down to one thing and it's such a stupid thing that I just still can't believe it. Otherwise it's a nice system.
First, let me say this system is really compact. That's one of the reasons why I got it, I really like the way it looks, has 3 ticks for energy usage, and parts are supposed to be dirt cheap. It comes with a 1yr warranty for the blower units and 5yrs for the compressor outside.
It replaced a Carrier system 2, which was much bigger. You'll see in the pictures the wall surrounding the LG is all marked off, that's how big the Carrier units were.
Pros:
1. At first I was disappointed that it wasn't completely silent, like my Carrier, I was hoping for almost no sound. So I went to the next room and compared to the two other Carriers I still have, to my surprise they're the same. There's a slight difference in that with the LG you only hear the air whirling, but with my old Carrier you hear the air and the fan (faint) inside doing it's thing. I always thought the Carriers were silent but I guess since I'm paying close attention to the units I can notice their noise level. So I'm happy with the noise level.
2. This LG has a lot of Auto modes, Jet Cool (runs everything at max, fans, and temperate) with one button. Chaos swing, tries to simulate natural wind by using (I guess) random flap patterns. An Auto mode where it keeps the current room temperature, you can adjust by indicating hotter or cooler but doesn't indicate temperature. It's sleep function will raise the temperature 1 degree the first hour and then 2 degress by the 2nd hour so you're not too cold when sleeping. Like I said, it has a lot of auto modes for people that like it. Bit I'm not one of them. I like full manual control. The manual control is ok except for one major thing which I state below.
3. I also like how it has an indicator light right on the blower unit to show you that the compressor outside is active. Very handy. It will be useful to know at what temperature the compressor kicks so I can strike a balance between comfort and temperature.
4. Has an airfilter mode called Plasma, I guess that's a nice feature for those that want to get rid of smell or bacteria.
It cools very well, I guess it should since it's brand new. My old Carrier (12,000btu) I always had it at 23/24. With this LG I'm up at around 26/27.
Cons:
1. NOW, this is the DEAL BREAKER for me and the reason why I can't recommend it. THE REMOTE CONTROL DOES NOT REMEMBER YOUR LAST TEMPERATURE SETTING after shutting down!!!! This is soooooo annoying. So if you set it at 27 degress and turn it off, the next time you turn it on it starts at 24 degrees! This is it, this is why I can't recommend this unit, like I said, such a shame considering I like many things about it. LG, are you listening?????!
2. Fan speed - it has 3 settings plus a chaos (random) one. I don't like how when you change the fan speed it doesn't immediately switch, it does it gradually, like over many seconds so it's hard to tell if it's doing anything. I had to put a string on the end of the blower to confirm that speed was changing.
So there you have it, my opinion on the system. These two may be small issues for some people but I can't stand the temperature thing. It's such a shame because otherwise the unit is very nice. These are such easy issues I don't know why they designed it this way. *** update, someone suggested I try buying a universal remote from Ebay for like $10. I just might try that, then everything will be good
***
I wish outlets had working units we should try out. It's a guessing game as to what features we're really getting. I hope the Panasonic I get next doesn't have some of these issues. I kinda wish I had gotten the Samsung, at least that would have been much cheaper at $1200 installed, would've been interesting to see if they are as good as the LGs (besides the controller thingy). Between those two brands I tend to notice Samsungs provide better functionality and LGs just look good.
As far as Giant goes, the contractors were ok, just a little messy but I guess that's expected. There was dust from drilling ALL over the place, but they cleaned up the big mess and I guess that's all you can expect.
Anyone out there that can provide feedback for Panasonic and Samsung AC non-inverters ???
