Review: WiFi connected Air Conditioner

Summer is coming. The best time to buy air-con is before it gets blazing hot. So, off to the Mighty Internet to see if I can find a unit which I can attach to my burgeoning smarthome setup.

I settled on the SereneLife 3-in-1 Portable Air Conditioning Unit. It's a small(ish) tower, fairly portable, claims 9000 BTU, is reasonable cheap (£160ish depending on your favourability to the algorithm), and has WiFi.

Why WiFi?

I know it is a trope to complain about appliances being connected to the Internet for no real benefit. Thankfully, I don't have to listen to your opinion. I find it useful to be able to control the temperature of my bedroom while I'm sat downstairs. I want to be able switch things on or off while I'm on the bus home.

Most manufacturers have crap apps. Thankfully, SereneLife use the generic Tuya platform, which means it works with the Smart Life app.

Which has the side benefit of having an Alexa Skill! So I can shout at my robo-servant "ALEXA! COOL DOWN THE ATRIUM!" and my will be done. Well, almost! When I added the app to my Tuya, this instantly popped up from my Alexa:

I renamed it to something more pronounceable for me! Interestingly, "蓝牙" means "Bluetooth" - although I couldn't detect anything other than WiFi.

Of course, being an Open Source geek, I was able to add it to my HomeAssistant.

Again, the Tuya integration worked fine and showed me everything the device was capable of.

Interface, Remote, and App

The manual control on the top of the unit is pretty simple. Press big buttons, look at LEDs, hear beep, get cold.

The supplied remote (which came with two AAA batteries) is an unlovely thing.

Fine as a manual control, but why the blank buttons?

Both remote and direct interface are good enough for turning on and off, setting the temperature, and that's about it.

As well as manual control, the manual claims that you can set actions based on the following:

• Temperature
• Humidity
• Weather
• PM2.5 Levels
• Air Quality
• Sunrise & Sunset Times
• Device Actions (e.g., turn on/off)

I couldn't find most of those options in the Tuya app. It allows for basic scheduling, device actions, and local weather.

Cooling and Noise

This unit isn't silent. The various mechanical gurglings and hum of the fan is, thankfully, white-noise. The label claims 65dB - which seems to match my experience based on this comparison chart. You probably want earplugs if you're trying to sleep when it's in the same room - but it isn't hideous.

It does play a cheerful little monophonic tune when it is plugged in for the first time, and it beeps when instructed to turn on and off.

Windows

In order to generate cool air, the unit needs to remove heat. Where does it put that heat? Outside! So this comes with a hose which you can route out a window. The hose is relatively long and flexible, so the unit doesn't need to be right next to a window.

The unit came with a vent designed for a sliding sash window. The windows we have are hinged. Adapters are about £15 each, so factor that in when buying something like this.

Cost

It claims to be 960W and my energy monitor showed that to be broadly accurate. Very roughly, that's about 30p/hour. We are only running it when the sun is shining, so it either consumes solar power directly or from our battery storage.

£160 is bargain bucket when it comes to air-con units and, frankly, I was surprised to find one this cheap which also had WiFi. I suspect prices will rocket as temperatures get warmer.

Features

As well as the air-con, it is also a dehumidifier and fan. The fan is basically fine at pushing air around.

The dehumidifier has a hosepipe for draining into a bucket or plumbing in to your pipes. There's a small internal tank which can be emptied with the supplied hose.

This appliance features a self-evaporating system that enhances performance and energy efficiency by reusing condensed water to cool the condenser. However, if the built-in water container becomes full, the appliance will display "FL" and emit a buzzing sound.

I didn't use this function because, thankfully, our place isn't damp.

Verdict

The UK gets very few scorching days and, usually, a fan and some open windows are enough to relieve the heat. But the climate is changing and I expect more sweltering nights in our future. £160 seems like a reasonable sum for an experiment - I don't expect to be heartbroken if this only last a few years. Most of the time it is going to be stuck in the loft waiting for the heatwave.

It isn't particularly light, but it does have castors so it is easy to roll around the house.

The manual is comprehensive and written in plain English.

As it hasn't been particularly warm this spring, I can't truly say how effective it is - but running it for a while made a noticeable difference to the temperature. Cold air pumped out of the front of the unit in sufficient quantities.

If you think you'll need extra cooling in the coming months, this seems like a decent bit of kit for the money. The Tuya platform is cheap enough to stick in most domestic appliances without breaking the bank.

ALEXA! CHILL MY MARTINI GLASSES!