KEEP YOUR COOL ON HOT SUMMER DAYS Portable air conditioners provide comfort and flexibility when window installation is not permitted. Price: Low to High Price: High to Low FAQ About Portable Air Conditioners Looking for a way to keep cool while indoors during the summer? A portable air conditioner could be just what you're looking for. It offers incredible flexibility, letting you move the unit around so you can stay cool anywhere in your home. Check out these frequently asked questions about portable ACs and what you should consider when buying one. What is a portable air conditioner? A portable air conditioner (AC) is a compact air cooling system that can be moved from room to room. They're ideal for use in rooms with no window or a room where you're not able to install a window air conditioner. What should I consider when buying a portable AC? When you're talking about the cooling capacity of an air conditioner, you're talking BTUs or British Thermal Units.

The number of BTUs you need to cool a room depends on the size of the room. Generally speaking, a 450 sq. ft. master bedroom will require about 10,000 BTUs, while a 350 sq. ft. den or home office will need about 8,000 BTUs. Keep in mind that you don't want to get a unit that is underpowered, because the small air conditioner won't be able to effectively cool the room and will likely be constantly running. do i need two hvac unitsConversely, a unit with too many BTUs will cycle too quickly without properly removing the humidity in the room.inside ac unit not running Water collection and removal systemtop rated home air conditioning units As part of the cooling process, portable air conditioners remove humidity from the air. The water that's collected is either evaporated into the hot air exhaust or collected inside an interior bucket.

Depending on the portable AC you buy, you may need to empty the bucket often. If you live in a humid environment, consider a unit that can also be used as a dehumidifier. A portable AC unit is great for a room that doesn't have a window or one that has a window but won't support a window AC. But, window or not, you need to vent the hot air somewhere to cool the room. This is usually done through an exhaust hose that vents the hot air out a sliding window or door, into a drop ceiling, or through a wall. Many portable ACs come with sliding window/door venting kits, and some will come with drop ceiling kits as well. Fans and compressors make noise. Since a portable air conditioner has both, it's going to make noise. Decibel levels for portable ACs typically range from 50 to 60 dB, which is louder than a refrigerator hum but quieter than a vacuum. But, if constant noise bothers you, consider getting a portable AC with a programmable timer or a sleep/night mode so the unit only cycles on at specific times.

Want more info about portable air conditioners? Check out some of our resources: Plug-in Blog: Air conditioning 101 Plug-in Blog: Chill out this summer with a portable air conditionerPlug-in Blog: How to map airflow and make the most of your portable air conditioner this summerPlug-in Blog: How to Properly Size Your Air Conditioner Plug-in Blog: Why we need Air Conditioning – not just for Comfort! Plug-in Blog: Portable vs. Window Based AC Unit: Which One Should You Choose?Plug-in Blog: Cool it now – Here’s your guide to choosing an Air Conditioner It’s summer, and it’s sizzling hot outside. After a long day at work, many of us just want to kick back at home, feeling the chill from our air conditioners. But how do you make that happen? You could go the traditional route and blast your air conditioner all day, wasting money, energy and cool air on an empty home. OR, you could opt for an energy efficient air conditioner that helps you save money and live more sustainably (and you won’t be sacrificing quality).

Here are a few things to consider when shopping for sustainable air conditioners. It’s all about timing Find AC units that have an integrated timer feature. Just punch in the time of day you come home from work and your house will be prepped and ready for you to relax in the cool. Reach for the stars ENERGY STAR® that is. These energy efficient models can save you major bucks on your utility bill. In 2015, Best Buy® sold enough ENERGY STAR certified air conditioners to collectively save customers more than $1.3 million in annual energy costs. Connected air conditioners can be turned on and off from anywhere through an app on your smartphone. So when you’re coming home late after a game, happy hour or yoga, connect to your air conditioner from afar to ensure you have a cool arrival. Best Buy offers a variety of units with timers and that are ENERGY STAR certified. If you want to take it to the next level, check out the Frigidaire smart air conditioner – one of the few connected models on the market.

This ENERGY STAR® certified air conditioner lets you set your comfort temperature – and it will turn off when it has achieved it, which means even more savings for you. When shopping around for your new air conditioner, remember these three features so you can save energy and save money. PlayStation VR to Go on Sale Early at Hundreds of Best Buy StoresSeptember 29, 2016 Reflections from a Geek: A Decade of Inspiring TeensSeptember 28, 2016 Best Buy Launches Ignite Program to Showcase Startups, InnovationSeptember 26, 2016 Revamped Silicon Valley Store Puts Spotlight on Startups, InnovationSeptember 26, 2016 Best Buy Brings Leading Startups, Innovators to Consumers Like Never BeforeSeptember 26, 2016In a house without central air, a portable or window air conditioner can be the difference between a long stretch of unbearable dog days and a season of carefree comfort. These compact, self-contained cooling machines are also perfect for supplementing an overtaxed central-air system to wipe out persistent hotspots in the home on the most stifling, humid days.

Don't underestimate the appeal of a spare window unit when your trusty central air goes belly up during a heat wave — your sanity may depend on it. When comparing air conditioners, there are a number of factors to consider. Here, we'll try to arm you with the pertinent information to make an informed buying decision. Window air conditioners are installed directly in the window frame, and typically have extendable wings to fill any horizontal gaps. Some larger models are equipped with a slide-out chassis to facilitate easy cleaning and maintenance. Take some measurements before you shop, and be sure that the model you select will properly fit the window you have in mind. Special models are available for unusual installation alternatives, such as casement windows. Portable air conditioners require no installation; they are designed to be positioned on the floor, and can be moved easily from room to room as needed (they're not light, so if you plan to transport the unit regularly, look for a model with casters).

Portable units expel heat by means of an exhaust extension that is run to an exterior window or adjacent room. Like portable dehumidifiers, they typically collect condensed moisture in a removable receptacle that must be emptied from time to time. There are a couple of common measurements that can tell you a lot about an air conditioner's cooling capacity and energy usage. The first is the unit's BTU rating. BTUs (an abbreviation for British Thermal Units) measure the amount of heat an air conditioner can remove from the air over a given period of time; the higher the number, the greater the cooling capacity. More capable units, not surprisingly, are larger, heavier and more expensive than lesser ones. The good news is, bigger is not always better. The key to proper cooling is to match the capacity of the air conditioner to the dimensions of the area you intend to cool. An underpowered AC unit, obviously, will struggle to cope with the heat stored in a large room. Conversely, though, a unit with too high a BTU rating may provide disappointing performance in a smaller room.

This is because one of the main functions of any AC unit is to remove excess humidity from the air. An air conditioner that cools too effectively must cycle its motor on and off more frequently, giving the unit's condenser element inadequate opportunity to dehumidify the air. All this starting and stopping also exacerbates mechanical wear and tear, posing a risk to long-term reliability. The following chart provides general guidelines for selecting an appropriate BTU rating to match the room in which you plan to use the air conditioner. Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency These numbers are estimates; consider other mitigating factors, and adjust as necessary to determine how much cooling power you need. For example, sunny rooms require more cooling than shady ones, and infrequently used rooms require less cooling than rooms where several people congregate for extended periods of time. If you plan to use the air conditioner in a kitchen, allow for the extra heat generated by the oven and other appliances.

The other important number to look for is an air conditioner's EER, or Energy Efficiency Rating. As you'd expect, this is a measure of the amount of energy (electricity) the unit requires to deliver a given amount of cooling; higher numbers translate to greater efficiency, i.e., lower relative energy usage. Air conditioners with high EERs come at a price, at least initially. Weigh the purchase-price increase of more efficient models against your potential savings on your monthly energy bill to decide what's best for you. Ideally, selecting an energy-efficient unit that's properly sized for the intended area will provide you with the best return on your cooling investment. Once you've determined your specific power and efficiency requirements, it's time to consider features that enhance convenience and performance. Here are a few to look for:All AC units have a thermostat (the device that senses air temperature and regulates the operation of the condenser). Higher-end models may feature a programmable thermostat that allows you to specify different temperatures for different times of day.

This feature can also help you save on energy costs by minimizing usage during times when cooling is less necessary (for example, when you're at work).Less sophisticated than a programmable thermostat, a simple timer serves a similar function, allowing the air conditioner to activate and deactivate automatically at a specified time each day.Some models are equipped with a relay to turn on the fan only when the condenser is activated. This can marginally reduce energy costs (and noise, intermittently), but increased wear on the fan motor may shorten its life.Virtually all window and portable air conditioners feature adjustable louvers to help direct the flow of cool air from the vents. Some go a step further, providing motorized louvers that cycle automatically (up and down and/or left and right) to circulate cool air more efficiently throughout the room.While modern air conditioners in general are quieter than those manufactured 10 years ago, some models are specifically designed to minimize ambient fan noise.