Century RXTS-81A
window air conditioner · 8,000 BTU cooling · fits ~400 sq ft
A window AC rated 8,000 BTU — enough cooling for a room of roughly 400 square feet (the 20-BTU-per-square-foot rule).
Also sold as: Comfort Aire — the same certified unit under 2 brand labels (shared manufacturer).
What actually decides this purchase
We publish 84 units at 8,000 BTU. They run within $15 a year of each other — but they sell for $254 to $549, a 2.2× spread. Efficiency is not what decides this purchase at 8,000 BTU; price, noise and whether it fits your window are. Here is where this unit lands.
We have no tracked price for this unit, so here is the rule instead. At 8,000 BTU the field runs $254 to $549, median $379, and every one of them runs within $15 a year of every other — so price is the decision and efficiency is the tiebreak. On the certified specs we do hold, this one ranks 25th of 84 in its class. If the price you are quoted is above $379, buy something else. Worth comparing against the Hisense AHW0823TW1W at $254 and the Friedrich CCV08A10A at 32 dBA for $499.
Price
Not tracked
We have no verified retail listing for this certificate. Units at this size run $254–$549.
Noise
Not published
The maker publishes no dBA figure we could verify, and noise is not part of the DOE certification. It is the most common complaint about window units, so treat its absence as a real unknown.
Window fit
≥ 19" wide
Derived from the certified cabinet width; confirm against the maker's sheet.
Circuit
Standard 115V
Plugs into a normal outlet — no electrician.
We do not have price or noise for this unit and will not estimate them. Everything above that carries a number is from a certification record or the manufacturer's own published sheet.
Buy this unit
No verified online listing
A window AC is a self-install unit: you set it in the window (or wall sleeve), no contractor or refrigerant charge needed. We have not matched a retail listing for this exact model, so we are not linking one. Search your usual retailer for the model number above — and check the certified specs here against whatever you find.
Sized for ~400 sq ft — measure your room and check your window type before you buy.
The Verified Label — every certified spec
certified 2024-09-26
status: Active
Cooling & efficiency — source: ENERGY STAR / DOE
Fit & install — does it fit your window?
Efficiency & running cost — computed by Verified HVAC Data
Worth keeping in proportion: every unit in the 8,000 BTU class runs within $15 a year of every other. The gap between the cheapest and dearest to buy at this size is 20× larger. Efficiency is the smallest number on this page, which is why it is not at the top of it.
Refrigerant & identity
Compare similar room ACs
Frequently asked questions
Is 8,000 BTU right for my room, or should I size up?
About 400 square feet is the guide figure, and 84 certified units sit on that shelf. The next shelf up is 9,000 BTU (6 units), about 450 sq ft. Below it, 6,000 BTU (17 units) covers about 300 sq ft. Between two shelves, take the smaller one: oversizing is the usual reason a unit cools but leaves the room clammy, which our sizing calculator explains.
Will the Century RXTS-81A fit my window?
Measure your window opening first — it needs to be at least 19" wide (the cabinet width), and the unit is about 14" tall and 22" deep, roughly 53 lb. Most double-hung windows fit units in this range with the included side panels, but confirm your window's inside width and minimum height.
Is the Century RXTS-81A sold under other brand names?
Yes. The same certified unit is sold under 2 brand names — Century, Comfort Aire — because these labels share a manufacturer. The specs are identical; the badge is the difference. Compare prices across whichever brand is cheaper.
Sources. Certification and CEER from ENERGY STAR room-AC data and the DOE compliance certification database. Cooling capacity, dimensions and refrigerant are the manufacturer-certified values. Annual running cost, suggested room size and the percentile are computed by Verified HVAC Data from published ratings and EIA U.S. average electricity prices — see our methodology. Refrigerant GWP is the IPCC value. We publish no star ratings and take no payment for placement. "Not published" means the source registry doesn't disclose it — we never fill a spec with a guess.