Portable Air Conditioning Unit Reviews

Answer 1

When deciding on air conditioning for a room or area, consider reading portable air conditioning unit reviews first. The so-called conveniences of portable units can actually cause more work or hindrance. Use portable units only for applications that deny or prohibit the use of a window mounted unit.

Maintenance for portable AC units

There are some portable designs that have a reservoir that has to get emptied regularly. On a hot and humid day, you might empty it every four to six hours. Emptying the reservoir on a hot night before bed usually requires another emptying before it is time to get up. Condensation from air blowing across the cold coils is inevitable. On window units, this condensation drips outside. There are some portable units that do not require draining. The ones that do stop cooling once the reservoir is full.

Portable units take up more space and require more clearance to operate than a window unit. The BTU ratings do not tell the whole story

Typically a consumer purchases an air conditioning unit based on having enough BTUs to cool a specific area or room size. Portable units might have a high BTU rating but still do not perform as well as a window unit with a lower BTU rating. Air conditioners take heat to the outside. Portable units create heat that has to vent outside. This is normally accomplished through a flexible pipe that is connected to a device that attaches to a window. The pipe radiates heat back into the area.

Portable units still use a window

Portable AC units vent the hot air of the AC system to the outside of the structure through a flexible pipe. A rectangular piece of adjustable plastic is put in a partially opened window to direct the hot air outside. Many choose a portable unit so that window treatments and draperies are left in place, only to find out that the vent pipe and its window attachment are cumbersome.

Portable AC units have less power to cool an area although their actual BTU rating is probably higher than a window unit. They cost significantly more than equally powered window units. Many have a reservoir that you have to drain of water several times per day. Some units do not come back on if the power goes out. This is dangerous for pet owners, especially in extreme heat conditions.