Dowell PA 29K16 Aircon Review

Any household appliance purchase is never an easy decision. Looking for the right unit that will last your household for years involves a ton of research and exploration of different options. On a Filipino budget especially, that research can take anywhere from days to months, with an emphasis on affordability and cost efficiency.

This careful research is especially important when purchasing an air conditioner Philippines. With the country logging some of the highest energy rates in the region, the regular costs of running an aircon can seem like an incredible expense. However, although air conditioners have a reputation for weighing heavily on the electric bill, there are now multiple, energy-saving options on the market.

Filipinos now have the option to pick the air conditioning unit that best fits their lifestyles. If you want a simple installation, for example, you can choose to go with a window type aircon. Worried about noise? Reduce indoor noise by selecting a split type aircon. Energy saving high on your list? An inverter window type aircon or split type aircon inverter price might be your best option.

Portable Aircons: The Quick and Flexible Option

For users whose main focus is flexibility, however, traditional fixed air conditioners may not be the best option. Instead, a portable air conditioner might be a more appropriate choice. Portable air conditioners differ from standing aircon units in that they’re, as the name implies, more portable. A stand aircon, while more transportable than a wall-mounted unit, is still meant for use in a fixed spot.

Who would prefer a portable aircon? Quite a few people, actually. Portable aircon Philippines are generally more compact, with more space saving options. This is a great idea for those who live in homes with smaller floor areas, as they take up very little space. They can also be moved from room to room, allowing for a greater range of use for the same price as fixed units.

They’re also much easier to install, which can be a godsend if you aren’t able to wait around for a technician to set up your unit. And if you simply prefer to do things yourself, they come with easy to understand installation manuals and window kits. Set up will take up, at most, an hour or two, which means that you can start using your unit within the day you buy it.

Downsides to Convenience

However, despite increased flexibility portable aircon units do have their downsides. For one, they’re obviously not as powerful as wall-mounted units. Since they’re so much closer to the ground, there are more obstacles for cool air to pass through, as opposed to units located higher up. This can decrease cooling efficiency, most especially in households where there’s a lot of furniture.

They’re also generally less energy efficient due to the location of the compressor. While a window type aircon unit may have its compressor facing the outside of the house, and a split type aircon unit has a compressor separate from the cooling body itself, the portable aircon’s compressor is located both in the unit’s body and within the home. This can often mean that the unit’s cooler air is forced to go up against not only the warmer air of the room but also its own mechanics.

Still, in the right kind of home a portable aircon can be a great addition. For users who foresee themselves moving around, whether within or between homes, it’s certainly a more convenient option than a window or split type.

While bigger, international brands may have more options and more expensive technology, they aren’t always the right fit. Sometimes, the companies with the best understanding of the local market are Philippine companies. This is especially true of Dowell Philippines, which has been serving the Filipino people for over 20 years.

Established soon after the Asian financial crisis in 1998, Dowell was introduced by mother company Collins International Trading Corporation as a more affordable household appliance option. Its role in cooling households began early on, as it was the first company to introduce industrial electric fans to the Philippine market. It soon expanded into washing machines, refrigerators, and air conditioners. We’ll talk about a specific one today in this Dowell portable aircon review.

The Dowell PA 29K16 is a Dowell portable aircon unit that promises a great cooling experience at an affordable price. Available at most major appliance stores nationwide, it’s one of the company’s more popular portable aircon options. It’s comparable with its slightly more expensive sibling, the Dowell PA 312K18.

Open Options

The PA 29K16 has two fan settings, low and high, as well as a 24-hour auto shut-off timer that helps save on electricity. In terms of maintenance, it has washable pre-filters that can easily be removed, cleaned, and reinstalled. Unfortunately, information on the Dowell PA 29K16 EER isn’t readily available, so measuring the unit’s true energy efficiency may be difficult.

Smaller Size

The PA 29K16 is a 1HP portable air conditioner unit. This makes it appropriate for rooms ranging from 18 to 22 square meters, although overall performance will of course depend on the amount of furniture, heat sources, occupancy, and specific location of the room. With a cooling capacity of 9000 BTU/H or around 9495 kJ/H, it puts in a solid performance, especially given its price.

Simple and Easy

When it comes to cooling options, the PA 29K16 has a fairly simple but reliable range of options. It has three modes available: Cool, Dry, and Fan. Users can select these modes using the remote control included with the unit, or make their adjustments using the digital LCD display.

How to Install Dowell PA 29K16

Right out of the box, the PA 29K16 also comes with a easy to assemble window kit that allows your unit to release hot waste air through a pipe attached to your window. This reduces the heat generated by the aircon in the room, allowing for more efficient cooling. It also has drainage holes for condensation to pass through. Users may need to wait a few hours after installation before using the unit, in order for the refrigerant to pool at the bottom of the compressor.

Flexible and Convenient

On the whole, the PA 29K16 is an affordable option for households who require a bit more flexibility and space saving in their air conditioners. However, users should be careful to note that it suffers from the same problems inherent to all portable air conditioning units. Specifically, it may not be as energy efficient as wall- or window-mounted air conditioners. In addition, the available cooling options are serviceable, but if you want a more sophisticated cooling experience you may have to look into investing in another, more expensive unit.