Portable Air Conditioners: Effective or Not?

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.

Another factor which affects the efficiency of portable air conditioners is the moisture. During the operation of the portable air conditioner, water is accumulated and goes directly into the drain tank. It is this water that helps cool the condenser coils then it evaporates and gets released via the exhaust duct. Unfortunately some units were not designed to use the moisture or water, as a result you would have to empty the tank at least once or twice a day while using the portable air condition.

Knowing all of these, it is recommended to use the portable air conditioner only if it is not possible to use the standard window air conditioner.

Examining Window Air Conditioners




Window air conditioners can be essential in providing for your comfort. They are extremely popular and have been used in residential properties for years. They can be fitted in any room and are often able to send a flow of air into nearby rooms because of the relatively powerful capacity that they are equipped with. They do not make a lot of noise, are well priced, and are durable.

These air conditioners are suitable for the bedroom. You are able to sleep peacefully without being disturbed by them. This is a marked improvement on the older models which were better suited to factories! The weight of these air conditioners makes them as versatile as many portable air conditioners, as they can be affixed and then dismounted at will. They are small enough to pack away when you have no use for them.

An advantage of a window air conditioner as opposed to many types of ac units is the price. It is very cheap to buy and use. It is ideal for cooling an average sized room such as a bedroom or a study.

For large commercial use, you would be advised to buy an air conditioner that has a capacity of up to thirty thousand BTU. BTU is the measurement of an air conditioner’s cooling capacity. A smaller, residential window air conditioner would be about five thousand BTU.

Do not buy an air conditioner that is too large for the room that you intend to use it in. This will lead to the unit cycling off and on too frequently, and will mean that there are discrepancies in the durability of the unit and its temperature control. For help in choosing the correct size of air conditioner, you can consult staff at a major hardware store.

The disparity between window air conditioners and portable air conditioners is only in that the latter is more portable. Other than that, they are both single units that contain all their components inside themselves.

Taking good care of a window air conditioner is important yet simple. The filter contained in them, which is usually made out of fabric with holes between layers, is easily accessed within the appliance, and can be removed to be cleaned. If your unit does not require a filter then you just have to clean it externally with a cloth when necessary. An alternative to fabric is a foam filter, which is disposable.

It is possible to buy window air conditioners that can be used to heat a room as well as to cool it. The same principle applies to these heaters; they must be properly sized to the room that you intend to heat with them.

It is not necessary to suffer the discomfort of an over or under heated room these days. Modern air conditioners are affordable, movable, and quiet enough so as not to disturb your peace. Once you have ensured that their size is correct for the room then you are ready to go.

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Beat the Heat This Summer with Best Air Conditioners

Air Conditioners are the best friends in summers. With temperatures soaring high, there cannot be anything better than Air Conditioners. Some time back air conditioners came with the sole purpose – to beat the heat. That means, they could be used only in summers to beat the scorching heat, but, things have changed today. Today’s air-conditioners come with many-fold things – they can change their temperatures automatically with the change in outside temperatures, they can also be used in winters with the temperature in the room so maintained that one feels at ease; even in rainy season humidity can be controlled in rooms with these air – conditioners. Different companies have given different names to these air conditioners – some call them intello cool; some call them bio sleep and so on. Whatever is the sense of these air conditioners, they are not just an added assortment in the rooms and they are a part of life. One can say – the best today’s generation can have in the name of world-class comforts. Basically, air – conditioners come in two forms – Walled units and Split form. Walled or Unitary systems, are fitted across the windows of the room whose controls are interior. These can be fitted in homes where each room can have a separate unit. In Spilt form or PTAC form, there are two units. The Evaporative unit in this kind of AC is outside the room and the condensing unit is inside the room – a tube passes through them connecting the two units. (Some of the Spilt ACs is quite advanced in nature; they can heat the room in winters making these much better air conditioners than the walled units – one of the main reasons why these are costlier than the window air conditioners). Another class of air conditioners are the central units – majorly used in hotels, restaurants, corporates and offices. In this type, majorly ducts are used to throw in the cooled air to keep the temperature cool or heated. Such kind of units can do both the functions – keep the temperature low in summers and high in winters, keeping the dual purpose in full swing throughout the year. In India, major companies which sell air conditioners include Frigidaire, Haier, LG  and so on…. You can buy these air conditioners from any of the leading online shopping companies like casement window air conditioners , which generally give good deals in terms of discounts and added offers.

Problems Encountered with Window Air Conditioners




Although it is quite a serious investment to install an air conditioner, many of us just plug in the device and forget about any sort of maintenance, until our window air conditioner stops providing the service we have gotten used to. This is the last thing that you should do. Neglecting your air conditioner’s maintenance would not only mean that the efficiency levels would drop but you might also be faced with stiff repair costs. However, if you just follow a few proper maintenance guidelines provided in the instruction manual, you can avoid a lot of problems.

What we do in the following part of the article is to provide you with a basic plan on how to take proper care of your air conditioner so that it can perform at its peak and also a few troubleshooting tips when you have to deal with unforeseen problems.

The first idea is to prevent your unit before it starts showing up problems. Since all air conditioners use filters, it is of primary importance to maintain the filter as without the filter in a proper condition no unit will be able enough to perform. So if you need efficiency from your air conditioner you must have the filter clean. It is best to clean them once every month.

Also be sure that the condenser coils of the air conditioner are clean and not covered by dust and dirt. Sometimes dust and grime can hide at places where it is not visible to the naked eye. It is best to vacuum the coils with a crevice tool so that you can reach all the nooks and the corners.

Problems, however, might still crop up and you have to deal with them. Sometimes you’ll notice a musty smell coming out of your air conditioner. This may be because of the moisture dust and dirt which leads to the formation of mold and mildew in the dip tray. All you got to do is to remove the dip tray and wash it with soap and water. It is best to do this once every year which would ensure that you never get this smell.

If you find some water leaking from the window air conditioner it might well be the interior moisture. It may be because your unit is tilted inwards, though it actually should be tilted outward. This hampers the drainage. Just get the unit installed properly and you will no longer encounter the problem.



Maintaining Your Window Air Conditioner




What’s a good way to beat the heat in summer? Most will go to the beach or local pool to swim and cool down. Others may have their own pool at home or set up an inflatable pool. This is a good temporary escape from the heat, but it has its down sides. You can suffer sun burns from swimming, pools and beaches can be too crowded. And for some people, a trip to the beach can be too expensive.

So, is there an alternative to beat the heat? Is there a way to keep cool at the comfort of your own home? There is another way. Install a window air conditioner.

Installing a window air conditioner is a good way to cool down in your home. It is a great way to get away from the heat without drying up your bank account. However, this does not mean that buying a big window mounted air conditioner is the best choice, bigger is not always better. If you buy one which is too big for your home would only cause your electric bill to rise and would not give you the best performance it can. Proper sizing is important.

A common mistake is to buy an air conditioner too big for the room, it would lower the temperature however it would not properly eliminate humidity in the room. This would result in discomfort due to too much humidity and an over sized electric bill. When you are able to get the perfect size, a window air conditioner would prove to be a wonderful appliance for small rental homes and apartments. But like all appliances, regular maintenance is important to keep it in prime condition.

Keeping the window mounted air conditioner in good shape after the long winter would just take a few easy and simple steps, you wouldn’t need a technician or an expert for this, and you can do it yourself. This wouldn’t take too long. First step to thoroughly check the unit is to go outside and remove the covering of the air conditioner from the outside. Then, dismount the unit from its wall frame and place it on a flat surface outside of the house. At this point, remove the front covering of the air conditioning unit. Then, bring out a vacuum and connect the soft brush attachment, then proceed to vacuum the condenser coils.

Another way to do this is to use a hose and hose it down from the inside out. But be very careful as you can get the motor and electronics wet, we don’t want that to happen. Then check for any bent fins on the condenser coil, if you spot some use a coil fin comb. Next step is to check the foam air filter, if it is damaged buy a new one and replace it, if it is just dirty wash it with some dishwashing soap and water then place it back in the unit after it dries. After this, you can now reinstall the unit to its frame and re attach the front and back cover.



Noise from Window Air Conditioners?

Of the wide variety of air conditioners used, the window air conditioner is the most popular. It definitely sells more than the split air conditioners and they are also more widely used than central air conditioners. And this is not just for domestic purposes only. Even commercially, both for cooling and heating purposes the window air conditioners are the most preferred. The main reason for this is that it can fit into your window and most of its body remains outside the room. So it looks good and also doesn’t occupy any space of the room. They also need not be shifted from one place to another. I t remains unobtrusive.

But, like any other air conditioner machine it also produces noise. The intensity obviously would vary according to the type and size of the air conditioner, but there will be some amount of noise produced. This is kind of a white noise and though some might actually like the noise, most would want to do away with it, or at least keep it to its minimum. And remember the noise isn’t restricted to your home alone, but can affect your neighbors.
The quietest casement window air con ditioners we’ve found have been: Frigidaire, Haier and LG.
The ductless air conditioners basically are a derivative from the central air conditioning system and the window air conditioning system taking the plusses from both, and removing the restrictions of each. The necessity for inventing this ductless air conditioners can be traced back to a few reasons. First of all, not all houses had the provision for ducts being installed. Even if the house had provisions, installing ducts would be a pretty expensive exercise.

So, before you invest on a window air conditioner, do check the labels on the unit or in the literature that comes with the product to find out the sound power levels. The noise level are generally represented in terms of the unit decibel. The higher the decibel ratings the louder the sound is. You also need to remember that the sound pressure increases by a factor of 10 for every 10-decibel increase. So, if we are talking about 50 decibels then it is actually 10 times louder than 40 decibels and 100 times louder than 30 decibels. So don’t be fooled by thinking that 60 decibels would hardly make any more noise than 50, cause it will actually make a lot more noise.

The source of noise in a window air conditioner is the compressor and the fan which are both combined in a single unit. There may be other reasons to noise as well like worn bearings, cabinet rattles, dirty or rusty fan blades, worn rubber mountings and compressor wear. With regular maintenance you can keep these noise levels down but you have to accept the fact that after a point of time, as the air conditioner ages, the noise from it will keep increasing.

Portable Air Conditioners Review




When most people think of portable air conditioners, what comes to mind is usually basic information that’s not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there’s a lot more to portable air conditioners than just the basics.

With the onset of the damp weather, it becomes difficult to survive without constant central air conditioning but that can prove to be quite expensive. The answer to this problem is a portable air conditioner as it has many advantages. It is easy to shift from one place in the home to another and that makes a portable air conditioner the ideal cooling system solution for your home, office or industrial site.

The portable air conditioners are easy and quick to install, as they do not involve any lifting or tearing up of windowsills. Moreover it can be shifted very easily from one place in the home to the other. For taking care of the hot spots in the central air conditioning, the portable air conditioners are far more convenient than window air conditioners. It is also ideal for window shapes, which present problems for installation. There is nothing like portable air conditioners for use as a spot cooler in the home.

A portable air conditioner is an excellent choice for saving money as just one unit needs to be purchased and it can be shifted easily to where you need it as it is mounted on castors and some can weigh only about 36 pounds. Moreover, as only one room is cooled at a time instead of the whole house, the total energy consumption is very low as compared to other air conditioning systems.

How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.

Another advantage of portable air conditioners is the energy efficiency that they provide. The average efficiency is in the 8 to 10 range although some are as high as 15, which is 50 percent better than most older central air conditioners. The small size of the portable air conditioners is very advantageous and as such it can fit in a corner or against a wall. It functions like an effective dehumidifier if you do not vent the warm exhaust air out through a window and its size is also the same as that of a room dehumidifier.

In order to reduce humidity and allergies, even the small ones remove 35 pints of moisture per day from the room air. The portable air conditioners also use the heat-exchange principle as the other air conditioners to cool and dehumidify the air. The operating principle is also similar to a window air conditioner as the room air circulates over cold evaporator coils to cool and dehumidify it inside the unit. The room air is exhausted outdoor after flowing over the hot condenser. There is no chance of already-cooled indoor air escaping outside as two ducts are now used.

Nowadays, you have electronic controls in most models and you can set the desired room temperature, blower speed, start and stop timer, and operation mode (cool, dehumidify, heat). The portable air conditioners also have hand-held remote control with which you can conveniently change all the settings as per your need.

The other features of portable air conditioners include a built-in air cleaner with an optional charcoal filter and oscillating louvers to distribute the cool air throughout the room. You can also switch off the louvers to direct the flow of air towards yourself, if you so desire.

The day will come when you can use something you read about here to have a beneficial impact. Then you’ll be glad you took the time to learn more about portable air conditioners.



All Things U Must Know About Air Conditioners




We have become so much used to seeing air conditioners around us that we don’t usually pay much attention to them. With average global temperature rising, the heat and humidity of the environment too have risen and the market demand for air conditioners is rising. The market is flooded with a variety of air conditioners brands that are used to cool all kinds of homes, offices, automobiles and aircrafts, etc. The air conditioner manufacturers have become quite vigilant on improving the efficiency, design, user friendliness, energy consumption, weight, size and other characteristics of their air conditioners.

Now what air conditioner system should one buy depends upon a variety of factors like specific needs, space and budget. Internet these days has become a rich source to learn, compare and select the best air conditioner system for your use. Designs like window air conditioners, windowless air conditioners, wall air conditioners, mini-split air conditioners, portable air conditioners, quiet air conditioners, central air conditioners, vertical air conditioners, freestanding air conditioners, ductless air conditioners, etc are very popular. When you are looking to buy a new air conditioner system, the BTU and EER rating of the A/C becomes significant.

BTU stands for British Thermal Unit and it signifies the total amount of heat any air conditioner can remove from a specified area or room. Better the BTU, better is the air conditioner. On the other hand, EER stands for Energy Efficiency Ratio that signifies the amount of energy used by the air conditioner. Higher the rating better is the air conditioner. As the focus today has shifted towards designing more energy efficient consumer electronic systems so the EER ratings of the air conditioner systems available in the market have improved consistently. The air conditioners today not only cool the temperature of the place you are living in but also keep the air in that particular area clean by trapping the dust, pollen and other small particulate matter present in the air. Thus, modern day air conditioners aim to improve your living standard.

This site will talk about some major types of air conditioners one by one and try to throw light on differentiating factors between them. Let us first talk about a new type of air conditioner that is the windowless air conditioner, which come mounted on casters. These are a boon for people who live in rented apartments or buildings without windows and whose landlord’s do not allow air conditioners. As these air conditioners can fixed be anywhere inside the room but they are less efficient than the window air conditioners. Their energy efficiency rating too is not much high. So you must go for them only when you do not have an option as it will result in higher electricity bills.

Central air conditioners have traditionally been used to cool homes and offices as they are mostly split air conditioning systems in which the heat and noise generating components are installed outdoors. Indoors, only an evaporation coil is installed. The more important thing is that a central air conditioner filters the air along with dehumidifying it so that it becomes pure to breathe. The central air conditioner prices too are not very high, starting as low as $600 and there is one time installation expense depending upon the area to be covered. For people looking to have a cheap air conditioner that does not acquire much space, the ductless air conditioner fits the bill perfectly. The best thing about the ductless air conditioner is that it also satisfies the needs of a being a quiet air conditioner creating a noiseless environment as well as can be installed without much hassle even into spaces where other air conditioning systems cannot be effective. However, the prices of these ductless air conditioners, also known as mini-split air conditioners, are just the double of the normal wall unit air conditioners or window air conditioners. Still it cannot undermine the fact that these mini air conditioners result in huge savings on electricity bills, as they are highly energy efficient.

For buyers looking for cheap air conditioners another great option is wall unit air conditioner, which starts as low as $400 and can be installed inside a room on the wall. Generally, the wall unit air conditioners present in the market are over 6000BTU and an EER rating over 8. Thus, it makes them a very competitive choice for home and office cooling.

These days Free Standing air conditioners are becoming highly popular among the consumers who need portability and want to keep a particular area cool like where they work or sleep. It is a complete independent unit having the compressor and blower that dehumidifies the air in the room as recycles the water generated. The best part is that it does not require a permanent installation but the worst part is that it creates a lot of noise, as all the whole system is present indoors.

The discussion on the air conditioner systems cannot be closed without mentioning the highly energy efficient and effective vertical air conditioners. These are highly portable air conditioner units, which start at around $400 and have over 6000BTU and 8 EER rating. Thus, it is evident that vertical air conditioner units are not only energy efficient, but require less space to install and can be transferred to different parts of a home or office as per the requirement to cool the space. Many brands of consumer electronics make these different types of air conditioners but as a buyer, you ought to value and compare your options carefully and make an educated choice. To learn more about the air conditioners you can read more on the site.



Portable Air Conditioner Sizing: How Important is It?




To stay cool when it is impractical, impossible or cost prohibitive to install a traditional air conditioning unit, some people use portable air conditioners. They are maneuverable and easy to install. In fact they don’t even need to be permanently installed. They just need to be vented. Portable air conditioners are perfect for people who want cooling without having to give up window space. They are more convenient than window air conditioners and are simple to operate. Most have wheels or casters on the bottom that make them easy to move from one part of your home to another. Money is saved because only the area you need is cooled. They can act as a fan when there is less need for cooling and sometimes a heater function is included so that it can be used all year long.

Portable air conditioners have simple configurations. There is a box-like design that holds the cold and hot sides in one. An exhaust hose expels the heat and water is condensed out of the air. The resulting water is collected in an internal drain bucket or through a drain hose. Some portable air conditioners use evaporative technology so that little to no water is produced.

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a portable air conditioner is the BTU rating. BTU stands for British thermal unit, which is a unit of energy used in power, steam generation and heating and air conditioning industries. BTU rating describes power and cooling capacities. It measures the heat that an air conditioner can remove from a room. The higher the value, the stronger the air conditioner. BTU ratings usually range from 5,000 to 30,000 and the size needed depends on the area being cooled.

Your portable air conditioner’s cooling efficiency can be affected by the wrong BTU value. If there is a higher value that the corresponding room size the unit will cycle on and off too quickly and will not properly remove humidity from the air. When it cycles on an off like that, energy is wasted, electric bills are increased and the unit is strained. Also, there is a chance that the unit can freeze over but many units come with an automatic shut-off switch that operates when the unit gets too cold. If the BTU rating is lower than the corresponding room size, the room will not be adequately cooled

Portable air conditioners only work properly when appropriately sized so keep these simple steps in mind when choosing a unit:

-         Measure the room dimensions by multiplying the length by the width. You’ll need about 30 BTUs per square foot of space.

-         Verify the size of the window opening.

-         For each person over two in a room add 600 BTUs. Each person at rest adds approximately 230 BTUs to a room per hour.

-         For kitchen cooling or other rooms with a lot of heat add 4,000 BTUs. Also, if you live in a very warm climates you’ll probably need a portable air conditioner that outputs more BTUs per hour



What Prospective Buyers Ought to Know About Air Conditioners




Aside from providing us with comfort during hot weather, some air conditioners are also beneficial when it comes to health conditions like respiratory problems since it gives us worry-free air by dehumidifying and eliminating harmful bacteria.

Air conditioners come in different kinds, sizes, cooling capacities and prices. Most consumers get confused when it comes to choosing the right kind of unit to buy. It must be remembered that air conditioners are designed to decrease the humidity of a certain place. The first thing to consider is the size of that chosen place and of the wanted unit. By calculating the volume of the room (length x width x height) and by determining the most exposed wall of the room (east, west, south), you will be able to figure out the size of the AC unit that you need. To make it clearer, assign values to the mentioned directions, 17 for east, 20 for west, 16 for north and 18 for south. Multiply the volume of the room and the corresponding value of the direction and divide the product by the level of your home insulation. The result would be the size of the unit.

Be it at home or an office room, the most commonly used is the window air conditioner which gives a complete air cooling in a closed and small area. Large spaces like an entire floor building are efficiently cooled down using central air conditioner. It uses pipes and ducts to distribute cooled air which guarantees a lower level of noise indoors.

The next thing to consider is how to prolong the life of our AC units. How exactly can we take care of it? Most AC contractors advice to change the filter every three to six months depending on its usage. Filters easily get dirty for it is exposed to dust accumulation between the slats of the front cover. The easiest way to clean it by yourself is by using dust mop or a specially design brush. Remember not to use spray cleaner! The liquid may leak into the inside system of the unit. Owners should take responsibility in checking and monitoring their unit to avoid certain malfunctions. Other possible problems that may occur in the evaporator coil, condenser, drive motors, among others, should be directly checked by authorized repair clinics.

Another concern to be discussed is about the energy saving tips for the unit owners. Because of the heat the summer brings, there must be an effort to lessen the electric bill without decreasing the quality of proper ventilation that you deserve. Simple tips like using thermostat timers which will allow you to set your preferred temperature without wasting energy are helpful. Turning your microwave, computer, refrigerator, television, oven and lights will also minimize amount of work done by the air conditioner. You may also want to apply weather-stripping and caulking around the tiny openings in your house where heat can escape .By following these things, expect a stress-free experience with your new cooling machine.