Reviews: GE Air Conditioner – Is this Brand Recognition Enough?


ge air conditioner

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Want to stay cool this summer? The best way to do it is to install a brand spanking new air conditioner in your home.

However, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to AC units. There are just so many types, models, and brands to choose from. While this is generally a good thing because more options, the better, such vast choices can also lead to choice paralysis.

If you are having trouble with choosing the best air conditioner for your home, perhaps you should start with the brand – a reputable one at that.

When it comes to air conditioners, one of the most popular names in the industry is General Electric or GE. For this article, we discuss whether GE air conditioner units are worth your time and money. Then, we will highlight some of the best models that GE has to offer. And lastly, provide actual reviews and feedback from consumers about the brand.

About the GE Brand

General Electric or GE is a brand that needs no introduction. The company is pretty much a household name when it comes to American electric appliances. Well, it’s a company that was founded back on April 15, 1892, and one of its founders is none other than Thomas Edison.

However, as we all know, the company has branched out to several industries. As of 2018, the company has segments that include aviation, healthcare, power, renewable energy, digital, additive manufacturing, venture capital and finance, lighting, transportation, and oil and gas.

When it comes to air conditioners, most of GE’s offerings are window-mounted models. The company also offers a few portable units as well.

Reviewing the GE Air Conditioner Units

GE is a very reputable and popular brand among consumers. Their products are synonymous with quality and reliability. However, does this apply to their line of air conditioning units? For this section, we talk about the things we liked and didn’t like about GE air conditioners.

What We Liked About GE

1. Reputable Brand

One of the main reasons why you, or anyone for that matter, should deal with GE is because of brand recognition.

GE makes some of the best-rated, most reliable appliances that you can buy in the market. But many of you are probably wondering, “are their AC units any good?” Well, we are happy to report that GE air conditioners are in fact quite good. Based on our experience, many GE air conditioners offer good performance, reliability, and value.

Majority of their AC units are window-mounted but they have a few portable models as well. Normally, it’s not enough to consider an AC unit just for brand alone but in this case, it won’t hurt to make an exception.

2. Energy Efficient

Many of GE’s air conditioning units offer good energy efficiency. Many of the company’s units are ENERGY STAR certified which is said to be 10% energy-efficient than other standard models.

Here are some Energy Star facts from GE’s website:

  • Since 2005, over 4.4 Million GE ENERGY STAR certified room air conditions have been sold.
  • A GE ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioner costs less than $70 per year to run, on average.
  • The Energy Saver feature shuts down the compressor and fan once a room is cool enough.
  • The sleep function on the GE ENERGY STAR Wall Air Conditioners raises the temperature setting during sleeping hours, which saves energy as the room’s cooling requirement is decreased.
  • The Fan cycle switch on the GE ENERGY STAR Wall Air Conditioners feature allows the fan to operate at lower, more energy efficient speed.

One of my favorite models from the brand is the GE AEM06LX. The unit features an EER of 11.2 and of course, it is ENERGY STAR qualified. It is available for a fair price but with a performance and energy efficiency that rival the more expensive models.

3. High-Quality and Reliable

GE is not just a popular brand but they put out some seriously durable and reliable products. That applies to their air conditioners as well.

We used to have an old GE air conditioner at my father’s home and that thing was a tank. We’ve had it for nearly a decade and had to swap it out for a newer model only because the newer ones are more energy efficient. Nevertheless, it performed reliably and helped us become comfortable during the hot summer months.

The newer GE AC units feature the same quality and reliability that we have come to expect from the brand. I’ve mentioned the AEM06LX which I am currently using and I couldn’t be happier. It provides great cooling performance and it’s still very energy efficient. It’s not the best-looking model out there but I reckon most window-mounted units are not meant to look pretty.

What We Didn’t Like About GE

Lack of Variety

The main thing that we didn’t like about GE air conditioners is the lack of any real variety with their models.

For starters, the majority of their air conditioners are window-mounted with only about six portable units for purchase. As far as central air units are concerned, they have none. I understand that GE is not focusing on air conditioners anymore but the lack of variety is disappointing.

On top of that, there’s also the lack of discerning qualities between the models. It’s as if GE tried their best to make their AC units as generic-looking as possible. This is especially true for their window-mounted AC line. This brings us to the next complaint.

Units Just Look Brand and Generic

As mentioned, there’s the notable lack of variety in terms of design when it comes to GE air conditioners.

From the lack of a better word, it seems that GE is just stuck in the past. Most of the AC designs just look boring and generic which is not desirable if you care about your home’s interior decoration. I know that window-mounted AC units are not supposed to look pretty but I could swear that GE used the same design as the old AC we have way back then.

Even other brands like LG and Frigidaire have window-mounted designs that at least looks modern and appealing. Well, I guess if you’re into antiquated designs, you’ll probably like it.

Best GE Air Conditioner Models

For this section, we highlight the best AC models that GE has to offer.

1. GE AEM06LX 19″ Window Air Conditioner

  • 5,200 BTU, 12.1 CEER, 115 Volts
  • Electronic digital thermostat and remote control
  • 3 cooling / 3 fan speeds
  • ·         ENERGY STAR® qualified
  • EZ Mount window installation kit included

The GE AEM06LX 19″ Window Air Conditioner is perhaps my favorite unit from GE’s offering.

The AEM06LX is a solidly constructed, high-functioning AC that can cool a space of up to 260 square feet. This is a mid-range window-mounted AC that features great energy efficiency. It has an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) rating of 12.4 which is one of the highest among GE models. The estimated yearly energy cost is just $38 which is downright amazing.

The 5,200 BTU air conditioner is not the most powerful out there but can still comfortably cool a medium-sized space. The max airflow is a decent 145 cubic feet per minute but it does a great job of circulating air, thanks to its four-way directional louvers.

The relatively compact and lighter profile makes it easier to install. It comes with a window kit which can fit in most windows. However, it does lack some convenience features like a sleep mode or an auto-restart feature.

For less than $200, this is one of the best GE air conditioners that you can get.

2. GE AHM08LW Energy Star Qualified Window Air Conditioner

  • Electronic digital thermostat and remote control
  • 3 cooling / 3 fan only speeds
  • ENERGY STAR® qualified
  • EZ Mount window installation kit included
  • Fixed chassis

If you want something that packs more power, the GE AHM08LW Energy Star Qualified Window Air Conditioner is a good option.

This 10,200 BTU in-wall AC unit can comfortably cool a room up to 450 square feet. Plus, the max airflow of 270 cubic feet per minute will help you feel cooler in just a fair bit. There are three main fan speeds, and you can simply run the fan by itself after cooling the air.

The unit also act as a dehumidifier and it works great. This AC can remove up to 2.7 pints of moisture per hour which is a blessing if you’re living in a particularly humid area. Unfortunately, this doesn’t have a built-in dehumidifying mode, so you still need to run the unit in cooling mode to eradicate the moisture in the air.

Although it’s a fairly powerful cooling unit, it still provides an above average Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of 10.7 and it also carries the Energy Star qualification. This wall-mounted unit has an estimated annual cost of $86 which certainly not bad for a system with such a high cooling capacity.

GE Reviews and Feedback

So, what do people think about GE air conditioners? Well, it seems that consumers have a polarizing opinion about this popular brand’s AC units.

Here are some of the positive reviews we’ve found:

It is a quality, affordable product that I would recommend to friend and family. I don’t worry about it randomly breaking and having to replace it. I have peace of mind and that is a great feeling. The performance has been superior as I would expect from GE. They do not disappoint when it comes to performance and quality. My electric bill has not been excessive and my apartment remains perfectly cool. – Jess

The product that I have is very Energy efficient and extremely reliable. The product is very Low maintenance and extremely easy to use. We are very happy with our product and experience. This product works great and is very reliable. We never had to fix any part and it cools down the house greatly. We will and have recommended this product to friends and family. – Casandra

On the flip side, there are also several scathing reviews that cite unreliable product quality and poor customer service:

An AC unit that was purchased less than 3 months ago stopped blowing cold air. A repair order was called in (Wed), a Triage Tech (not a repair person) came in (Thurs), ordered the part and stated the part was on back order until November. I was told I would receive an email and a call from the repair person to follow up on the next step. No call or email received. – Office of Raleigh

I would NEVER recommend anyone call GE Appliance Repair unless you would like to pay more for a simple service than a new appliance (which I’d not recommend you purchase a GE Appliance due to their defective products and lack of reasonable customer care to address them). I should have paid attention to prior reviews, as they have an overall 1-STAR rating. – Jenn

What We Think

Based on our research, tests, and personal experiences, GE has put out air conditioners that are solidly built and provide reliable performance. The company has put so much effort into making their air conditioners more energy efficient and it certainly paid off.

However, for such a popular brand, the variety of products is just poor. The units themselves leave a lot to be desired as far as designs go.

Despite that, it’s tough not to recommend the GE brand. If you want a cooling system that works and will last you a long while, it’s hard to go wrong with a GE air conditioner.

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