The Ins and Outs of Portable Air Conditioning

A portable air conditioner is a self-contained unit, normally about 30 inches tall and about 80 pounds in bulk. The greatest thing is that it doesn't require any installation: it stands on the floor and you don't have to accommodate it in your window or your wall. A lot of mobile a/c units have little wheels, so you can directly move them around.

Portable a/c pros:

- You can activate your portable unit from room to room, so there is no need to buy a window-mounted air conditioner for every room.

- You don't have to block your window or make holes in your wall - a portable air conditioner is prepare to use as soon as you unpack it.

- Operating mobile air conditioning to cool only one room instead of switching on a central unit saves you a lot on energy bills.

Allegory air conditioner cons:

- A portable unit costs somewhat more than a window air conditioner with a common cooling capacity comparable to central air conditioning and mini-split systems (where the compressor is outside), portable a/c is noisy. If noise is the issue, look at the reviews of several portable units and select the one that makes the lesser noise.

Do portable a/c work in cooling huge rooms?

That depends on the measurement of your unit. Tiny portable units with cooling capacities of about 8,000 btu are superior for a 300 sq. Foot room, while bigger 24,000 btu air conditioners can productively cool a 1,000 sq. Foot room. So, as you can see, a right sized mobile air conditioner can do a good job even in a very enormous room. However, you should know that larger doesn't necessarily mean better. An air conditioner that is too big will consume more energy and won't cool your area effectively, because it will stop and start constantly.

Portable air conditioner energy efficiency

Everybody knows that air conditioners consume a lot of energy, so energy efficiency is a major issue. However, dated developments in technology allow manufacturers to develope very efficient air conditioners. A few years ago an eer (energy efficiency ratio) of 6 or 7 was voted good. Today the standard is 12 or higher.

Innovative portable air conditioners are as energy efficient as window or mini split units. To pick out the most efficient air conditioner, look at its eer - the higher, the more wanted. Also choose a unit from an energy star. The energy star definds that an air conditioner meets energy efficiency guidelines identify by the us environmental protection agency and the department of energy.

How reasonable is a mobile air conditioner?

You may be surprised to learn that portable air conditioning is not very expensive. The prices have dropped down significantly, in recent years, and now you can buy a good unit from about $300. Of course, air conditioners with a huge cooling capacity cost more, and so do those with similar energy efficiency ratings. However, when it comes to buying more for a more efficient unit, you actually save money because your energy bill will be lower.

If you don't use air conditioning and don't feel like investing in a central system, a portable air conditioner can be a wonderful alternative. And if you utilize a central air conditioning unit, it's still a good idea to have a portable unit for cooling just the room you are in, instead of the complete house. It can effortlessly reduce your bills.