The Frigidaire FFRA051WAE is a no-frills window A/C meant to cool small spaces, with an advertised output of 5,000 BTU and maximum coverage of 250 ft² (23 m²). It offers seven different cooling levels and two fan speed settings, but little else beyond that. There's no built-in timer, no Wi-Fi connectivity, and no bundled remote control.
Our Verdict
The Frigidaire FFRA051WAE can be made to work in larger rooms, but this really isn't what it's designed for. Its capacity is a little on the lower end for it to cool bigger spaces in a timely manner. Forcing it to run constantly in an oversized environment will also put additional wear and tear on its components. It doesn't come with a remote control either, so you can't go ahead and operate the unit from the comfort of your couch. That said, it does have a pretty low power draw, so your energy bill won't see a massive increase in warmer weather.
Cooling capacity is sufficient for smaller rooms.
Low overall power consumption.
Does a good job of maintaining desired temperature.
Slightly noisier than some other peers.
Struggles to cool larger spaces in a time-efficient manner.
The Frigidaire FFRA051WAE is a decent option for smaller rooms. It's a little noisier than some of its peers at its lowest setting, though it's still far from unbearable in this respect; if you've ever lived in a city or next to a busy suburban street, you're likely already used to this level of white noise. It's also a space-efficient option that can be easily stowed away in a closet in colder months. Its power draw is pretty low, and it'll do a good job of maintaining your desired temperature level, too. All of that being said, its compressor cycling can lead to somewhat perceivable swings in humidity, which could be a little annoying if you were to set it up in a room where you spend a lot of time, like a home office.
Cooling capacity is sufficient for smaller rooms.
Compact body.
Low overall power consumption.
Compressor cycling can cause slightly noticeable changes in humidity.
Slightly noisier than some other peers.
The Frigidaire FFRA051WAE's overall efficiency is good. Even though it has to cycle its compressor on and off to maintain your desired temperature, its low power draw helps keep overall energy consumption low.
Cooling capacity is sufficient for smaller rooms.
Low overall power consumption.
Due to its modest overall capacity, the Frigidaire FFRA051WAE is a decently flexible unit that isn't likely to be oversized for many applications. Its compressor cycling between on and off states to maintain your desired temperature can result in swings in relative humidity. This can be noticeable if you have the unit set up in a room where you spend a lot of time and are consequently aware of these sorts of things, like a home office or dorm room. On the upside, that compressor cycling doesn't have too much of an impact on it maintaining your desired temperature.
Cooling capacity is sufficient for smaller rooms.
Does a good job of maintaining desired temperature.
Compressor cycling can cause slightly noticeable changes in humidity.
The Frigidaire FFRA051WAE is a little on the louder end of the scale. It's certainly not a major nuisance while running, even at its highest fan speed and cooling setting, producing roughly as much noise as light traffic on a city street, but some other alternatives with similar capacity are a little quieter.
Cooling capacity is sufficient for smaller rooms.
Reasonably low operating noise at max settings.
Slightly noisier than some other peers.
Performance Usages
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Frigidaire FFRA051WAE is only available in one color variant: 'White.' For those interested, here's the product label.
Let us know in the comments if you come across another variant of this air conditioner.
Popular Air Conditioner Comparisons
The Frigidaire FFRA051WAE is a basic window A/C. It's very much an entry-level model, ideally sized for students in a smaller dorm, or for people who'd like to cool a small bedroom or compact studio apartment. It's got a fair amount of competition at this end of the market: its closest analogue in terms of capacity, size, and price point would be the Toshiba RAC-WK0512CMRU. Both perform similarly, with the Toshiba pulling only marginally ahead in terms of a lower operating noise. Compared to the higher-end Frigidaire FHWC054TE1, the FFRA051WAE looks a little lacking in terms of added features, with no included remote control and a pretty basic thermostat with knob controls instead of a digital display.
The Frigidaire FHWC054TE1 is a more full-featured air conditioner than the Frigidaire FFRA051WAE. The FHWC054TE1 has a fully digital thermostat with an LED display that shows the current temperature and comes with a remote control that allows you to operate the unit without getting up. In addition, only the FHWC054TE1 is compatible with a MERV-14 filter for superior allergen filtration performance.
The GE AHEF06BC and Frigidaire FFRA051WAE are both entry-level window ACs, but with different main advantages: which one you prefer comes down to what you value more. The GE offers superior capacity, meaning that it'll cool the air in your room a little faster than the Frigidaire. It also comes with a remote control so you can operate the unit without having to walk over to it, which is helpful if you're trying to adjust the temperature while working in the kitchen or from the comfort of your bed. That said, the Frigidaire does a better job of cooling small rooms: its compressor cycling is much faster, resulting in more consistent ambient humidity levels while it maintains your desired temperature.
The Toshiba RAC-WK0512CMRU and the Frigidaire FFRA051WAE are very similarly designed entry-level window A/Cs. Despite the Frigidaire's on-paper advantage in advertised coverage, both units deliver all but identical cooling performance. The Toshiba operates a little more quietly while experiencing fractionally lower swings in ambient humidity once it's reached your desired temperature.
Test Results
It's worth noting that this unit's height with the window bracket installed is 34.7 cm (13.7").
This model's capacity is okay. It's suitable for cooling small spaces like your office or a bedroom, but it will struggle to cool larger spaces; expect it to take a long time to cool bigger living rooms or open-plan areas to a comfortable temperature.
Like any low-capacity A/C, this unit achieves impressive energy efficiency due to its low power draw, even if it'll need to run for a prolonged period to reach your desired temperature.
The Frigidaire FFRA051WAE is decently energy efficient while maintaining a set temperature. Note that this is a non-inverter unit, and as a result, the compressor will need to cycle on and off repeatedly to maintain the setpoint when it's set up within an appropriately sized space, like our testing room. However, the A/C's low power draw keeps this from being a significant issue.
This A/C unit does only a mediocre job of maintaining ambient humidity levels while cooling. As a low-capacity non-inverter unit, its compressor is forced to work pretty hard to maintain the desired temperature while cycling on and off. While this low cooling capacity allows more time for air to pass over the evaporator and reduce the ambient humidity level, this compressor cycling results in moderately noticeable changes in perceived humidity. This can lead to your room alternating between feeling comfortably dry and verging on clammy.
Like the Toshiba RAC-WK0512CMRU, this unit is about as basic as A/Cs get. There are separate knobs on the control panel to adjust the cooling level and fan speed.