Best Wall Mounted Air Conditioners – 2022 Guide

Wall-mounted air conditioners (ACs) are one of the best single-room cooling solutions.

These are usually attached to the wall, under the ceiling, keeping them out of the way. Most owners prefer professional installation, as you need to be handy to DIY it.

This article gives you a lot of information about the choice factors and unit functionality, ultimately helping you to select the best wall-mounted AC for your needs.

Comparison of the Best Wall Mounted Air Conditioners

Factors to Consider Before Buying Wall-Mounted Air Conditioners

If you’re considering a wall-mounted AC for your home, there are some factors to look out for. Thinking about them will help you maximize the comfort this purchase can add to your life.

Room Size and Cooling Performance

Choosing the proper AC for your area is straightforward. Measure the length and the width of your room to get the square footage. Simple conversion charts will tell you the British Thermal Units (BTUs) you need.

How to Choose the Right Size Wall Mounted AC Unit

This is a rough estimate. It doesn’t account for other factors like airflows, ducting age, insulation quality, and maximum occupancy.

The efficiency also depends on the room you’re going to install the unit. Kitchens, for example, can get hotter than other spaces. For the optimal choice, you should add BTUs to the standard square footage option.

You can also use a BTU calculator for the best approximation or ask a specialist to calculate it for you.

Efficiency Ratings

Depending on how well different units cool the same area in the ideal conditions, they’re granted a specific rating. It’s the ratio of how much energy the system consumes to the coolness it produces.

In addition to the general energy efficiency ratio (EER), experts also use seasonal energy efficiency (SEER). The latter is the typical energy consumption of a unit during the cooling season, calculated in watt-hours. 

Operation Modes

The modes are all the functions of your unit. It’s an industry standard to have heating and cooling in an AC these days. Top appliance brands also offer systems that have dehumidification and fan-only settings.

Secondly, the modes are pre-set and convenient functions. You can use them at the touch of a button, knowing that your appliance will be working at an optimal level, with no manual tweaks needed.

One of the most widespread modes is the “Sleep” setting, where the unit adjusts to your schedule and works quietly in the background without freezing the room while you’re asleep.

Timer

The best ACs from top brands usually have some programmable functionality. You can set the unit to turn on and off at certain times during the day and week. Some innovative systems even pick up your patterns without the need for manual programming.

Timers provide extra convenience, which also saves money in the long run.

Digital Temperature Control

Digital temperature control is an AC benefit that has been around for decades. Units usually have an led panel that displays the set temperature and other information like the modes. In most cases, there’s another panel on the remote if the appliance has one.

Brands have taken temperature control to the next level in recent years. They applied the sensors on the remote instead of the unit itself, making the AC more “aware” of the temperature around you.

Accessible, Easy Clean Filters

AC maintenance isn’t one of the most pleasant events. Still, you have to clean and/or change filters from time to time.

Looking for easily detachable filters on your AC is essential to make your life easier during the unit’s lifetime. Most ACs come with cleanable ones that only require dusting or vacuuming from time to time.

You can look for the filter lifetime information in the user’s manual to ensure you change it according to the manufacturer’s requirements.

Another nice-to-have feature is the so-called “Auto-clean,” where the unit changes the mode to remove dust and harmful particles from the filter between regular cleaning sessions.

Review of the Best Wall Mounted Air Conditioners

The section below reviews several top brands and AC models, providing specs, advantages, and disadvantages.

Top Brands for Wall-Mounted Air Conditioners

Many home appliance manufacturers have jumped into AC production over the recent years. Still, there are some pioneers with years of research and development under their belts. Here are a few of them that still hold their power over the industry.

LG

LG has been a long-time player in the AC space. Today, it offers various portable, window, through-the-wall, and mini-split units for consumers worldwide. Depending on what you want to achieve, the company can offer you one of the most diverse model varieties.

Another brand highlight is the LG ThinQ smart technology. This innovative approach makes your home a more friendly space. 

Haier

Haier is a quality Chinese brand specializing in home appliances, including ACs and mini-split units. The brand has developed a few separate series among the single-zone solutions to all target audiences.

• Tempo: The starter series for residential spaces
  
• Advanced Plus: Budget-friendly for cold climates, energy-efficient
  
• Arctic: Heating and cooling in harsh conditions in one sleek appliance
  
• Arctic Next Gen: Exceptional convenience year-round, with built-in Wi-Fi capability
  
• Flex Fit: Three types of units for small commercial, residential, and server spaces

Frigidaire

The company started producing refrigerators at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, this electronics manufacturer is a division of European Electrolux corporation. In the 1990s, the company was so well-known in the USA that people used to call all the refrigerators Frigidaire.

The AC division produces a variety of window-mounted, built-in, and portable units. It also offers large-scale HVAC solutions and packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs).

Price Points of Wall-Mounted Air Conditioners

Wall-mounted units are the least expensive among the systems that need professional installation. Still, the technicians might request hundreds of dollars for the job. A few factors can also impact the cost. Among them are the unit capacity (in BTUs), the brand, and single or multi-zone setting.

$700 – $3,000

This cost is the average for a mini-split kit which contains the indoor unit, the outdoor condenser, and the installation components. The latter sometimes includes copper lines, communication wires, and drainage tubes.

$400 – $1,000

This is the cost of each indoor section. Depending on how many of them you’re installing, the price might climb faster than you’d know it.

$200 – $2,000

The labor costs might fall anywhere in this range depending on your location, the unit type, and the number of indoor units.

$5,300 +

In the USA, this is the national average for an AC unit and installation.

$1,678/$9,548

The lowest and the highest price observed for mini-split units, installation included.

Benefits of a Wall-Mounted Air Conditioner

Wall-mounted ACs are a better alternative to the portable or window options for a few reasons. We’ve outlined some of the most substantial ones below.

Better Cooling

Similar BTUs in a wall AC seem to cool better than in the case of a window unit. There are a few technical reasons for this, but the main one is the quality of fans and condensers.

Larger Variety

Most leading brands have a wider variety among the wall-mounted units. This means that they’ve gotten more research and development over time, making their technologies more mature and advanced.  

Design and Usability

Wall units are out of the way. They’re easier to make a part of the wall design, even if you install the appliance after the renovation. Unlike window ACs, they don’t block a window during the season. Compared to the portable ones, they look sleeker and don’t take up space.

Economical and Affordable in the Long Run

While the initial costs could be much higher for a wall AC because of the installation costs, they’re more economical in the long run. They don’t leave cracks and don’t need ugly sealing screens and foams to keep the hot air outside from seeping in.

Who Should Not Buy a Wall-Mounted Air Conditioner?

Contrary to all the benefits described above, the wall-mounted AC isn’t a “one size fits all” solution. Here are a few considerations you might want to keep in mind.

Upfront Unit and Installation Costs Above Budget

The unit costs might range from a few hundred dollars to thousands for higher-end models. Still, you can find affordable options among the large variety. What makes the initial costs higher is the installation.

Cooling Several Rooms

Choosing a wall AC to cool several rooms isn’t a great solution if you aren’t buying a multi-split unit. It might get chilly in the space it’s mounted in, while other parts of your home or office will stay hot and mess up the unit’s efficiency.

Open plans are the best in terms of heating and cooling. If you have a fixed unit in a space fragmented with walls or cubicles, a wall-mounted unit will be inefficient.

Total Costs Above Budget

A single wall-mounted unit in one room is much less costly in the long run compared to a portable unit in the same room. However, if you have many spaces to cool down, the costs can climb up fast.

Everything depends on the method: are you installing more units for other spaces, or are you chilling one room for the sake of the other (neither are great options)?

If You Desire a Maintenance-Free Unit

You can’t install a unit and let it sit there for years without touching it. You have to clean or change the filter regularly. Luckily, some high-end models have an “automatic cleanup” mode. Once activated, it pushes dust particles out of the appliance.

How Do Wall-Mounted ACs Compare?

We’ve touched upon comparing the different AC technologies and the pros and cons of wall units. However, let’s go over some aspects again in the context of specific types.

Wall-Mounted vs Portable Air Conditioner

Both units have the final goal of cooling the rooms they’re in. However, there are a few considerable differences.

Portability

This is a glaring one. While mounting the AC on the wall is a permanent solution for the specific room, you can move the portable unit and set it up in different areas for more temperature control.

Still, moving a unit can be a hassle, especially if you have one of those lower-quality window seals that don’t require couplers.

Electricity Bill

Wall units are more expensive, but they save you money in the long run compared to the portable ones, which eat up more electricity to the same effect.

Installation

For wall-mounted units, the installation price adds to the initial costs. Portable ACs are more affordable, and you don’t have to call a crew to install them. Just make the connections, insert the exhaust hose, and you’re done!

Wall-Mounted vs Window Air Conditioner

As these two types of units are relatively static, they can only cool one room at a time. These units usually have similar functionality like heating and cooling, dehumidification, and fan-only modes.

As to the differences, there are a few notable ones.

Permanence

Although you can leave a window unit during winter, it usually takes up precious space. If the unit offers heating and cooling modes, it’s likely to stay there all the time.

Wall units are more permanent. They need professional installation and, for rented apartments, landlord permission. In this case, window units might be a better solution for those who intend to move.

Design

If you’re a design-oriented person, the window units might not seem like a great option. They’re usually bulky and block the window. Wall-mounted ACs are easier to blend into the room design.

Initial Costs

Mini-split units cost more because of the added installation charges. You can set up the window unit yourself and save money.

Conclusion

As you can see, owning a wall-mounted AC is an absolute must for hot summers. If you consider all your needs and factors before buying one, these units are among the most efficient and lasting choices.

People Also Ask

The section below covers some additional questions regarding wall-mounted units and how they work.