Whirlpool WHNP141AW Review

Initial Analysis

The Whirlpool WHNP141AW is a 14,000 BTU air conditioner according to older ASHRAE guidelines for measuring cooling capacity.

It’s a 10,000 BTU air conditioner according to newer DOE guidelines for measuring (Seasonally Adjusted) Cooling Capacity.

We can also say that the WHNP141AW has 14,000 ASHRAE BTUs and 10,000 SACC BTUs.

This model’s two closest competitors have very similar SACC BTUs. The LG LP1025WHSM has a capacity of 10,2000 (SACC) BTUs. And the Frigidaire FHPC142AA1 also has a capacity of 10,000 (SACC) BTUs like the Whirlpool.

All three models performed very similarly in our cooling tests though the LG was slightly faster cooling the room than the Whirlpool, and the Whirlpool was slightly faster than the Frigidaire.

In our first cooling test, at an outdoor temperature of 83° F, the Whirlpool was actually the best performer. It took only 18 minutes to cool the room from 86° F down to 72° F. The LG was second fastest (20 minutes) and the Frigidaire was third fastest (22 minutes).

All three models got the room down to a very similar temperature after one hour of continuous operation on maximum settings. The Whirlpool got the room down to 66.9° F. The LG got it down to 67.3° F and the Frigidaire got it down to 68.4° F.

We tested later in the day, at a higher outdoor temperature of 89° F, for our second test. In this test the Whirpool performed the worst. It cooled the room from 86° F down to 72° F in 36 minutes. The LG was fastest in this test (29 minutes) and the Frigidaire was second fastest 33 minutes).

Again, all three models got the room down to a very similar temperature after one hour. The Whirlpool got it down to 70.7° F, the LG got it down to 70.2° F, and the Frigidaire got it down to 70.5° F.

Even later in the day we conducted one final test at an outdoor temperature of 91° F. This was by far the most challenging test of the day.

In this test the Whirlpool was second fastest. It took 56 minutes to cool the room from 86° F down to 72° F. The LG took only 46 minutes. And the Frigidaire was not able to get the room down to 72° F in less than an hour.

We also recorded the room temperature for all three models after one hour. Again, results were surprisingly similar.

The Whirlpool got the room down to 72.0 ° F, the LG got it down to 71.6° F, and the Frigidaire got it down to 72.7° F.

The bottom line – overall, the Whirlpool was second fastest cooling the room to 72° F, but all three models got the room down to a very similar temperature over a longer time period (after one hour).

We only really saw a big jump in performance with models that have substantially more SACC BTUs.

For example, the top rated 12,000 SACC BTU Midea Duo, took only 17 minutes to cool the room from 86° F down to 72° F in our third test (outdoor temp. of 91° F) and got the room down to 65.7° F after one hour.

The Whirlpool’s combined energy efficiency ratio (CEER) is 7.8. The LG has a slightly better CEER of 7.9 and the Frigidaire has the same CEER as the Whirlpool - 7.8.

Our own testing (mostly) aligns with these manufacturer specifications.

All three (approx.) 10,000 SACC BTU models we tested were measured to draw just about the same amount of power (the Whirlpool at 1370 watts, the LG at 1393 watts, and the Frigidaire at 1371 watts), but the LG was fastest cooling, which would make it slightly more energy efficient than the other two models overall.

Among the three (approx.) 10,000 SACC BTU models we tested, the Whirlpool was the quietest on low fan speed but only second quietest on high fan speed.

Unfortunately, you’re much more likely to run the unit on high fan speed during everyday use because it will cool faster on high fan speed.

Overall though, there's not a significant difference in noise output between these three models.

The Whirlpool has a better window kit than the LG and Frigidaire. It has two different extension panels (the LG only has one extension) and both of them are of a different length (the Frigidaire has two equal length extension panels). Both of these features allow you to install the Whirlpool into a wider variety of windows more easily than its competitors.

The Whirlpool can also dehumidify (on dehumidify mode) at a higher rate than its competitors, so if you want to use it for this purpose it’s a better option than the LG and Frigidaire.

On the negative side of things, the Whirlpool is just about an equal value to the LG, but a significantly worse value than the Frigidaire. The Frigidaire is (usually) more than $100 cheaper than the Whirlpool and LG with very similar cooling performance and energy efficiency according to our tests.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

The Whirlpool WHNP141AW certainly has its strong points. Its window kit is very easy to install and it works very well as a dehumidifier.

However, it’s generally not recommended as portable air conditioner.

If you’re shopping in the 10,000 SACC BTU category, we recommend the Frigidaire FHPC142AA1 over the Whirlpool.

You may have to cut one of its window panels for installation, and it may not be able to remove moisture quiet as fast as the Whirlpool on dehumidifier mode, but it performs very similarly to the Whirlpool as an air conditioner and it’s significantly cheaper.

If you’re able to increase your budget by just about $50 or so compared to the Whirlpool, the Midea Duo is the best portable air conditioner we’ve tested overall.

The Duo has an even better window kit than the Whirlpool, can dehumidify even faster, and it cools significantly faster than the Whirlpool.

In our third test, at an outdoor temperature of 91° F, the Duo took only 17 minutes to cool the room from 86° F down to 72° F. The Whirlpool took more than twice as long – 56 minutes. After one hour of operation the Duo got the room down to 65.7° F. The Whirlpool only got it down to 72.0° F. And this is in a relatively small room (only 100 sq. ft.). We expect the difference in performance to be even more substantial in larger rooms.

So bottom line – we recommend the Frigidaire over the Whirlpool if you’re on a limited budget. A 10,000 SACC BTU unit like the Frigidaire can certainly get the job done in most situations. However, if you have the budget for it, our top recommendation overall is the 12,000 SACC BTU Midea Duo. It provides even better cooling performance than 10,000 SACC BTU models, and it’s not much more expensive, at least not much more than the Whirlpool WHNP141AW.

Additional specifications and notes

Number of Window Panels – 3 (primary panel with hose cutout + two extension panels)
Minimum Window Width (one panel) – 19 7/8” (length of primary panel)
Minimum Window Width (two panels) – 20” (primary panel + extension)
Maximum Window Width (two panels) – 48 1/8” (primary panel + extension)
Weather stripping included – 2x adhesive hard foam (long), 2x adhesive soft foam (long), 2x short thick foam

Notes

The WHNP141AW comes with a very good quality window kit. It comes with a short extension panel (most competitors only come with a long extension), so you can fit it into a window that’s only slightly wider than the primary panel (19 7/8”) without needing to cut the extension.

You can also add one or both extensions to either side of the primary panel. This gives you even greater flexibility when you install the AC unit.

End Adapters – pre-installed? - yes
AC Side Hose Connection – slide down into place
Window Kit Side Hose Connection – push forward into place
Hose Length Min/Max – 11.5 to 49"
Hose Diameter – inner diameter was measured at 5.25”

Notes

The Whirlpool’s exhaust hose can’t extend quite as far as the hoses of competitors (the LG hose can extend 60” and the Frigidaire hose can extend 63”).

Otherwise, installation of the hose and the diameter of the hose are standard for a portable AC unit of this size.

Modes – cool, dehumidify, fan
Set temp range - 61 to 89° F
Fan speeds - low, med, high
Swing – yes
Smart – no

Notes

The WHNP141AW cannot be controlled remotely via an app. Both of its closest competitors (the LG and Frigidaire) do have this functionality.

Otherwise, the Whirlpool has most of the same features as its competitors.

Dehumidifier mode pints/day – 108 pints/day
Drainage options - one drain outlet at the bottom of the back of the unit.
Drain hose – not included

Notes

The WHNP141AW can remove more pints/day of moisture than its close competitors (the LG and Frigidaire).

On the negative side of things, the Whirlpool only has one drain at the bottom of the back of the unit.

Competitors have two drains. The first drain is at the bottom – it’s used for emptying the unit of moisture at the end of the season. The second drain higher up on the back of the unit is used on dehumidifier mode (the Whirlpool uses one drain for both purposes). With the drain higher up, it’s easier to empty condensate out of the unit through a hose into a bucket. These competitors also come with a hose. The Whirlpool does not.

Top filter (over evaporator) - very easy to remove – clips in with no screws
Bottom filter (over condenser) – more difficult to remove – at least one screw to remove