Vintage GE "Carry Cool" AC Anyone?

[launderess]

Had a unit similar to this for my first apartment out of college. Sold it pretty much brand new to a friend when I moved to a new place that didn't allow window air conditioners. Could sit down and weep if I knew then what I know now.

L.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Used-GE-Window-...ryZ79625QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

[exploder3211]

Wish it where closer, would be a nifty collectable

 

[whirlcool]

I noticed on the tag for that A/C that there was no zipcode associated with Louisville, KY. Could this unit be pre 1965?

 

[andrewinorlando]

I don't believe the Carry Cool came out until sometime in the early 1970s.

 

[toggleswitch]

My parent's bought those for the bedrooms in 73/74.

Inestructbile Lexan plastic.

Although hugely loud by tody's standards, we bought a GE as above and a Whirlpool for the same price on the same day to see which was better. The GE was quieter. UGH! IIRC they were $300 then, each. Back to the store went the WP and another GE was picked-up.These Carry-cools worked aand were used every year until given to my mother's contractors two years ago.

 

[petek]

Remember I found one last year at Value Village, well I brought it in the move and gave it to my nephew last August but for some reason it wouldn't work after the long haul. I think the cord is damaged. So this thread reminded me about it and I called him, hasn't fixed it yet so I told him to give it back to me if he wasn't going to fix it and he better not dare toss it out.. I had to stress that point LOL

 

[washertalk]

my first air condition in 1984

Bought the smallest model they made. 4800 btu or maybe 5000? It had woodgrain front and no thermostat. I think I paid $169 new. And I had to take the expandable ends off for it to just fit in the sliding window in my bedroom. I was 17. priorities. lol.

 

[bundtboy]

EER of a CarryCool.

I think those were designed to be disposible. They are not designed to be serviced.

Also, did you ever realize that they use nearly TWICE the energy to do their cooling than modern ones? The EER (energy efficiency rating) of a Carry-Cool is about a 4 on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most efficient.
In other words, they absolutely use too much energy.

 

[paulg]

Childhood Carry-Cool memories

We stayed at a budget motel in the early 1970s. To our amusement there was a Carry-Cool in the window and a 9" tube Admiral black-and-white TV on the shelf. (YES, NINE INCHES).
Things were much different in 1972.
We didn't care. The room was clean and we sat by the pool.

 

[launderess]

Not many AC's made before the 1990s or so are good energy wise.That is one of the reasons there is a push to get people to turn in/replace their units from the 1970's and 1980's with newer modern "Energy Star" units.

My Friedrich wall unit was made in 1990, but has about the same energy rating as models sold today (9.2), so there would'nt be much energy savings to pay for a new unit. Keep in mind also besides changing the cooling system in small ways, the largest energy savings from new units, comes from cycling the fan with with the compressor.

Besides, one just has to love the "ahhhh" factor from the ice cold air Freon cooling units produce. Sort of like walking down the frozen foods section! *LOL*

 

[danemodsandy]

bundtboy:

"In other words, they absolutely use too much energy."

Add the price of the Valium needed to calm your nerves from the racket Carry-Cools made, and you had a pretty high cost-of-ownership.

I owned two over the years, and I finally gave up on them because of the un-be-freakin'-lievable noise level. I still remember my first night with a brand-new Whirlpool after years of Carry-Cool sturm und drang. Blissfully quiet in comparison, and I could talk on the phone without turning off the A/C.

 

[nasadowsk]

You can find the EER of any window/through wall a/c unit easy: It's just BTUs divided by watts of power drawn.

You used to see a lot of those carry cools by me years ago. They always looked like a radio stuck through the window

Older ones, after a few years of use, would start turning a yucky gray color outside. Ugh. Oh yeah, I don't think ANY part of the frame was metal in them. It was just one big plastic thing. Typical GE...