Portable air conditioners are console units that can be moved from room to room or other locations for quick, easy and low cost climate cooling and temperature control. See our range of air conditioning units and cooling products
The portable air conditioners are sometimes called "windowless" air conditioners because technically you don't need a window: You can turn the A/C unit on anywhere and they will produce cool air. Used this way, a portable unit is ideal for low cost mobile climate control of your office or living space. The unit lowers the temperature more rapidly when it is vented using the exhaust hose, this is because while cool air blows out the front of the unit, hot air blows out the back or side. Normally you have the installed air conditioners in a wall so that they can blow out the hot air outside the location you are cooling.
Installation of portable room air conditioners
Unlike window air conditioners or central systems, portable air conditioners require very little installation and are easy to move around. The conditioning units are usually 3 to 4 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide, and they roll around on small wheels or casters. They are made by such manufacturers as Amcor, Alaskan, Delonghi, Panasonic, Toshiba, Fujitsu, Hinari, Challenge and Matsui. Portable air conditioners offer a very versatile cooling option for those who can't use the more conventional air conditioning methods and do not have any real application limitations.
1. Connect a vent hose
The hot air that dissipates from the air conditioner will be blown into the room. This can be overcome by connecting a vent hose to the portable air conditioner outlet and directing the hose out a window, the AC unit is normally supplied with a foam insert which enables you to block of the rest of the opening. Alternatively you can direct the vent hose so that it directs the hot air into another room. Most models come with fittings that makes this hose hook-up easy.
2. Condensed Water
Some units simply come with a bucket to collect the condensed water from the portable a/c. Others are cleverly arranged with a small pump that circulates the condensed water over the unit's condenser where it evaporates and the hot air exits through the vent hose.
This is a major advantage both in terms of convenience and the efficiency of the unit. Where will a portable air conditioner be effective?
Portable air conditioners are very effective in removing odours such as smoke, cooking and other undesirable indoor pollutants. Due to the fact that the portable conditioning unit takes air from the room and blows it out of the room (for instance through a window) there will be an air drag from outside and adjacent rooms. This means that for instance smoke in the room will not go to the other rooms but will actually get blown out the window as the room is gradually cooled.
Supplemental cooling. A portable air conditioner is very good to provide supplemental cooling. For instance in areas of a home or office that are served by a central system but still need cooling. In rooms with a high local heat dissipation the portable air conditioner is more efficient than a central air conditioner. This can be places with heat generating equipment such as photo copiers, computers, kitchens, laboratories etc. In such cases the exhausting of room air actually helps rather than hindering the cooling process.
The one place where portable air conditioners can be more efficient than conventional models is a room with high "internal heat gain" - this means that most of the heat in the room comes from activities taking place in the room itself or from equipment used there. For instance in kitchens in homes or restaurants, offices with copiers and other heat-generating equipment, and computer centres or labs. In these cases the exhausting of room air actually helps rather than hinders the cooling process.
So in summary a portable air conditioner will be a good supplement to central air conditioning in places mentioned right above. Also in cases where there is a need to move the "cooling effect" the moveable unit will offer an advantage. Even though a portable air conditioner is less effective than central ones they offer a good cooling option for people where a central system is not possible to install, expense or other reasons. Further a portable air conditioner can be acquired for substantially less money than a central system.
Need Help: