Pros & Cons
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- Standout cooling performance
- Durable build
- Extremely quiet
- Works with Alexa and Google voice commands
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- Very expensive
- Does not support Apple HomeKit or IFTTT
- Heavy
- Lacks usage reporting
Friedrich Kuhl Series 12,500 BTU Smart Air Conditioner (KCVS12B10A) Specs
| BTUs | 12,500 |
| Energy Star Certified | |
| Style | Wall Unit |
| Style | Window Unit |
| Voice Control | Amazon Alexa |
| Voice Control | Google Assistant |
Friedrich air conditioners (ACs) are not only known for their durability and exceptional cooling performance, but they are typically more expensive than other brands. That’s certainly the case with the Kuhl Series 12,500 BTU Smart Energy Star Window/Wall Air Conditioner (KCVS12B10A). Priced at a staggering $1,499.97, it is more than twice the price of the $649 GE 11,000 BTU Smart Heat/Cool Air Conditioner (AWGP12), but it’s built like a tank, is very quiet, and offers faster cooling performance than the competition. Although the Kuhl AC performed wonderfully in our tests, you’ll get more features for a lot less money with the GE AWGP12, which remains our Editors' Choice winner for smart air conditioners.
Design: Commercial-Grade
Designed for both home and commercial use in rooms of up to 550 square feet, the Kuhl KVCS12B10A is a 12,500 BTU AC built with premium commercial-grade components such as sound-blocking insulation, 20-gauge steel inner walls, and oversized compressor mounts for vibration-free operation. At 15.9 by 25.9 by 29 inches (HWD) and weighing 110 pounds, it is bigger and much heavier than the GE AWGP12, which measures 14.9 by 18.9 by 20.4 inches and weighs 50 pounds.
(Credit: John R. Delaney)As with the Midea Duo Smart Inverter ($599.99) and the Hisense 10000-BTU Inverter Wi-Fi (AW1023TW1W) ($449) units, the KVCS12B10A uses an inverter compressor, which is more energy efficient than a regular compressor because it will automatically change speeds based on need. It offers two fan modes (auto and continuous), four fan speeds (low, medium, high, and max), and two operating modes (cooling and fan-only), but it doesn't have a heating mode like the GE AWGP12.
This air conditioner can be installed in a through-wall configuration or in a double-hung window. The window must offer at least 16 inches of height clearance and 26 to 42 inches of width clearance. It comes with mounting hardware, side and top rails, a piece of Masonite for creating side curtains, weatherstripping foam, a six-button remote, and a user guide. You can use the included remote to turn the AC on and off, set the target temperature, and change the fan mode, fan speed, and operating mode.
(Credit: John R. Delaney)The front panel has two air outlet grills on top that run the width of the unit. Each grill can be adjusted to move air up, down, left, or right. Below the grills is an onboard control panel with a small 3.5-by-1.5-inch monochrome screen that displays the target temperature, operating mode, fan speed, Wi-Fi signal, and the current schedule (if programmed). Here you'll find buttons for setting the fan mode, fan speed, and operating mode. There are up and down arrow buttons for setting the temperature and scrolling through settings options, and off to the right is an IR sensor for receiving commands from the remote control.
Just below the control panel is an airflow slider, which you can use for exhaust control. Slide it to the left to bring in fresh air while in fan-only mode, to the far right to exhaust inside air to the outdoors, or to the center position to recirculate the air.
Behind a fold-down panel on the bottom half of the front is a removable carbon filter, a Menu button, and a Return button. The Menu button activates the Wi-Fi radio, updates the firmware, and runs diagnostics.
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The KVCS12B10A has an embedded 2.4GHz Wi-Fi radio for connecting to your home network and to your phone. You can use Alexa and Google voice commands to turn the AC on and off, change modes, and set the target temperature, but Apple HomeKit and IFTTT integrations are not supported.
The FriedrichLink app lets you control the AC from your Android or iOS mobile device. The AC gets its own panel on the app's home screen, where you can see the name of the air conditioner, the current room temperature, target temperature, fan mode and speed, and operating mode. At the top of this screen are local air quality and outdoor temperature readings, based on your location.
(Credit: Friedrich/PCMag)When you tap the AC panel in the app, it opens a screen with a slider for adjusting the target temperature and buttons for selecting a fan mode, fan speed, and operating mode. At the bottom of the screen is a Schedule button that opens a screen where you can create daily and weekly cooling schedules with specific day, evening, and night settings. Disappointingly, there are no usage reports like you get with the GE AWGP12.
Installation and Performance: Cumbersome, But Extremely Capable
Installing the KVCS12B10A was a bit more difficult than other window air conditioners that I’ve reviewed, but not terribly so. For starters, its dimensions and weight necessitated two people to lift it into the window frame, and it required the installation of a support bracket on the outside of the house. Moreover, this AC does not come with the usual folding side curtains that most window air conditioners use. Instead, I had to install top and side rails and cut the included piece of Masonite to create two custom side curtains, which I then attached to the side rails and to the window frame. Once the AC was securely in place, I used the included weatherstripping to seal off any openings, installed the filter, and was ready to go.
The KVCS12B10A did an outstanding job of cooling a 360-square-foot room in my home. It needed 22 minutes to bring the temperature down from 78 degrees to 68 degrees, which is a tad faster than other units that we’ve tested, including the 11,000-BTU GE AWGP12 and the 14,000-BTU Dreo Portable Smart Air Conditioner AC516S ($499.99), both of which took 25 minutes.
(Credit: John R. Delaney)The air conditioner responded instantly to app and onboard control commands. Moreover, it had no trouble executing Alexa commands to turn on and off, change the target temperature, and adjust the fan speed.
The KVCS12B10A is one of the quietest window ACs I’ve tested. Using the NIOSH Sound Level Meter app, I measured 49dB while running at low speed, 51dB at medium speed, and 55dB at max speed. In contrast, the GE AWGP12 measured 55dB while running at low speed, 57dB at medium speed, and 63dB at high speed.
Final Thoughts
(Credit: Friedrich/PCMag)
Friedrich Kuhl Series 12,500 BTU Smart Air Conditioner (KCVS12B10A)
The Friedrich Kuhl KCVS12B10A smart air conditioner offers commercial-grade durability and speedier and quieter cooling performance than similarly powered models we have tested, but it is wildly expensive.