When you need to efficiently cool a small space such as a bedroom or office, a portable air conditioner is a great choice because it can solve the cooling challenge by lowering the temperature in a given environment. Below are some common questions consumers have about portable air conditioners:

What is a portable air conditioner and how is it different from a window or central AC?

Generally speaking, air conditioners fall into four different categories: window air conditioners, through-the-wall air conditioners, central air conditioners, and lastly, portable air conditioners.  Window air conditioners are installed into the window of a room and designed to cool that room.  Through-the-wall air conditioners are mounted into a wall and provide a cooling effect by exchanging inside air with outside air, while central air conditioners cool entire homes and buildings.  Portable air conditioners, on the other hand, do not require permanent installation such as reconfiguring a window or breaking into a wall and can be moved from one room to the next.

Because of their easy maneuverability, relatively small size, and portability, portable ACs are ideal for a variety of settings, including apartments, rooms, workplaces, computer server rooms, or anywhere else where installing a traditional AC may not be feasible. Although easy to maintain, portable air conditioners do need to be vented out a window, but this is easily performed by positioning a flexible hose from the unit to the outside.  Nonetheless, portable air conditioners are still great for supplemental or spot cooling, and many of today’s models such as the NewAir ACP-1400H also come with built-in heaters and/or air purifiers.  Moreover, because portable room air conditioners utilize a refrigeration cycle to lower temperatures, humidity levels are reduced, therefore making them especially useful for humid climates. 

 

Does a portable air conditioner work just like a standard AC unit?

 Most portable air conditioners work similarly to traditional air conditioners in that they produce a cooling effect utilizing the refrigeration cycle and a coolant such as Freon.  The unit itself consists of a boxed frame that holds the cold and hot sides of the AC, and an exhaust hose expels the air.  Once a portable air conditioner cools the air, water is removed, and most of the water is thus used to cool the actual unit. 

 

When it comes to removing this water, there are two methods: a bucket or tray located within the unit collects the condensate, and this needs to be emptied periodically.  The second method, called “auto-evaporative,” actually involves evaporating the water and exhausting it through a main venting hose and through a window, drop ceiling, or wall.  Therefore, while it’s true that portable air conditioners do not require permanent installation, they still need to be vented, and this is done with a window adapter kit (included with all portable AC units) which keeps the hose in place and provides insulation to the partially opened window, drop ceiling, or wall. 

What do you need to run a portable AC?

A portable room air conditioner has three main requirements: sufficient space for the unit, an electrical outlet, and an opening for the exhausted hot air. 

Top Five Reasons to Purchase a Portable AC

Minimal Installation – One of the main benefits of a portable air conditioner is the fact that it can be moved from room to room and does not need to be permanently installed.

Fully Portable - Almost all portable air conditioners include rolling casters.  Therefore, you can provide cooling comfort to any area with ease. 

Versatile – Portable room air conditioners do more than just cool.  The refrigeration cycle utilized by these types of units naturally produces a dehumidification effect, making them ideal for use in a humid climate.  Moreover, many portable air conditioners also feature built-in heaters and air purifiers to provide year-round use and cleaner air.

Energy-Efficient – Overall, portable air conditioners are small and more economical to operate than central air conditioners because they are usually only used to cool a specific area.  With that said, if you need a portable cooler that will maximize energy-use, a portable air conditioners is a great choice. 

Affordable – Portable ACs can be more affordable to purchase than traditional air conditioning units and will usually not incur installation costs.  However, keep in mind that a portable AC with a larger cooling capacity can cost more, as will one with a higher energy efficiency rating. 

When the hot days of summer bring escalating temperatures, you will want to rely on an air conditioner to bring cooling air to your home or office. Permanent air conditioners are big and bulky, however, and they usually cool an entire floor of a building, which is a money waster if you are cooling rooms you are not using. Portable room air conditioners, on the other hand, are a good investment because you can position them to where they will be most effective, you only pay for the cooling you need, and they offer other air conditioning features besides cooling.

One great feature of a portable air conditioner is that you can position it in any area of your home or office that would benefit from cooling air. You are not stuck with a permanently mounted unit that cools one area very well and outlying areas poorly. With a portable model, you can focus the cool air where you need it most. Imagine a bedroom in cool comfort even though the temperatures are sweltering outside, because you can roll your portable air conditioner into your bedroom. The next day, your portable unit can move with you into your home office, covered outdoor living space, or any other room in your home where you are and where you want it cool. In an office setting a portable room air conditioner can be just the thing you need to keep your server and other hot-running electrical equipment operating at optimal levels because the room is kept in the correct temperature range.

Another reason why small portable air conditioners make an excellent investment is that you only pay for what you use in terms of air conditioning. A large permanent air conditioning unit will cool large areas of space, including rooms that you are not occupying. This is money down the drain, because you are getting no benefit from unused rooms that are cooled. Instead, focus your air conditioning on the spaces that you are using, and enjoy the benefit of cool temperatures yet only pay for what you use, where you use it.

An additional attraction for using modern portable room air conditioners is that they offer several features besides their wonderful ability to make your room cool and comfortable. If you live in an area with high humidity, you know how uncomfortable all of the excess moisture can be to your skin. It is no fun to sweat all day long, so instead choose a portable air conditioner that comes with a dehumidifier. This unit will capture the excess air moisture, making the air drier and leaves you feeling cooler. Choose a portable air conditioner with the features you need for a great air cooling investment.

ot and uncomfortable and the ceiling fans no longer cut it? Well now is the right time to check out what the portable air conditioner can offer you. This portable device works just like the ordinary and typical air conditioners out there in the market. This type of cooling device has the capability to deliver cooler air into a room, and in the process help make you feel comfortable. But there exists a big difference between the portable and the typical air conditioning system; and the difference lies primarily on the convenience side.

With the portable air conditioner, you can simply carry the cooling device with you. For example if you would like to transfer room, then get the cooling device and set it up on the next room in the house. From the bedroom to your living room, this product is the perfect help that you have been looking for.

The selection of the right portable air conditioner should not be done without thinking about it. It is imperative to research and ask around in order to get the best device and the best deals. Often it is nice as well to know the exact needs of the house, so that the more efficient device can be purchased. And when these things are taken into consideration, then you should be ready as well to accept the many limitations of this product. Yes this product is highly convenient and can be used in many parts of the home due to its compact size, but remember as well that its compact size is the thing that will compromise and affect its efficiency inside the room. Expect that the output of the portable air conditioner to be less compared to the original one. This means that the cooling capacity of the portable will be lesser in intensity. This is one of the drawbacks of having the portable version of the AC.

Here?s another drawback that should help you frame the importance of the device. This product also creates more noise than the fixed air conditioner. This is possible since the condenser that expels the heat of the system is usually located inside the house. And when you check out the fixed air conditioning system, you will notice that the condenser is often positioned outside the house. Some of the portable air conditioners that are available in the market will require you to manually remove the water that they have produced along the way. This is in exact opposite of the fixed AC wherein water drips outside due to the nature of the installation of the fixed AC. The maintenance of the portable one is labor intensive, so another negative point for the portable type of AC. But then if you are looking for a cheaper way of cooling the house and at the same time wants convenience above all things, then there is no backing out. Check out what the portable air conditioner can offer your

One great thing about portable air conditioners is the fact that you can move the unit from room to room and there is no need for permanent installation. Take note that you still need to vent your portable air conditioner through a wall or a window at least. And once you have placed your AC to the desired location the exhaust hose must be setup and positioned before you can start using the unit. Don?t worry about this part because portable air conditioners are very easy to maintain.

Some of the usual maintenance requirements in many portable air conditioners are initial venting, water drainage, cleaning as well as replacing the filters.

The first thing that should be maintained is the venting. Although setting up a portable air conditioner is very simple however, the exhaust hose is still required to be vented out together with a venting kit. These kits are already included when you purchased the portable unit and these slide effortlessly into a window. On the other hand, the exhaust hose should be fitted into the correct space in the window kit then you can start using the air conditioner.

Second, you should regularly maintain the water drainage. Once your air conditioner starts cooling the air, moisture or water is removed. Actually, it is this same moisture that is also used to cool the actual unit leading to a more effective way of cooling. But for humid climates, you will find that there is some water collected. Various portable air conditioners are designed differently hence they also deal with condensate water in varying ways. Some portable air conditioners require that you regularly empty the water buckets while with the other type of air conditioners you don?t need to bother with emptying the cup every now and then. Remember this will all depend on how the portable air conditioner was designed.

Third, just like the standard air conditioner, cleaning as well as replacing air filters are needed to maintain the good condition of portable units. Most portable air conditioners will include a kind of washable air filter. It is this filter that removes the dust or particulates from the air inside a room. There are other more advanced units which have a built-in air purifier together with ionizers for certain particles and carbon filters to remove the odor or for gas control.

Since it is the filter that keeps the particles off the cooled air inside a room, it is important that you regularly clean or change the air filter in the portable air conditioner. This way you will get a healthier, allergy-free and a better breathable room. The same thing with the unit through regular cleaning or replacement of the filter, you maintain the proper functionality of the portable air conditioner. You can schedule the cleaning of your air filter on a weekly or monthly basis depending on how often you use your unit.

These are just some of the ways on how you can take better care of your portable air conditioner. If you can follow these tips regularly, the longer you can use your air conditioner.

Have you ever heard of thermal comfort? It may be a foreign term to your ears but your body knows it well. It is defined as the state of mind that feels satisfaction with the surrounding environment. Keeping that sense of thermal comfort for the occupants of buildings and other enclosures is one of the most important goals of HVAC design engineers. When the heat generated by human metabolism is allowed to dissipate to maintain thermal equilibrium with the surroundings, thermal comfort is maintained. If you gain or lose heat beyond that equilibrium, a sensation of discomfort is generated.

One portable air conditioner that may help you maintain thermal comfort this summer is the AC-12000E New Air Portable Air Conditioner. This slim and trim unit can cool spaces up to 400 square feet. It is easy to set up and maintain and no permanent installation is required. All you need to do is vent the unit. It is important to vent your portable air conditioner because they extract hot air. To cool a room effectively, the hot air that is extracted needs to go outside. An adjustable window exhaust kit is included with the AC-12000E. There will also be instructions on venting your unit. I may be easier than you think!

The AC-12000E New Air Portable Air Conditioner uses Nanomax technology. This technology evaporates the condensation away so you do not have to empty a bucket. During the cooling process, some of the water accumulated is used to cool the unit internally which makes it run more efficiently. In case there is excessive humidity, there is a built-in emergency condensation container. The unit will stop running when the container is full so that no damage is caused. It removes up to 60 pints a day of moisture.

You may be concerned about how much energy the AC-12000E uses. Calculating the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) is one way to determine how energy efficient a portable air conditioner is. This is the rating that lists how many BTUs per hour are used for each watt of power it draws. To calculate the rating, you divide the BTUs of the unit by the wattage. The higher the EER is, the more efficient the unit is. The AC-12000E has an EER rating of 14.46. That is very high which means very efficient.

So as the summer months descend upon us, bringing warm and possibly uncomfortable days, consider a New Air AC-12000E portable air conditioner to boost your thermal comfort!

omes to keeping cool in spite of the horribly hot weather, a lot of people often resort to cranking up on the air conditioners at home and enjoy the coolness that it gives. However, not everyone can afford to buy, let alone pay for the high electricity bill that usually comes with the normal type of air conditioners. So what are those people who do not have much money to spare for air conditioners can do to help keep themselves from feeling to hot? Also, what about those who do not have much space to work around with?

Getting a portable air conditioner seems to be the best solution to such a predicament. But for those who are first timers when it comes to this thing, what are the things that one should keep in mind when it comes to buying portable air conditioners?

In order to give you a better understanding of what to expect with portable air conditioners here are some basic tips that you must keep in mind, especially when you are already thinking of shopping for one.

Tip #1 Buying brand new portable air conditioners VS second hand portable air conditioners

For those who do not know much about portable air conditioners, it is always best to ask your friends or relatives first just in case some of them have already been using it in their homes. If none of them are familiar with portable air conditioners, you can still check it out on the Internet where you can also research on the prices as well as available models out there. Hopefully through this you will be able to get a better understanding about this new kind of appliance so that you will more or less know what to expect when you head out to the mall. Once at the appliances store, do not let the sales attendant to sell you something that he or she thinks is the best choice for you. Make sure that you are personally happy with the choice of portable air conditioner that you will be purchasing before making the final sale.

If you are on the lookout for more budget-friendly options, you can also check out second hand stores for appliances to see if they have any second hand portable air conditioners that are in good working order. Make sure to test it first and ask if you can return it if it suddenly goes dead on you. If all they offer are rickety old models, it would be best if you just get a brand new portable air conditioner instead.

Tip #2 How to properly maintain your portable air conditioner

Once you take your portable air conditioner home and start using it on a regular basis, there are times when you will have to check whether your portable air conditioner is being maintained well or not. If you feel that it needs a good round of cleaning ? even if it is still working perfectly, just do what you can to keep its parts clean so that no future problems may arise. It is best that you personally know how to fix at least some of the possible glitches that it may have so that you would not need to go to a technician in case a problem does occur in the future. You should also keep in mind to keep your warranty card or receipt so that you will be able to bring it back to the store for a check up.

Free standing air conditioners are air conditioners that can be moved from one room to another. Permanent installation is not required with portable air conditioners. They do require a venting outlet, though. Windows and walls are most commonly used as venting outlets. You may also use a drop ceiling for venting purposes. Venting hoses are usually made of temperature resistant plastic and reinforced with metal. Once you position your portable air conditioner, the exhaust hose needs to be directed out of the room so that the hot air will be expelled from the room.

Some air conditioner manufacturers claim to sell portable air conditioners that do not require venting. These units simply do not exist. All portable air conditioners need to vent the hot air they remove from the room they are cooling. It is important to note that the hot air does not need to be vented to the outside via a window. Another option is to use a room where high temperature is not an issue, like a storage room.

The reason why portable conditioners require venting is so that they can function properly. If the hot air is not vented to another room, the portable air conditioner will not work efficiently. Venting is inexpensive. Most portable air conditioners come with an installation kit for a window or sliding door.

There are a few simple steps to take when venting your portable air conditioner. You should find a location for the vent first, whether it be window, wall or drop ceiling. Next, you should slide the exhaust connector over the discharge opening at the back of the portable air conditioner. Then, connect the exhaust hose to the exhaust connector. Connecting the venting window kit adaptor to the window kit is the next step. Finally, you should set the window venting kit into the window and shut the window.

How the window kit works is that the window kit is cut to fit the sliding door or window. The window is closed against the foam to seal the air from coming in from outside. The exhaust hose is fitted through a small cut in the foam. A single installation only takes about five minutes and you can move the unit from window to window with ease.

The ideal length of an exhaust hose is 5-7 feet. It should be 5 inches in diameter. The length of the hose should not be extended. If you extend the hose and there is a backpressure or constriction to the airflow, the unit will not work and possibly be damaged as well. If it is absolutely necessary to extend the hose, you should make sure the diameter is increased along with the length. Be sure to note that the efficiency of the portable air conditioner will be decreased. You should read the warranty manual before making any alterations to the hose because some manufacturers do not allow it.

One last note is that venting out of a dryer vent is not recommended by manufacturers. It is especially not recommended if the diameter of the dryer vent is smaller than the hose of the portable air conditioner. If the dryer vent has external vents, you should not use that as a venting option. The compressor on your portable air conditioner is not strong enough to push the flaps open.

air conditioning unit inside the house is a welcome development especially if the temperature has turned unbearably hot. Even if you don?t live in temperate countries, there comes a point when the climate and the weather conditions can turn from warm to really hot. When this shift in temperature happens in your area, then the addition of the air conditioner unit inside the house or the office will do the trick. The air conditioners that people know are the large equipments that are placed in different points in the room and these devices are capable of supplying cool air for use inside the room. Now the problem with the traditional air conditioners is that these equipments are bulky and when an air conditioner has been already placed in one part of the room, it would be highly inconvenient to transfer the device to the other room where the other residents would like the services of cool air. This is one of the common limitations of air conditioners. But this limitation is no longer an issue and a problem since there is a now a portable air conditioner that is available in the market.

The portable air conditioner works just like the ordinary and the regular air conditioner, but there exists a big difference between the two. The portable one is handy and convenient to use. The use of this type of device is an affordable alternative to the old and the bulky AC used on homes. The benefit of having the portable air conditioner is more defined for families who don?t own their own homes. They can simply take the air conditioner with them once they decided that they need to change residences.

But before buying a portable one for your home, make sure first that a number of considerations and factors should be understood. The first that thing that should be considered is the convenience offered by this product. A portable air conditioner isn?t permanently attached to the wall rather this cooling device can be moved from one room to the next. Want to transfer to the living room to read today?s newspaper? Then there is nothing to worry and all you need to do is to move the device to the living room. Another good thing about this product is that you don?t need the services of a licensed electrician in order to install this device. This means that you will save on money.

But always remember as well that having the portable air conditioner doesn?t mean that you can have all the good things in life. Let it be known that due to the size of the portable device and its lower output, the portable air conditioner will not be as effective if compared to the regular type of cooling device. This should be taken into consideration especially if your area always experiences long periods of hot climate. The choice is ultimately yours of course; if convenience matters then the choice of the portable is obvious.

Many consider electric fans to be the most efficient of all cooling devices. Why? This is because fans use less power compared with air conditioners. However in hot and humid weather or places, air conditioners can give such relief. Trying to cool an entire house will take up more energy so it is still better and more efficient to cool an area where you sleep or work most of the time, by making use of the mobile or portable air conditioner.

If you are still not convinced why portable air conditioner is for you, remember one thing, people who choose to install a centralized air conditioning will never be able to move nor take this when they decide to leave the house. This is the reason having a portable air conditioner is to your advantage.

Next, what is a portable air conditioner? A portable air conditioner just like the standard air conditioner is designed specifically to cool the air inside an area but the only difference is you do not need to install the portable air conditioner to a window or to a wall. Furthermore, you can use portable air conditioners on most rooms and setting this up is fast and easy.

Aside from its cooling capability, the portable air conditioner is an excellent dehumidifier. Since there is less humidity the tendency is you feel a lot cooler and comfortable. This is just one of the things that is so great about portable air conditioners.

Currently, there are a lot of portable air conditioners which are available in the market but don?t forget not all portable units are the same. This means you still need to check the EER, the setup or if the air conditioner has a single or two hoses and of course the prices. It?s true that this type of air conditioner is very convenient because you can move it anywhere but it can be quite expensive. Included below are just a couple of portable air conditioners that may be to your liking.

Here is one of the more efficient portable air conditioner, the Newair AC-12000E. This unit has an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) of 14.4. Any air conditioner with above 12 EER are qualified as efficient. What?s more this portable unit can be yours at $389.95 from Amazon.

Meanwhile, one of the cheapest portable air conditioners is the 7000 BTU Haier HPE07XC6. Experts tell that it works best in very small rooms or in 150-squre-feet or less areas. Most of the moisture removed from the air is removed through the exhaust hose. In addition, you don?t need to throw away the water on the collection cup frequently. The only disadvantage to this portable air conditioner is it can be a little loud. This happens when shifting from cool to fan mode but it is not louder than using several fans at the same time. The Haier HPE07XC6 has an 8.2 EER and measures 21 x 17 x 34 inches.