Bonaire Durango 4500 CFM Window Evaporative Air Cooler Grey

Works great but hard to replace batteries. In fact almost impossible

I ordered the Durango 4500 Window unit since my electrical utility was providing a rebate. It shipped immediately and arrived to the local distribution center right away...and then it got a little lost. It was handed off to another shipper who then handed it off to someone else for the last mile. I tried to figure out where it was and if I needed to schedule the delivery but discovered they had the wrong phone number somehow. In the end it just appeared on my doorstep about 8 days after placing the order which I'm fine with.

It was packaged fairly lightly with just a couple pieces of cardboard keeping it from shifting around and a big plastic bag around it. I was surprised there was no styrofoam but nothing seemed damaged so I'm happy that the environment is being spared.

A couple minor issues: The hardware was missing a couple screws but I emailed them and they responded immediately and sent me extra parts. They also sent me the 5900 instead of the 4500 by mistake. I specifically wanted the 4500 since I figured it would be quieter but it wasn't worth sending it back over the mistake.

Installation was fairly straightforward. I had to work out some spacers to make it work for my window but nothing overly complicated. It's definitely a 2-person job and took us a few hours including trips to the hardware store. I'm using 1/4" irrigation hose ($10 for 100' at Home Depot) and just an adapter ($3) to connect it to my hose bib. I also picked up some PVC pipe to redirect the water overflow.

Once it was in place I fired it up. It puts out a HUGE amount of air. I was rather shocked actually and I doubt I'll ever have it higher than low speed. The house cooled down almost instantly. I can't say it's quiet but on low speed it's no louder than an air conditioner.

The bleed hose lets out a lot more water than I was expecting but the manual does say 1-3 gallons per hour and that does seem about what's coming out. You can choose to recirculate the water instead of bleeding it off but it will degrade the filter medium faster and probably get pretty gunky. I'll most likely just collect it in a barrel and use it to water plants.

All things considered I'm very happy with the purchase and the quality of the product. Though there were a few small issues with the order, customer service has been excellent and responsive.