Best Portable Air Conditioner Buying Guides

If you opt for central air conditioning for your home, you won’t be able to bring it with you when you go out. Central air conditioning is bulky, difficult to install and impractical to carry around with you wherever you go.

If you are looking for a cooling solution that is easy to maintain and even easier to lug around, then a portable air conditioner may just be the answer for you.

What exactly is a portable air conditioner? To be precise, it is an air conditioning unit that is specifically constructed in a manner not designed to be installed into your window, or a wall of your room. This appliance can fit any room of a house or office. You won’t have to sweat over or pay for it to be installed. You can actually set it up yourself, and in as little as one hour, you get a cool and comfortable space to relax in.

These handy appliances remove any heat that can be found in the air, and directs it into a tube in its compact body where it is guided by a fan towards an evaporator coil. This coil is loaded with refrigerant that acts to absorb the heat. As soon as the air has been satisfactorily chilled, the fan guides it back through the unit’s air vents and into the room.

Portable air conditioning units use the technology of Freon, which works through evaporation. There are some models available that utilize the latest evaporation methods. They are more popular, but they also cost a little more than the usual.

Portable air conditioner units afford you the practicality and flexibility that makes it such an advantage to have around. There are different kinds of portable air conditioning units that are available in the market, and while they function mainly as air cooling devices, they also have unique features that allow them to carry out other useful tasks.

Some portable air conditioner units can not only be used as a cooling device on a hot day, they can have dual functions, as well. Some are designed to have heating capabilities that can be used during the winter. A great number of models have built-in dehumidifiers, which work by clearing the air of excess water which contributes to the heat and may be unhealthy for some people to breath in, especially if they have breathing conditions like asthma. If you own such an appliance, breathing in will be much easier and more comfortable.

Portable air conditioners also work as ventilators. They help to aerate rooms or spaces that suffer from poor air circulation. A room with improved air circulation is healthier for you in the long run. If you own a portable air conditioner with de-ionizing ability, the room you set it up in will have fresher smelling air. The de-ionizing action filters the air and purifies it to remove dust particles and any dirt specks floating around you.

Portable air conditioners are nifty little units that have the ability to house many useful functions within its compact body. Most importantly, you can bring around these appliances wherever you go, wherever they’re needed.

The air cooling units that can be conveniently transported from one place towards another are referred to as the portable air conditioners. Casters allow their mobility. Their sizes may be like that of the typical window but there is no worry because they can be easily moved due to their wheeled casters.

So why are the portable air conditioners getting a wider range of buyers? What factors normally warm the hearts of those who seek for the convenience that only an air cooling system can provide?

Portable air conditioners are utilized in a lot of applications. They are best for home use specifically when the occupants are required to move from time to time, for small premises, for temporary office spaces, for the warehouses, and other related industries. It is also perfect to use for those rooms that store computers and servers. Many of the users agree at one point. These units are advantageous since no further complex methods need to be undertaken during the installation. The venting can simply be done through a window, drop ceiling, or wall. When the need to move out of a current place arises, the unit can be taken with full ease. More so, the cost is cheaper than the regular ones.

Nevertheless, the portable air conditioner is particularly designed for heavy duty. It is so since its capacity exceeds the typical norm of the regular units. In fact, those units that can provide between 3.5 up to 60 tons of cooling capacities are available for rental. Most come endowed with the evaporation and Freon technological breakthroughs. In comparison, those units that bear the evaporation factors are more costly to rent than those units that work on Freon.

Portable air conditioner unit rentals are very common especially for the celebration of various events or functions. Generally, event organizers and planners secure the rental of these air cooling units for sports games, concerts, parties, weddings, and a lot more. This unit is often opted for since it is easy to carry them. More so, it is strategically positioned in the room so as to be able to provide an even cooling in the entire venue. As soon as the function is done, it can simply be wheeled out of the room and be transported once again.

There are likewise vehicles that make use of the rented portable air conditioners. Mobile libraries and mobile clinics are among those that generally rent from the air conditioning companies. Also, the vehicles that carry with them those perishable goods require immense cooling so they likewise make use of the rented air cooling units. Ships and boats also find it convenient to fulfill their cooling requirements by renting out these types of air conditioners.

The rental can be further arranged either for a short term or long term basis. Factories and other relevant industries need to rent these units for a longer time. However, the social gatherings and events may just rent out for a couple of hours or days. In view of this, the cost also varies depending on the term of use. The price may range from a hundred up to some thousands of dollars.
Needless to say, the portable air conditioner rentals may be availed from various companies. If you are similarly interested in renting one, you can do your research online for more options.

If you intend to buy a portable air conditioner, there are some things to consider first. You do have to remember that although there are several machines with the same brands, specifications and even price tag, there are still differences (both subtle and major) between all of them. Perhaps one of the first things you should decide on first is whether or not you do need (want) a portable air conditioner. If you have an HVAC installed, such a machine can only add to your expenses considerably. It would be best to make minor room improvements if one part of your house does not seem to be getting enough cooling.

Also, if you have a very limited area, cramped to the gills with stuff, a portable air conditioner may not work well at all. Yes, these smaller machines are ideal for small spaces. However, like a window air conditioner unit, a portable air conditioner needs to have access to a heat sink (or open and free flowing air that can be used to cool the condenser of the machine.) If you space is too cramped and air does not flow as freely, you need to at least remove some stuff in order to (quite literally) let the room breathe.

Once you have got that settled, we can now focus our attention to the pressing question of whether or not an expensive portable air conditioner is always better than the less pricey models.

Budget… ah, it’s the age old concern. Of course, this is a primary consideration for many of us because some units can reach easily into the thousand dollar range. Even the less expensive models can be more than a hundred dollars at the very least. If you have rather deep pockets, you can choose whatever brand or specifications you like. An energy saving unit can be a worthwhile investment, and may afford you a bit of savings on your utility bills in the long run. However, if you have limited options, units costing between $100 and $200 may serve you well too. The key is to look at specifications, and see what can be of greatest service to you.

If you have a very, very small space, a unit with a cooling capacity of 2.64 kW should be more than enough. At maximum power, this is enough to cool your tootsies to a numbing level. One concern for small spaces is the noise level of the machine. Anything louder than 60 dBA is definitely not good.

If you are in no particular hurry to get your own portable air conditioner, you could wait for sales: blow-out sales, closing sales, warehouse sales – anything. You can get the best deals here yet. Check online stores for promotional deals as well. And before you take home a unit, make sure that you get all the privileges possible like: guarantees, warranties, and the lot. Not because you got it on sale, means the seller can skimp on the required services add-ons.

A hint of advice for those on really tight budgets: we do not recommend buying second hand units. Some of these may have defects or damages already that may give you more problems in the future than its actual worth in cash.

When you need a cooling system to bring ease and comfort to your family despite the warm weather but your available space would not permit you to take in the typical window type unit, then a portable air conditioner is just going to be perfect for your needs. Sure enough, the appliance stores have these kinds of cooling system units right within their midst so there is no reason to worry. You can spot the one that will suffice your wants in the most reasonable price.

To clear things up, the portable air conditioners are the classifications of air cooling system units which can be carried from one place to another. You as the user can transfer it from one room and then to the next depending on your needs and wants. There is literally no problem when it comes to transporting it since the unit is self-contained. Meaning to say, they are not required to be permanently installed.

But then again, the purchase of a portable air conditioner does not simply mean that everything is over. After the purchase, the next thing for you to attend to is that of venting the cooling system unit.  The venting needs to be done either in a wall or through the window. Firstly think of a strategic position for it before going on with the venting. And by all means, venting must be secured so that the hot air will be pushed out.

The Importance of Venting the Portable Air Conditioners

The portable air conditioners do haul out hot air. Therefore, for the unit to efficiently provide cooling into a room, the hot air that it extracts must be pushed outdoors. The venting kits and other related accessories come along with the purchase. Apart from the windows or walls, you may similarly make use of a door or a ceiling to vent the hose.

Oftentimes, the Plexiglas is utilized in venting in cases of casement windows. There is the need to cut through the Plexiglas depending on the window size. About five inches of hole must be cut out. This is most appropriate in the effort of venting out the hot air to the outdoors. Needless to say, the Plexiglas allows as much light just like that of the typical glass window.

The Procedures in Venting the Portable Air Conditioners

The venting kit is included in the package at no added cost. Thus, you need to secure that it comes along with the purchase. Its installation is necessary especially in the assurance that the air conditioner will work at its maximum level.

Here are the steps to take note of:

Choose a perfect location for the vent.

Let the exhaust connector glide over that of the discharge opening located at the back portion of the unit.
Join the exhaust hose to that of the exhaust connector.

Be sure to let the opening fit into the hose.

Adjoin the venting window kit adapter and the window kit.

Close the window as everything is kept in place.

Ensure that you follow the instructions that are provided with the unit that you have purchased. The installation procedures for venting the portable air conditioners vary from one unit to another.

The summer heat, it could be the only thing that is terrible about summer. The heat starts to become unbearable and conditions for hard labour and everyday tasks seem too much. It is hard to get anything done with the summer heat. So, what can you do to beat the heat? There are a number of ways to do this. An easy and popular way to beat the summer heat is to go to the nearest public pool. Swimming is known to cool you down and give you a relaxing break out of the sun. The problem with this however is the fact that it is known; meaning everybody goes to the pool to cool down so it becomes packed with people. So another option is to go to the beach. You get to cool down too and relax plus you get a good tan. This however poses the same problem with the first solution. So what do you do? Get a portable air conditioner.

A portable air conditioner is an electronic appliance built to keep the heat out of the room. It is an easy way to beat the summer heat, plus you get to stay in the comfort of your own home. Before the an air conditioner was considered a luxury appliance only for the rich and famous because it consumes a large amount of electricity so your bill would shoot up. Today, it is becoming a necessity and is a common appliance in most homes especially in countries with tropical climate like India and China and also the Eastern and Southern shores of the United States. It is now easier to get an affordable portable air conditioner because of the Season Energy Efficiency Ratio or SEER.

SEER is a way to measure the efficiency of portable air conditioners in terms of energy consumption. Basically, the higher the SEER rating is, then the air conditioning unit is much more efficient. Let us take for example a portable air conditioner unit with a SEER rating of 10 then you use it for the whole summer or 125 days for 8 hours each day which totals to 1000 hours annually. The cost of this would be $572 for that year. So, in choosing a portable air conditioner it is best to consider the SEER rating of the unit you would want to purchase to ensure the efficiency of the unit is in line with what you can afford.

The next important factor to consider is the size of the room that the unit would be placed in. Usually, people think that the more power the unit would use then it is better. This is not true. You must purchase a unit that would use just enough power to cool the room. If the portable air conditioner uses too much power then the room becomes too cold so the extra power and cold would become useless and instead of the room being comfortable then the cold makes it unbearable too. So, choose wisely so you do not place your money to waste.