Unlike traditional air conditioner, the quietest wall air conditioners boast an integrated sound deadening technology that aims to keep noise down while at the same time keeping your indoor environment cool or warm.
According to an article published on Purdue University Chemistry Department, traditional air conditioners emit 60decibels at 100ft and 70decibels at 5ft. (Source)
There are some air conditioners that produce noise at a range between 80-89 decibels.
According to National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), repeated or prolonged exposures to sounds above 85dBA can cause induced hearing loss.
If you’re lucky enough to get away without suffering hearing damage, I bet you won’t tolerate the irritating noises at the serenity of your home.
For this reason, it’s important to invest only in the quietest through the wall air conditioner.
What Is the Quietest Wall Air Conditioner?
For a unit to meet my requirements as the quietest thru the wall air conditioner, it must not only be quiet but also efficient and offer the optimal cooling and heating.
In this case, the quietest wall air conditioner is the Emerson Quiet Kool 10K BTU Through The Wall Heat and Cool Combo AC.
This unit is designed for cooling and heating rooms up to 450sq. Ft hence will meet the requirements of most households.
The AC produces only 55decibels making it an ideal quiet appliance addition in your bedroom beside your quiet mini fridge we previously discussed.
Ideally, you can use this product in any other medium-sized room, including your soundproofed movie theater room.
Are the BTU not enough?
If that’s the case, you’d be glad to know that this unit is available in 3 styles: 10k,12k, and 14k BTU, each rated at 55dB, 56dB, and 57dB, respectively.
However, it’s important to note that this unit requires 230volt/20-amp outlet, and hence it’s not compatible with the convectional 115v electrical outlet.
It features a programmable time as well as a sleep mode that can be set using the remote control, on-board controls, voice controls, or phone and tablet app.
It’s also equipped with spit air exhaust vents combined with 3 fan speeds giving you flexibility to adjust the airflow direction.
Upon purchase, you get 1-2-5-year warranty that covers labor, parts, and years on the compressor, respectively.
1. Keystone KSTAT08-1C Through-the-Wall Air Conditioner
This product is rated 51.8 dBA when on a low-speed setting, making it considerably quieter than most competitors.
It’s a perfect addition to your bedroom besides your quiet bed frame, allowing you to get a good night sleep.
The unit boasts energy star-rated cooling with a 10.6 energy efficiency ratio (ERR), and it’s capable of cooling rooms up to 350sq.ft
It comes with a temperature sensing remote control.
Well, the remote controller is fitted with a thermostat that signals the AC to cool the room based on where you are.
The front access filter makes it much easier to clean the unit. You need to simply pull the unit out, either use your quiet vacuum cleaner to clean it and slide it back- easy-peasy.
The unit is compact enough and can fit any 24. 5” to 27” sleeve- the manufacturer provides required foam seals and installation kit to make the installation process a breeze.
The unit boasts 3 cooling modes and 3 fan speeds with an auto function that automatically adjusts the fan speed to keep your preset temperatures constant.
This energy star mode helps conserve energy, and in the long run, helps you to save money by switching off the compressor once the pre-set temperature is achieved.
2. Frigidaire 12,000 BTU 115V Through-the-Wall Air Conditioner
This is a 12k BTU through the wall air conditioner capable of cooling up to 550 square feet.
Unlike my top pick, this unit uses the standard 115v electrical out, making it a plug-and-play appliance that doesn’t require much modifications.
It gives dehumidification of up to 3.3 pints per hour.
Additionally, the unit is designed to fix most of the existing wall sleeves and comes with a universal interior trim kit.
Just like the Keystone through the wall air conditioner above, this Frigidaire wall AC boasts a temperature sensing remote control.
The remote control features an integrated thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature to keep the temperature constant at your preset range.
3. Friedrich US08D10C Through-The-Wall Room AC
This unit is designed for installations on walls up to 16 ¼ inches and for rooms up to 350square feet.
Additionally, the unit is designed to fit 27, 26, 24 ½ inches sleeves, and it’s also compatible with most sleeves from different competitors.
With the Uni-Fit, you get a retrofit advantage.
The rotary compressors make the unit relatively quiet and, at the same time, gives it a dependable performance.
For a neat finished appearance, this AC comes with a 2-piece trim ring that covers the gap between the top of the AC and the sleep and up to ½ inch on the sides.
You get a 6-way airflow that allows for better air circulation in your house.
The flush mount allows for an aesthetically appealing exterior. Lastly, the remote control will allow you to make any adjustment from anywhere inside the room.
4. Koldfront WTC8001W 8K BTU Through the Wall AC with 4200 BTU Heater
With 8000BTU cooling, this unit guarantees to cool rooms measuring up to 350 square feet.
Additionally, it comes with a 4200 BTU heater that will ensure that your room is properly kept warm during those cold winter days.
The air conditioner is compatible with the Koldfront wall AC sleeve that’s sold separately.
However, it’s important to note that the heat function in this unit is only intended to serve as a supplemental heating to an already existing heat source.
The unit boasts 3 fan speeds that allow the user to adjust the speeds in which cold or warm air is dispersed to the room.
The auto option significantly helps maintain constant temperatures in the room without any fluctuations.
Remote control functionality will allow you to automatically adjust the temperatures and fan speeds from anywhere inside the room.
The energy saver mode allows you to save much on electricity bills by cycling on and off for 2 mins at 10 mins intervals.
5. LG LT0816CER Wall Air Conditioner
This air conditioner measures 4” W x 14.41” H x 20.09” D and has a noise decibel rating of 56decibels.
The thru-wall AC comes in 3 different styles: 8k, 10k, and 11,800 BTU, respectively.
The 8K version is perfect for cooling rooms that measure up to 330 square feet. With a full-function remote, you can control the interior temperature from across your room.
The unit uses LG patented anti-corrosion coating that offers a protective shield hence guaranteeing the unit lasts longer.
It comes with a 1-year warranty on parts and labor upon purchase.
What to consider when choosing quietest wall air conditioner
There are several factors to take into consideration before investing in the Quietest Wall Air Conditioner.
Below are some of the most important factors to ensure that you get the quietest wall air conditioner.
Noise Levels
Air conditioners use compressors that’s responsible for pushing refrigerant across the system for cooling and heating purposes.
Compared to other AC units, through the wall air conditioners are pretty quieter even than portable AC’s.
And as aforementioned above, thermal insulation is added to make the compressor operate quietly without affecting efficiency.
All the units reviewed above are quiet and highly efficient. All the AC’s in this guide are below 60 decibels- can be compared to normal conversation.
BTU Capacity
British Thermal Unit (BTU) is the amount of heat that’s required to increase the temperature of one pound of water by a single degree Fahrenheit.
The higher the BTU, the more powerful- therefore, higher BTU capacity AC will cool or warm a larger area.
Each unit in this guide comes with a description of the BTUs and the size of the room it can cool or heat.
Energy Efficiency Rating
All air conditioners in this guide have an EE rating.
It that shows the relationship between the cooling capacity of an AC and the energy that’s required to operate the unit per hour.
In simple terms, the EE ratings show the amount of energy required compared to other models to give a given amount of cooling.
The higher the EE, the higher the cooling but with very low energy consumption.
This means that you’ll be able to save more energy /money without having to sacrifice efficiency.
Unfortunately, such units have a higher price tag but worth the price.
Wall Air Conditioner Functions
How many functions does the unit have?
Most of the wall AC’s have three main functionality- cooling, dehumidification, and fan only.
Dehumidification, aka dry mode, is quite handy, especially if you live in humid areas.
On the other hand, the fan only function provides air circulation without cooling.
Some air conditioners have remote control functionality- all the units in this guide have.
Others have a thermostat integrated into the remote controller; hence the unit automatically switches on depending on the temperature levels in the room.
Installation Kit
Make sure that you get an AC and a compatible sleeve for easier installation.
Most sellers online provide the sleeves separately, so you will incur extra costs in this case.
You should also ensure that the AC of your choice comes with an installation kit for easier installation as well.
Through Wall Air Conditioners Noise Level Factors
There are 2 major factors that will determine how loud or quiet a through-the-wall air conditioner is. They are
The Amount of Insulation
Is the air conditioner compressor insulated thermally and acoustically? As we’ve previously seen in the case of insulated fridge compressor.
They use a sound blanket that can significantly reduce noise levels by up to 3-5 decibels.
As we’ve seen above, traditional wall air conditioners run at 74 decibels while the ones in this guide are below 60 decibels.
The difference in terms of noise all heavily relies on the amount of sound-dampening insulation installed.
Compressor Speed
Single-stage compressors are loud because they run at 100% capacity.
On the other hand, two-stage counterparts are quieter as they run at 65% capacity.
Lastly, variable compressors operate at 25-40% capacity and are much quieter than the other two models.
Final thoughts
The quietest wall air conditioner will not only keep your rooms cooler but will do so quietly without affecting your sleep patterns or productivity. (Source)
Don’t forget to check out the buyer guide section. It will help you figure out other important factors you should consider before making the final buying decision.
Hi, my name is Todd R. Bressler and I am the founder of this soundproofing blog. I’m a DIY enthusiast from Cincinnati, the city that just beat New York for the City That Never Sleeps Award in 2020. (Original) I have been in the DIY soundproofing industry for close to 5 years, running a YouTube channel and a Podcast show every Saturday. I started Crafty Soundproofing to help you learn the basics of “self defending yourself against noise”
Have an idea worth sharing? Please contact me and I’ll be happy to respond ASAP.