Types of Air Conditioners
An overview of the choice
Are you sweltering in unpleasant temperatures and wishing you could afford air conditioning? With the advent of global warming, we seem to be living hotter and hotter summers each year.
It can get quite uncomfortable in closed spaces with temperatures higher than 30 degrees Celsius. However, one of the problems that you may be facing could be the fact that you are living in a rental home or you switch or change offices frequently due to your line of work.
Well, in these instances, getting a permanent air conditioner (central system or window air conditioner) can be quite difficult.
Perhaps you don't wish to invest in an air conditioning system only to leave it behind when you move from your current home?
Portable air conditioner uses
Portable air conditioners can be the solution you are looking for. They are excellent ways to cool rooms, particularly since you can take them with you from one location to another. Not only can they be moved from room to room, because they are portable, these air conditioning units can even be taken on vacation if your accommodation isn't air conditioned. In stifling hot weather, they can make the difference between an enjoyable and a miserable vacation.If you rent then you will be able to take a portable unit with you when you leave. Even if you own your own home or apartment, if you are unsure about how long you will stay where you are, it may be better to opt for a portable air conditioner that you can take with you. Hot work places can also be made more tenable with a portable A/C unit.
These units can also be used in outdoor rooms such as garages and covered outdoor entertaining rooms. They can be used as soon as it is purchased because you don't need to wait for expensive installation.
Portable Air Conditioners Advantages
Air conditioning can be very expensive however portable air conditioning can minimize that expense by only cooling one room at a given time. Portable A/C may initially be less convenient than having central or other air conditioning throughout the house, but the family will adjust to it and the cost savings will be significant.Portable air conditioners can be bulky but are not overly so and tend to average around thirty inches in height and eighty pounds in weight. They can be purchased to suit various room sizes from 200 to 500 square feet.
Asthmatics and others can also benefit from reduced humidity as portable air conditioning units take moisture from the air and use it to cool the cooling coils in the unit. This also allows the water to be recycled and maximizes the performance of the air conditioner.
The prices for portable units have come down in recent years and it is possible to buy a decent air conditioner starting at $300. Prices go up depending on cooling capacity and energy ratings. It is worth paying a little more for higher energy ratings because you will save a lot of money on energy costs over time.
However, before deciding on a portable air conditioner make sure you have adequate space for the unit near a window, an electric outlet rated at the required amps for the unit and an external window or vent in the wall for the outflow of hot air exhaust from the air conditioner.
Types of Portable Air Conditioners
Portable air conditioners can use either a single hose system or a dual hose system. The single hose version will remove air from the room and cool it before returning it to the room. Whereas a dual hose unit will take the air from outside the house with one hose, cool it and blow it into the room.Hot air created by the working of the air conditioner is expelled via the other hose. Installing these hoses correctly can be a little tricky however, there are usually good instructions and if you follow them carefully there should be no problem.
Furthermore, many of these units are multi-functional and can work as ionizers, UV lights, dehumidifiers, heaters and fans as well as air conditioners. Some portable air conditioners work well to improve the circulation of air in poorly ventilated rooms which can be of particular benefit to people with respiratory difficulties such as asthma.
Considerations before buying a Portable Air Conditioner
Also be aware that portable air conditioning units create water which will need to be removed. The less expensive units will generally require you to empty the water by hand whereas the more expensive units often have a self-evaporating feature to remove it.If you don't want to be bothered with remembering to empty the water yourself, you will need to bear this in mind when looking for the best portable A/C unit for your needs.
If you plan to use a portable A/C unit in a computer room, it is important to choose one with a two-way oscillating fan to keep the air circulating around computer equipment. A manual controlled model is also recommended for use in rooms with a lot of computer and other electrical equipment.
Choosing the right sized portable air conditioner isn't difficult. The power required to run a unit is measured in British Thermal Units (BTUs) and the larger the room, the higher the required BTUs.
Even if you need a high BTU unit, you can still save money by purchasing an energy efficient model. You can identify energy efficiency by checking the energy efficiency ratio (EER) of the unit - 12 or higher is recommended.
Negative Aspects of Portable Air Conditioners
The main downsides of opting for a portable air conditioner are that these units tend to be more expensive to purchase than comparable window air conditioners and they are noisy. If noise is likely to be a problem for you, take the time to locate the quietest portable air conditioners before deciding on a unit. Quality reviews of air conditioner models will give you this information.However, for people who want a flexible air conditioning option that will quickly improve quality of life and won't break the bank doing it, portable air conditioning is a viable option. The positives far outweigh the negatives when you consider the uncomfortable alternative of suffering through another hot summer without relief.
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