In many parts of the country, the hot summer months can be almost unbearable without a proper cooling system in place. These days, many homes and offices have central AC systems that eat up energy bills, often just to cool the few rooms they spend time in. If this scenario applies to you–or if you don't currently have a central AC and are looking for a less expensive alternative–look no further than a room air conditioner. There are 5 major types of room air conditioners to choose from. Portable air conditioners are freestanding, easy-to-move models that cool by pulling in fresh air, removing heat and moisture, and returning cool air into your space. To cool properly, they have to vent warm air into another location, usually outside through an included window kit. Installation usually takes just a few minutes. Other ways to vent a portable AC is through a wall hole or drop ceiling. Main benefits include you can move them into different rooms, they don't require permanent installation, and they're typically affordable options.

Some people find them noisy, and they're typically not as efficient as other room AC options. Look for models with heat for year-round use. To learn more about portable air conditioners, check out our Portable AC Buying Guide. In contrast, window air conditioners are designed to be installed inside a standard window or, in some cases, through a measured and prepared wall hole. These appliances are secured in a partially opened window–or on the wall frame–with the hot air exhaust system facing outside and the cool air return system facing inside. They're typically efficient options that can cool small or large rooms. Features to look for include heat modes, programmable timers, and digital control boards. Learn more about them in our Window AC Buying Guide. Very similar to window air conditioners, thru-the-wall air conditioners are window-style ACs designed instead to install through a wall inside a chassis sleeve. In many cases, through-wall units can be installed flush with a wall for a streamlined appearance.

Through-wall ACs differ from window ACs mainly in their housing design, cooling capacity, and weight. replacing air conditioner unit costUnlike window units, thru-wall units typically do not have venting mechanisms on each side of the housing. mini window ac unitThis is because the venting grilles would be blocked in a through-wall application, which would lower the unit's cooling efficiency. best way to clean ac unitThrough-wall ACs are typically available in higher cooling capacities than window AC models and weigh slightly more. Learn more about them in our Thru-Wall Air Conditioner Buying Guide. Popular for their high-efficiency cooling, ductless split system air conditioners provide quiet, unobtrusive cooling for multiple "zones" within a home, office, or commercial space.

Unlike portable AC units and window-style ACs, mini-split air conditioners are not self-contained appliances. They also do not require ducting like central air conditioners. These systems have two basic parts: a large condenser unit that installs outdoors and one or more compact wall-mountable blower units that are placed strategically inside the space(s), or zones, you want to cool. When installed, insulated conduit housing the refrigeration lines runs from the outside condenser unit to the blower system(s) indoors. Each wall-mounted blower system can be controlled independently to provide comfortable room cooling right where you need it. Ductless mini-split system air conditioners are known for their high cooling efficiency, quiet operation, and slim profiles in your space. View our Mini-Split Buying Guide for more information. Package Terminal Air Conditioners (PTACs) are commercial-grade models usually installed in hotels, assisted living facilities, and offices. PTACs are capable of cooling and heating spaces of nearly any size, and most brands allow you to control multiple units from one location.

Though PTAC AC units are popular in the hospitality industry, they're also used in sun rooms and various other residential spaces. They’re typically installed through an external wall right above the floor and often under a window.Check out our selection to see if we offer one that matches your needs. Each system can provide efficient cooling in your environment in two ways: For more information on Sylvane's room air conditioner solutions–and for a free consultation on treatment options for your indoor environment–please call our product experts at 1-800-934-9194. In addition, visit our Knowledge Center for more informative articles on room air conditioners. We want to help make your indoor air healthy and comfortable. People who suffer most in very hot weather can read this and discover a portable, economical, no vent air conditioner solution for keeping cool that's suitable for indoors or out and can be used by people who are environmentally and energy conscious.

That is along with everyone else who has a need for a cheaper, portable and all round more sensible answer to their cooling needs. Often when we think of how to stay cool in summer, the initial solution is a big air conditioning unit or whole house HVAC system. But not everyone can afford to purchase and more importantly run a large installation because of the high cost of power and the high power usage of these systems. This article takes a look at a much cheaper and all round more sensible solution that will also suit people with specific needs looking for a lightweight and highly portable cooler that does not need to be vented to the outside. First, let's look at the more traditional AC appliances that need a vent to the outside, just so we know what we're aiming to avoid. Most of us think of the free standing portable air conditioning units with their big, corrugated exhaust vents trailing behind them. These vents need to be connected to a suitable opening in an outside wall.

In many cases, a suitable opening is not available and the hot air exhaust pipe has to be left trailing out a partially open window or door with a venting kit. This is fine if you have the ability and the patience to connect the pipe so that the heat produced as a by-product of the cooling process can be vented to the outside. But not everyone will find that so easy, especially those with physical limitations who might not be capable of manipulating the exhaust vent and placing it correctly. Another downside is the venting kit that comes with the AC unit often doesn't fit properly, allowing hot air from outside to get in. Not only that, but these DIY window vent kits represent a potential security problem as the window they're fitted to can't be fully closed or locked. If you didn't already know, that exhaust vent MUST lead to outside the house. If it were left inside the room, the net effect of the cooling process would be to heat up the room! That's because there would be more hot air produced than cold.

On the other hand, there are cooling units often mistakenly referred to as air conditioners that don't need venting to the outside. They're actually not true ACs, but are more correctly known as evaporative air coolers, or to use their common name, "swamp coolers." The difference is that with swamp coolers, there is no actual refrigeration process going on inside the unit (as in the refrigeration process that true aircon units use). Instead, these units utilize the simple evaporation of water to cool the air that is passed through a wet porous membrane. The air is driven through the membrane by a simple fan that sends a cold breeze into the room. More options are of course available and just by way of comparison, below are three of the top rated free standing evaporative cooling units that are suitable for those living in the right climate and who want to stay cool while saving a lot of money on running costs: They work in a similar way to how a breeze cools your skin when you perspire.

The perpiration is evaporated by the breeze and your skin is chilled, which is why we perspire when we're hot. Swamp coolers take this principle and use it by creating a powerful breeze (the fan) that is passed through the wet membrane (imitating the perspiration on the skin), evaporating the moisture that absorbs the heat and chilling the air which is blasted out of the unit. The cold air cools down the heat in the room. In ideal conditions, this can result in as much as a 25-30 degree drop in the temperature in a room! Since there is no refrigeration processing done with no compressor or heat exchange mechanism, the only power used by these devices is by the internal fan and timer mechanism (which uses only a tiny amount of electricity to operate). That makes them about as cheap to run as a standard fan. But the best part about swamp coolers is that because there is no refrigeration process, there is also no hot exhaust to have to contend with. That means the units are lightweight and can be easily moved from room to room without needing to mess around with an ugly and cumbersome exhaust vent and trail it out a window!

Here is a promotional video from Honeywell, makers of the CL30XC and other models that explains how the unit works and what you can expect from owning one: In a perfect world we'd all be able to enjoy the benefits of this type of climate controlling appliance, but it's not perfect and there disadvantages to them. So let's take a look at what they are: You may be thinking to yourself that if these swamp coolers are so totally amazing, why isn't everyone using them and making true, power hungry and not-so-portable aircon units obsolete? The answer is that evaporative cooling units are only effective in climates that have relatively dry heat. In areas of high humidity, their effectiveness is reduced. That's because the effect of cooling can only occur when the cool, moist air produced by the units can be pushed into the drier atmosphere occupying a room's space. When the moisture level in the room's atmosphere approaches saturation, the cooling effect of the moist air blasted out of the unit is reduced until it reaches nil.

That means if you live in a very humid climate (above average 60% humidity), a swamp cooler is not for you! However, if you live in a dry climate with an average less than 50% humidity, then a swamp cooler is a good choice of portable, cheap air cooling unit. Portable, evaporative cooling units are perfect for wheelchair users and those with physical mobility limitations who may not be able to move anything heavy. They are relatively lightweight and on wheels, need no fiddly venting and are easily moved from one room to the next. As long as you can place them close to an electricity outlet on the wall (they need to be plugged in like any other electric appliance), you're good to go. If you do live in a suitably dry, hot climate and are interested in buying a swamp cooler for yourself to cheaply and effectively cool your home, we can provide several useful links to trustworthy and well established online stores. These stores can supply them at a discounted price and ship them to your home, in most cases for no charge.

To see more examples of what is available on sale at online stores for less than you'd expect, please visit our resource page here: Swamp Coolers on Sale For those wanting more information, here is a more detailed explanation of the differences between the two main types of air cooling appliances currently available for homeowners and businesses: Let's get one thing out of the way first: All refrigerant-based ACs (which is all true AC) need to be vented to the outside. In truth, there is actually no such thing as a ventless air conditioning device! An evaporative (or swamp) cooler does not need venting and is often mistaken for AC or is commonly, albeit incorrectly referred to as a ventless portable air conditioner. However, it's an entirely different kind of appliance that cools the air in a different way. Normal air conditioning apparatus that uses refrigerant gas and a condenser to produce cold air cannot be used without some form of ducting or venting to carry away the hot exhaust air that is a natural by-product of the air chilling process.

If you want a truly ductless or exhaust-free portable air cooler, a swamp cooler is your only realistic choices, do go ahead and click the link above to my page reviewing swamp coolers. Yet you still hear people talk about this or that portable air conditioner "without exhaust" unit being available to buy, with the idea uppermost that they are of the traditional, refrigerant AC variety. This is wrong and you should avoid being taken in by any promotion or advertising that tries to get you to believe what you're seeing is an AC when it's really an evaporative cooler. A small, lightweight free standing air conditioning unit for indoor use will need venting to the outside no matter how small your room may be unless it clearly states on the box that it is an evaporative air cooler (swamp cooler). Even those appliances that are called vent free personal air conditioner models are really evaporative air coolers and they're generally labeled for indoor use, although a swamp cooler can also be used outdoors to great effect.