Portable or freestanding air conditioners can be moved anywhere and of course they don’t need a window or a wall to be installed.

It?s true the above mentioned are great features of a portable air conditioner. But not all portable air conditioners are the same, these can differ based on the size, the noise it makes and the price. The following are examples of the various portable air conditioner.

First of all, we have the small portable air conditioner, the Haier HPE07XC6. It has a 7,000btu/hr cooling capacity and one of the cheapest units around. This is suitable for rooms of about 150-square feet or less. The condensed water is released through the main exhaust hose so you do not need to empty the water-collection cup quite often. Some consumers say that although the Haier portable air conditioner is small and cheaper than most it can be a little loud though.

For people who would like to have a quiet portable AC then go for the Royal Sovereign portable unit. It is a fact that window air conditioners are more superior than portable versions when it comes to cooling action but a lot of owners tell that the Royal Sovereign AC has a good cooling capability and the best part of all, it?s not loud. When it comes to endurance, customers say they own the units for more than four years already. This is a great indication of the quality of Royal Sovereign portable air conditioners. Furthermore, it has a rated 10,000btu/hr and can cool a room up to 200 square feet. Just like more portable air conditioners, this also work as a good dehumidifier and has a remote control along with it. The water is released through an exhaust hose so there is no need to empty the collection cup often.

If you think, that you are tight on the budget then you can opt for the Amcor ALW 12000E. It is less expensive than more portable air conditioners and has a 12,000btu/hr. The only drawback is it can be quite noise and the water-collection cup cannot be removed so it?s a bit awkward to empty this. Regardless, this portable air conditioner can release some of the water out through the main air exhaust. Other features of the Amcor ALW include digital controls as well as a remote control. It can also be used as a fan and a dehumidifier.

On the other hand, if you have a large room, then you should consider the Sharp CV-P12LX. It is a quiet portable air conditioner and can cool up to 400-sq-ft. In addition, the Sharp air conditioner can release all the water in the condensate out the window through the exhaust hose so there is no need to bother with emptying the water-collection cup every now and then. Plus factor with this unit is the dehumidifying capabilities that the Sharp portable air conditioner has.

Singles and couples with limited living spaces need not endure a warm and humid lifestyle. DeLonghi has just the right cooling solution for them.

Their large inventory of high-quality air conditioners is used to cool not only personal living spaces but also work areas. Their air conditioners are easily portable, weighing only 110 pounds and many having a four-wheel design. Nonetheless, permanent installation, discussed in the DeLonghi Pinguino manual is also an option as it could be vented easily. It comes with a four-foot long exhaust hose that could be extend through either a window or a door for venting. This LSKair cooling apparatus also discharges excess vapor through its exhaust hose, a convenient feature as there are no vapour-filled containers to empty. This extra blessing is made possible by a 45-pint dehumidifier that is built in every Delonghi Pinguino PAC 260, a no-drip technological innovation that cannot be found in other portable air conditioners because this feature carries a U.S. patent. And for the best part, this rolling air conditioner can deliver cooling power of 9,000 BTUs. The DeLonghi Pinguino PAC 260 is available for around $900 in online stores, such as Mercantila.com and allergybegone.com.

Another innovative air conditioner with portable features is the DeLonghi PAC 400 Pinguino. In addition to its portability, this model is also a power-miser, enabling the user to reduce electricity consumption which results in extra savings. This energy-saving feature is enhanced by its portability because it allows the housekeeper to target only the specific areas to be cooled in the home. The DeLonghi PAC 400 Pinguino is also perfect for households with some of their members susceptible to air-borne allergens. This air conditioning model is designed with the innovative FreshZone air filtration that helps filter out allergy-causing bacteria and unwanted dust particles.

A timing device, well-described in the Delonghi Pinguino manual, also contributes to the energy-saving feature of this DeLonghi Pinguino portable air conditioner. This timer has a 24-hour programmable function that is accessed through a user-friendly control panel also featuring the adjustments for two fan speeds and the on/off switch. Having a DeLonghi PAC 400 would be ideal in home areas with excessively high water vapour in the air, like in garages, attics or basements. A built-in humidifier comes with this mobile air conditioner to remove up to more than 88 pints of moisture daily.

This DeLonghi portable air conditioner provides a cooling power of 13,000 BTUs. But don’t let those five-digit power figures scare you, for the DeLonghi PAC 400 operates quietly with its noise level at only 50 decibels. Quiet operations are made possible by the air conditioner model’s highly efficient compressor and components. Durability is also ensured as this DeLonghi Pinguino portable air conditioner is equipped with an automatic safety device which protects the rotary compressor when power is suddenly switched on. As its name suggests, this air conditioner is a product of Italian engineering and design. Durable caster wheels and side carrying handles amply enable its portability feature. A DeLonghi Pinguino manual that comes along with each unit is also helpful should one decide to install the air conditioner using its Window Kit and two, 23-inch extenders.

If you are thinking of buying 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 free standing 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.

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.

the right portable air conditioner that can be used on homes can be a tricky process; a number of factors should be kept in mind. For example the cost of the unit should be taken into account. Often the brand will play an important role as well since there will be some brands of this AC that can do better than the others offered in the market. But there are two other important factors that should be remembered and checked; it?s the room size and the expected power consumption of the cooling device.

The size of the room and the power consumption will greatly affect the proper selection of the portable air conditioner. In fact, the power that can be consumed by the cooling device will hinge on the size of the room. So here is one suggestion before you plunge into a buying spree; check and choose the correct power consumption or the cooling capacity of the device in order to suit the needs of the house of the room in the house.

Just like any other electrical appliances inside your home, the portable air conditioner that can be added to homes is usually rated in kW. So there will be a simple rule to follow in the proper selection of this cooling device; the bigger the area in the house that you need to cool then the more kW you need. Using this kind of logic some will probably think that the bigger the kW capacity then the more efficient the portable air conditioner will become. This is not necessarily the case. For example if you choose a high powered cooling device for your small room then you will get the results that you never want in the first place. For sure the room will feel damp and humid and not the feeling of cool and refreshing which you have expected in the first place. This is true since the fanning system will effectively create too much refrigerated air for that room area. So when your room is on the small side and you opt for the high-powered air conditioning unit, then you waste your money and you waste energy as well. Same is true if you get a low kW portable air conditioner for your room. The capability of the air conditioner will not meet the demands of the room due to its size.

This is the reason why the size of the room should be checked and should be studied first. In order to make the proper selection of the right AC for the room it is best to strike the right balance between room size and the cooling capacity of the chosen air conditioner. To get a rough idea of the type of portable air conditioner that you need, you need to sweat it out and measure the space in cubic meters. Here?s a simple rule; the room requires 80 watts or around 0.080 kW for every square meter of an average-sized room and 125 watts or 0.125 kW per square meter for the average-sized living area.

When your home cannot accommodate a traditional air conditioner, you live in an apartment building or you need cooling for your computer server room a free standing air conditioner is the perfect appliance. They are useful in a variety of situations and settings. You don’t have to deal with costly central cooling systems or ineffective fans and free standing air conditioners are truly portable. They can be moved from one area to the next and require little to no installation and maintenance. Sometimes there may be a problem with your portable air conditioner. Before turning to a professional, why not save money by troubleshooting the problems yourself? Here are some common issues and the solutions:

1.       Your Portable Air Conditioner Won’t Start

-          Make sure your power cord is plugged in correctly and undamaged.

-          Check wall plug and circuit breaker. Reset the circuit breaker at the box. Change the socket or outlet.

-          If neither of these solutions work, take it to a qualified electrician and have the fuse replaced.

2.       Your free standing Air Conditioner Stops Operating on its Own

-          Make sure the timer is not on.

-          Make sure the temperature in the room is not lower than the set temperature.

-          Wait until the room temperature rises to operate unit.

3.       Your Portable Air Conditioner Won’t Cool

-          Remove the grill and clean the filter.

-          Check the evaporator and condenser coils for clogs.

-          If neither of these are the problems, the fan motor may be blown or the compressor is malfunctioning so professional help is necessary.

4.       Your Portable Air Conditioner Won’t Cool in Dehumidification Mode

-          Check for excess frost on evaporator or coils. If present, allow defrosting to take place.

-          To prevent ice buildup, clean the dirty air filters. Also, in weather conditions colder than 60 degrees, defrost the coil by turning the selector switch to the fan position and let it run until the ice melts.

5.       Your Portable Air Conditioner Is Not Providing Enough Cooling

-          Keep in mind that free standing air conditioners should be used for supplemental cooling and for small areas like bedrooms or living rooms.

-          Make sure you have the right sized portable air conditioner. They are sized by BTU rating. If the BTUs are too high the unit will cycle off too quickly. If the BTUs are too low, the unit will not adequately cool the area.

-          Excessive sunlight and extremely low or high ambient temperatures can also affect the cooling capacity.

If you are one of those people who just can?t wait for the cooler months again, here are some tips that you can follow in order to beat the summer heat.

Tip #1 Round up the kids ? during super hot afternoons, you can easily keep the kids from getting rowdy and restless by fixing them up with a nice refreshing snack. From fresh lemonade matched with yummy cookies to fruity ice popsicles, these delicious treats can be easily done at home and without much trouble. After you have fixed them up a snack, round them up in the living room, pop in a DVD of the latest Hannah Montana movie, and do not forget the portable air conditioner, these will all work together in keeping your kids cool and comfy all summer long.

Tip #2 Set up a home spa day for yourself ? do not think that getting the ultimate spa experience is limited to having to go the spa and shelling out much of your hard-earned cash for all sorts of spa services like mineral facials, foot reflexology, and a soothing massage. You can easily recreate some of these at home, without you even having to spend so much. First things first, you should be able to get yourself in the mood for a day of pampering by keeping your worries at bay. Pop in a CD of your favorite tunes ? hopefully relaxing music, as you prepare your bath. After getting all nice and clean, slather on a face mask, put on some cucumber slices on your face, and make sure that you have your portable air conditioner near you to help you get in the mood as well as relax and cool. After that, get yourself a nice tall fix of orange juice or your favorite smoothie from the refrigerator and enjoy sipping that while reading your favorite magazine and being fanned by the cool breeze from your portable air conditioner.

Tip #3 Enjoy a great movie night at home

Just like with treating yourself to a nice spa day ? at home, you can also easily have a fun movie date at home. First things first, make sure to get some great DVD titles that you and the people you are having over will appreciate. Next, make sure that you have enough food for everyone, simple snacks like microwaveable popcorn or little cutout sandwiches will do. Of course, you need to make sure that the TV is on good working order as well, and all you need is your portable air conditioner nearby and you are your companions or date are all set for relaxing movie night experience. Aside from setting the ambiance and feeding your guests good food, the portable air conditioner will also contribute greatly to them being cool and comfy as you guys spend the evening enjoying your favorite movies ? at home.

A portable air conditioner provides many advantages for those who need additional cooling in their homes or offices. Since traditional air conditioning units are larger and fit in a window, they also require ventilation. A portable air conditioner does not require that someone places it in a window or cuts a hole in a wall for ventilation, ensuring that it is truly mobile and can be transported to any room that needs additional cooling. Since there are many rooms or buildings that are not designed for traditional air conditioning units, a portable air conditioner often provides the best solution.

Some typical uses for a portable air conditioner includes cooling a shed, garage, basement or warehouse as well as for use in places like RVs, trailers, and boats. However, a portable air conditioner can provide the cooling needed in any room such as a kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom. Since a portable air conditioner operates simply by plugging it in, it is the perfect way to make certain that you remain cool and comfortable in any environment.

Another advantage of using a portable air conditioner is the fact that the unit is on wheels. This ensures that if you need to continually transport the unit from one room to another that you can do so easily and without hindrance. This is especially important for those who work in warehouses that do not have traditionally cooling systems installed. A portable air conditioner can easily be rolled from one workroom to another without needing to lift the unit or manually transport it.

Today’s portable air conditioners feature many more luxuries that previous models simply didn’t have. For example, current models include digital touch settings and are also easily operated with a remote control. This makes it very convenient to ensure that your air conditioning unit is set to the perfect temperature at all times.

Portable air conditioners also serve as dehumidifiers and are a suitable solution for those who need to remove excessive moisture from an area. This is perfect for those who are in a working condition that they feel is a bit too humid or may be contributing to excessive mold growth. When looking for a portable air conditioner you should take into consideration how much moisture you expect the unit to hold and whether or not you want the unit to connect through a hose to expel moisture or to use evaporation technology.

When moisture is removed from the air, either through a dehumidifier, a traditional air conditioning unit, or a portable air conditioner the moisture must be expelled. When the moisture enters the unit it is turned into water. Traditional window air conditioners provide a vent where the water is allowed to drip out the back of the unit. Dehumidifiers often have a tank where the water is collected and then manually removed. However, new models of portable air conditioners use a technology known as evaporation. These units do not need to be vented or connected to a hose as they take the moisture and evaporate it through the use of a coolant. It’s important to take all of these pints into consideration when determining the best unit for your home or office needs.

Rising temperatures mean more people will be turning to their trusty air conditioners in order to beat the heat.  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 particular 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 will need to be vented out a window, but this is easily accomplished by positioning a flexible hose out through the window opening.  Nonetheless, portable air conditioners are still great for supplemental or spot cooling, and many of today’s models such as 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.

However, when it comes to choosing a portable air conditioner, there seems to be a lack of reviews for such units.  Thankfully, for the past few weeks, our product review team has been hard at work testing the most popular portable ACs on the market.  For this week, NewAir sent us the sleek and stylish AC-12000E portable air conditioner, and we were especially impressed with its design and cooling ability.  We tested the NewAir AC-12000E portable AC in our product editor’s 150 square foot office on a warm afternoon.   Here were our findings:

Style and Design:

Upon receiving the NewAir AC-12000E and after taking it out of its carton, we saw that the unit sported a sleek silver finish – something hadn’t seen with many other portable ACs we’ve tested.  Although it weighed roughly 85 pounds or so, there were built-in, easy to roll casters that allowed us to move the unit from one office to the next with ease.  The control panel provided bright contrast and clear visibility, while the included remote allowed us to conveniently control the unit from across the room.  The included window kit and large diameter exhaust hose was also easy to install, and within just minutes, we were able to get the NewAir AC-12000E portable air conditioner up and running.

Cooling Capacity:

When choosing a portable AC, one of the most common mistakes consumers make is incorrectly sizing their unit. Portable air conditioners are sized according to BTUs, which stands from British Thermal Units. A BTU is a unit of energy that is commonly used in the power, steam generation, and heating and air conditioning industries. A portable air conditioner’s BTU rating describes its power and cooling capacity. Naturally, the higher the BTUs, the stronger the portable AC.  However, the one problem we’ve come across is incorrect and insufficient BTU ratings.  Some portable air conditioner manufacturers have overstated the cooling capacity of their products, but prior to receiving the AC-12000E, we spoke to NewAir directly and they reassured us that this portable AC featured a verifiable 16,000 BTUs of power with a cooling capacity of up to 500 square feet in optimal conditions.  We found this to be true and even at the lowest setting, the NewAir AC-12000E provided more than enough cooling for our needs.

Condensate Removal:

The NewAir AC-12000E utilized auto-evaporative technology and this dramatically decreased the amount of moisture that was accumulated.  Also, this portable air conditioner worked as a dehumidifier with a capacity of 80 pints of moisture per day.  Although our environment wasn’t very humid, we noted that this would be a great feature for those living in humid climates.

Air Purification:

Poor indoor air quality is a problem that can plague most homes, regardless of how immaculate.  Furthermore, when using an air conditioner, air is constantly being recirculated, so if you have an air quality issue, turning on the AC won’t help.  Thankfully, NewAir has addressed this with the AC-12000E portable air conditioner.  This portable air conditioner utilized a three-step filtration system that included a 3M filtrate filter, washable air filter, and an activated carbon filter.  All of these filters work together to provide you with cleaner air, which is especially helpful if you have pets in your home.

Overall, we really liked the fact that the NewAir AC-12000E was compact, stylish, and feature-rich.  Furthermore, this portable air conditioner offered far more BTUs than many other portable air conditioners in its price range.

An air conditioner that you can take anywhere or from room to room may be appealing for you especially if you live in a building where standard room air conditioners are not allowed or if window space is restricted.

However, three large portable air conditioners were tested that were said to have a cooling capacity of 10,000 Btu/hr, their performance gave little relief from the heat as compared with what their manufacturers claimed. Aside from that these appliances are quite expensive at $400 to $500 compared with the standard window air conditioners.

Most portable units include one exhaust hose that shifts air from inside the room over the air conditioners? condenser coils then finally the cooled air is released to the outside. These units also have low-profile vent adapter bracket that you put in a double-hung window which allows the hot, humid air to exhaust.

It is a fact that portable air conditioners may be convenient because you can move these but the units that were test delivered only half of their cooling capacity at the most. This means they performed with a 5 or 6 energy-efficient ratio (EER), the minimum EER should be nine. Standard window models have an EER as high as 12.

As a result of the above tests, people can?t help but conclude that air conditioners are inefficient. Why is this so? Basically, air which the portable air conditioner exhaust to the outside comes from the air inside but the energy which was meant to cool and dehumidify the air is wasted and is sent out through the vent hose. This kind of setup allows the warm, humid outside air to leak back inside the room that was supposed to be cooled.

On one hand, there are portable air conditioners that have a couple of hoses ? one hose is meant to bring in outside air to cool the condenser coils while the other hose releases the air to the outside. These types of air conditioners have not been tested yet but the setup is very similar to the standard window air conditioner. Since this is the case, it is possible that these types of portable air conditioner come closer to delivering the Btu/hr ratings that they tout. But shifting the air through the two hoses waste energy hence the efficiency levels are less than the standard window air conditioners.

Some years ago, the free standing air conditioner caught the attention of many consumers. They became interested with this new technology. The promise of convenience, mobility, plug-in, localized cooling action without the need to install anything compelled consumers to know and even purchase the portable air conditioner.

Imagine you can easily move the unit to a wall vent or a window then plug the cord into the power outlet and point the flexible exhaust hose outside. The portable air conditioner is a hassle-free cooling device when or wherever you need it.

Installation of a portable unit is not complicated. You just move or roll over the unit into position that is you can open a window than install the exhaust hose as well as the window kit. This is definitely easier than lugging a window air conditioner unit that we use from one level to another.

The units are as quiet as a standard dehumidifier but sometimes you may come across with a loud internal buzzing whenever the compressor comes on. Experts blame the internal plastic parts as responsible for that irritating sound. But two wooden wedges, once positioned, can stop the buzz.

Usually, you may be concerned with the cooling power of this moveable air conditioner because it only utilizes a single four-inch hose to shift the heat outdoors. This means the setup of a portable air conditioner is quite different from the standard air conditioner, as a result, the cooling power may not be the same for the two types of air conditioner.

You may also notice that the KY-32U which is rated at 12,000btu/hr may have a similar rating with other standard air conditioners however the performance is different. In this aspect, the KY-32U may fail to deliver and window models may offer so much more despite having the same rating. Regardless of its cooling capacity, portable air conditioners are powerful dehumidifier, you may be surprised at the capacity of portable air conditioners to pull out moisture from the air inside your room.

Anyway, if you are after convenience and dehumidification then having a portable air conditioner is not a bad idea at all. Recently, there were reports of another type of portable air conditioner in which the design or make-up is similar to the standard air conditioner. Probably with this type of portable air conditioner we can expect better cooling performance.

The bottom line is when choosing a portable or a standard air conditioner, knowing what you need from your air conditioner should be prioritized. This means you need to know if you want convenience or cooling power more. Once you have clearly defined what you want out of your unit then you can go ahead and purchase an air conditioner, portable or otherwise.