How long do your window AC units last? (ie, effectively cool down a room). I've never had one that lasted more than 2 years. (Even when diligently cleaning the filter). Is it because i've always bought the inexpensive ones? Does that make a difference?
I dont get that because refridgerators use basically the same mechanism and those last for decades.
We had a sleeve type unit (sleeve != window, but similar build style), a late 1980s/early 1990s Electrohome.
We got it used and ran it all day, every day, every summer of my life until 2-3 years ago (I'm 20 now), and it now does similar duty for a family friend.
It won't stand up to all day abuse anymore as the compressor is worn to crap and it'll drop into some sub-functional really noisy condition if run for more than a few hours at a time, but it still runs. It's been serviced a maximum of 5 times in those 20 years.
It does happen to dim every light, CRT TV and monitor, and digital clock upon being turned on, so probably not the most energy efficient unit...but damn, that's longevity.
Gave it away upon moving into a house with central air. Unfortunately, the unit here is a good 15 years old, and apparently that's on the high end of central air life expectancy.