The statement above is the greatest misconception we saw regarding portable air conditioners and it results in a lot of 1-star ratings: people don't realize that, even though a portable air conditioner is not a window air conditioner, you MUST have a window to use a portable air conditioner (although, a sliding door or any other way of venting the exhaust to the outside will do as well). We wanted to make that clear early on, so that, if you don't have the option of venting your portable air conditioner to the outside, you can head on over to our report on fans instead, to find the one that will keep you the coolest. When considering how to cool a home, there are two main options: central air conditioners (which cool the whole house from a central location) and smaller window or through-the-wall air conditioners that cool down individual rooms. We cover both of those types of air conditioners in their own reports, but there's also a third alternative -- a portable air conditioner.

These are similar in scope and cooling capacity to a window air conditioner, but their more modest venting requirements make them easier to install -- especially in rooms where installing a window unit is either undesirable or impossible, such as apartment units where they may be prohibited. The best portable air conditioners can be set up quickly by just one person and can be moved around to cool a different room as needed, although they're still heavy in spite of having wheels. A portable air conditioner doesn't commandeer a large section of the window (like a window air conditioner does), but a portable AC still needs access to outside air. how to choose ac unit for homeEach portable unit comes with a window kit, which mounts one or two hoses to a small panel that's installed in a window. gree split air conditioner user manual

Some experts prefer the dual-hose style because it provides slightly better performance. says that, while that's true in theory, in practice the difference is actually very slight. In our research, we found that single-hose models often rate as well or better than many dual-hose portable air conditioners, and typically cost less. All air conditioners, including portable air conditioners, pull excess moisture from the air. This is stored in a water tank that must be periodically emptied (machines will shut down when the tank is full) or drained continually through a hose running outside. 3 ton package unitPortable air conditioners with a self-evaporative system minimize the need for emptying, though under more humid conditions, the water tank may still need to be emptied occasionally, and more frequently if the humidity is exceptionally high. Some portable air conditioners have dehumidifying functions that pull excess moisture from the air without cooling it.

If you are primarily interested in that, we cover dedicated dehumidifiers in their own report. In doing the research for this report, we quickly found that expert reviews of portable air conditioners offer only half-hearted recommendations, and user reviews aren't much rosier. Like window air conditioners and central air conditioners, the cooling capacity of a portable air conditioner is measured in British Thermal Units, or BTUs. , portable air conditioners aren't held to the same rating standards as window units or central air systems, so there's often a disconnect between their claimed BTU rating and the size of room a portable air conditioner can satisfactorily cool. McCabe notes that even different models with the same BTU rating will vary in their actual cooling capacity. That means that the disparity between the BTU ratings of window and portable air conditioners renders traditional sizing guidelines somewhat moot. Instead, where a 6,000 BTU window air conditioner might be great for a small bedroom, testing shows that you may need to turn to a 10,000 BTU or better portable model to get the same degree of cooling.

These performance shortfalls aren't a result of poor manufacturing, but a byproduct of having a unit that's designed to vent hot air to the outside while sitting entirely in the room it is trying to cool (instead of being half inside and half outside). Still, as most experts and users say, if a portable air conditioner is your only practical option, it's a lot better than having no air conditioner at all on a hot summer day., , and others. We considered performance, how easy the portable air conditioner was to set up and use, and how well it held up over the long haul, including the warranty and customer service reputation of the manufacturer. The result is our picks for a portable air conditioner for any size room.Portable air conditioners are great cooling options for rooms and apartments without access to central AC. They're easy to install, add instant cooling, and come with tons of features for simple operation. But you should consider these 5 things before purchasing a portable AC for your home or office.

Portable air conditioners are rated in British Thermal Units (BTUs) per hour. Models with higher BTU ratings offer more cooling power and can cover larger rooms. It's important to buy a portable AC that's appropriate for your space to make sure you don't waste energy or waste your money on one that can't adequately cool your room. In a standard room with 8-foot ceilings, use these estimations: Note: The guidelines above are not exact. Environmental factors may increase or decrease the number of BTUs required. For example, rooms with poor insulation or heat-producing appliances will require models with slightly more BTUs. If you have any questions about what size you should buy, feel free to call us at 1-800-934-9194. During the cooling process, portable ACs produce hot air that must be exhausted out of their hose (or hoses). All the models we sell come with an included window kit to expel the warm air outside. This means most portable ACs need to plugged in within a few feet of a window.

Placing them next to a window in the easiest and quickest way to install them, but you do have other options. For more information, check out our How to Vent Your Portable AC article. Additionally, some commercial ACs, like Movincool portable air conditioners, are available with installation kits that allow the hot air to vent out through a drop ceiling or an adjacent wall. The only maintenance you really have to worry about is draining collected moisture. All portable ACs pull moisture out of the air as the cool; it's just part of the process. There are multiple ways to get rid of this moisture: Manually remove the pan and empty it as needed, attach a hose for gravity draining to a different location, or use a pump to push water up and out of the AC and into another location. The most hassle-free portable ACs, however, feature fully self-evaporative designs. These models, such as the unique line of DeLonghi air conditioners and the efficient Whynter portable ACs, evaporate all or most of the water they collect.

Since the moisture is automatically removed, you won't have to worry about draining them, and if you do, it's only occasionally. Check out our article discussing fully self-evaporative portable AC brands for more information. You'll also need to clean filters as directed and defrost the unit fully if ice builds up on the coils. Other than that, most PACs offer a "set it and forget it" approach to maintenance. Portable ACs do create noise in your space. They're working to cool your space, and unlike window ACs, their entire bodies are housed inside your room. Any machine that generates airflow is going to produce some level of noise. If you're concerned about the noise level, be sure to compare the decibel (dB) levels produced by different units. Soleus Air portable air conditioners, for instance, are among the quieter models on the market, reaching 45 dBs on their highest settings. If you're concerned about the noise level in your home, call us at 1-800-934-9194.