1. How many BTUs do I need to cool my space? How many BTUs do I need to cool my space?When answering this question, you first need to consider how big the space is that you need to cool. Check the square footage of your space. Next, look at the BTUs (British Thermal Units) of the unit which tells you how much cooling energy the unit will provide. Though at first it may seem like the more power, the better, you shouldn't just automatically buy the unit with the most BTUs since larger units do consume more power. If the area you need to cool is relatively small, purchasing a portable air conditioner with enough BTUs to get the job done effectively, like the Haier CPRB08XCJ Portable Air Conditioner with 8,000 BTUs, will cut down on operating costs, the purchase price, and the size of the unit. Conversely, the Haier CPN14XC9 Portable Air Conditioner which features a whopping 14,000 BTUs (and is the only Haier dual hose unit) can tackle cooling problems in much larger areas. As a guide, you can visit any of our brand pages for each manufacturer we carry or you can simply refer to the compare portable air conditioners page for a comparison of detailed specs for all of the portable air conditioner models we offer.

2. Are multi-functional Portable AC units a good idea? Some portable air conditioners come equipped with dehumidifying-only functions and even heating functions. A dehumidifying function can be useful in removing moisture from the air even when temperatures are comfortable, and a fan-only feature may also come in handy. But it can be the old jack of all trades, master of none phenomenon. This is especially true when heating capabilities are included in the unit. Tempting as it may be to get a multi-purpose unit, we think it's better to get a portable AC unit that is committed to its main function as an air conditioner with a limited and secondary function of a dehumidifier. replace a ac unitKeep in mind that both air conditioners and dehumidifiers essentially function the same way and employ the same mechanisms. the best window unit air conditioner

So having a split functionality of this type is not as much of a stretch as a cooling unit and heating unit combined into one. 3. What's the difference between Dual and Single Hose Portable ACs? There are two main exhaust hose options when it comes to portable air conditioning units: a single hose or a dual hose. Single hose units pull air from within the room only, and expel warmed air and moisture outside. This creates a negative air pressure since you are pushing air out of the room. ac power supply canadaThe result is air has to be replaced in the room and is consequently sucked in from cracks beneath doors or around windows. This warm air, in turn, forces the unit to work harder to keep the room cool. Single hose units, which are simpler machines, do not generally pose a problem when used in smaller settings and are generally less expensive. On the other hand, dual hose units feature two air intakes and one outtake hose.

The air intake pulls air from the room, cools it, and then returns it back into the room. This process heats up the unit, so another intake hose takes air from outside to cool the unit down. The second hose expels all warm air back outside. Dual hose systems are more efficient in larger settings. 4. How loud are Portable Air Conditioners? Again, answering this question involves considering the room or rooms where the portable air conditioner will be used. Will it be placed in a closed off sun porch that doesn't have central AC vents? Is this a room only used for extra space for the kids to play or for eating a summer evening meal with extended family? Or will the unit be placed in a small upstairs office that seems to get particularly hot? Do you conduct business calls there that necessitate a quiet environment? While portable air conditioners are not as quiet as central ACs or even window units, DeLonghi portable ACs and Royal Sovereign portable air conditioners tend to be among the quieter models.

Most do not make excessive noise and generally fall in the 50-59 dBa category. 5. What type of maintenance is required on a Portable AC unit? As with most appliances, portable air conditioners require some amount of maintenance. But the amount of work you have to do to keep your unit running properly varies according to what model you select. The cooling process of an air conditioner generates moisture that must be removed from the unit one way or another. Most units contain a tank to collect the water. The tank is emptied in much the same way a dehumidifier with a tank is emptied - pull the tank out of the unit periodically and empty it. Other units, however, feature automatic evaporation which enables the machine to expel moisture into outside air through the expeller hose. Most of the portable air conditioners we offer feature a combination of both of these. This means cool air with less work for you. Please keep in mind that even in units with automatic evaporation, the portable air conditioner produces more condensate than it can handle.

In these cases, a water tank will catch excess fluid. Some units offer a choice of drainage methods. For instance, the Sunpentown WA-1010M Portable Air Conditioner allows you to either empty the tank manually or use a hose for continuous drainage. Most of these units have a drainage outlet at the back base of the unit. You can set up the unit to automatically drain or you can unplug the drainage outlet and drain the machine into a small pan.You are reading one installment in a 10-part series devoted to exploring Mitsubishi Electric ductless heating and cooling. In the market for a window air conditioner? Before you make any purchases, be sure to weigh all your options. Seen against the rich background of today’s cooling and heating technologies, window units are becoming increasingly outmoded. For all their enticing pros—low initial cost, portability, ease of installation—these appliances come with a host of off-putting cons. For one, even the most energy-efficient models are expensive to run over the course of the cooling season.

Plus, because of their bulk and in-window position, portable air conditioners obstruct the view to the outdoors and block out the natural light that would otherwise stream into the home. When you also consider that window units are noisy and that they severely undermine home security, it’s easy to comprehend why so many people have gone looking for a better method of cooling one or more rooms. Countless budget-conscious, comfort-craving homeowners are discovering cost-effective, high-performance ductless cooling and heating systems from industry leader Mitsubishi Electric. By design, window air conditioners are temporary solutions. Mitsubishi Electric ductless systems, on the other hand, are permanent installations handled by qualified contractors. That’s not to say the technology takes up a lot of space or requires extensive remodeling work. On the contrary, ductless systems are streamlined and compact, consisting of two discrete components—an outdoor condenser and an indoor unit.

Connecting the two is a pair of refrigerant pipes that run through a three-inch-diameter hole in an exterior wall. A three-inch hole: That’s the extent of the changes necessary to accommodate the system. Because it’s so nonintrusive, the installation process usually takes less than a day. And once it’s up and running, a Mitsubishi Electric ductless system lasts much longer than the average, expendable window AC. Having already earned widespread popularity in Europe and Asia, ductless cooling and heating may represent the future of climate control in this country too. Continue reading to learn more about why more and more American homeowners are choosing to go ductless. True, a ductless system costs more up front than a window unit. Over the long term, however, Mitsubishi Electric pays you back with the system’s remarkable energy efficiency. Compared with the average window unit, a Mitsubishi Electric system consumes 40 percent less energy, allowing you to enjoy lower monthly utility bills during the cooling season.

Those savings wouldn’t mean much if you were uncomfortable, though. So, what truly sets apart Mitsubishi Electric is that, even though the operation costs are relatively low, the system still provides unparalleled comfort. Thanks to a variable-speed compressor—and accurate monitoring of conditions in the room—the system continuously adjusts its output to match the demand. That way, the technology steadily maintains your target temperature. The average window AC either keeps running until the room gets too cold, or it cycles on and off, creating unpleasant, sometimes extreme temperature variations. That’s not the case with Mitsubishi Electric. Here, the temperature you set is the temperature you get. Whereas there’s only one way to install a window air conditioner, the twin components of a ductless system can be configured in any number of ways, leaving you free to seek the most inconspicuous solution. For starters, within a set radius that depends on your chosen system, the outdoor unit can be placed on the portion of your property where it’s least likely to draw attention.

You may also conceal its presence with strategic landscaping or even a curtaining structure, such as a trellis. Meanwhile, sleek, low-profile indoor units can mount either high on the wall, near the floor or within the ceiling, wherever you think it would look the best. No matter what you decide, the windows in the room would remain completely unobstructed. That’s right: You no longer have to sacrifice daylight and your view to the outdoors, as you would with a window unit, for the full duration of the summer. Another factor to consider is noise. Even the quietest window air conditioners tend to make a racket. Not only in comparison, but objectively speaking, Mitsubishi Electric ductless systems are ultra-quiet. When running, indoor units reach volumes as low as 19 decibels—quieter than a whisper! Though many homeowners rely on Mitsubishi Electric for cooling one or a couple of rooms, others employ the technology for whole-home climate control. In such a setup, multiple indoor units work in concert to maintain a comfortable temperature across the full square footage.

For the time being, you may be interested only in, say, cooling down the bedroom. But if in the future you decided to extend your ductless system beyond the bedroom, you wouldn’t need to scrap what you’ve got and start over from scratch. Being that some outdoor units are capable of accommodating multiple indoor units, you would need to add only the latter into any room or rooms you wanted to make more comfortable. You might even look at your initial, single-room-focused ductless system as a first step toward piecing together a comprehensive solution for all the space under your roof. One final aspect of Mitsubishi Electric technology proves its all-around versatility. These ductless systems provide, not only cooling, but heating as well. In cooling mode, the indoor and outdoor unit work to draw heat from inside the home and deposit it safely outside. The flip of a switch reverses the action, causing the system to collect heat from outside and bring it indoors. In effect, the same ductless system you count on for effective and efficient summertime cooling can also provide comfort-giving heat in the winter.