Portable air conditioner hot and cold

So you’re looking to buy a portable air condition, but you’re asking yourself the question, “Do portable air conditioners dehumidify?” This question is one of the most commonly asked about portable air conditioners. But it’s not a simple question to answer. To do so properly, it must first be explained what dehumidification is and how it differs from a standard air conditioning. 

Which type of unit is best for you?

Standard air conditioners, be they portable or fixed, function by drawing in warm air, cooling it, and expelling cold air into the room. This is the most basic function of the units and applies regardless of air conditioner type. Dehumidifiers specifically draw in moisture from the air to reduce the humidity within a room. The effects are markedly different and which of them will prove best for you will depend on your individual needs, the space you wish to cool, and most importantly, the climate in which you live.

Now, many people believe that the ideal is to have a unit that performs both these tasks: one that reduces the amount of moisture within the air and cools the area down. But this is not necessarily the case. If you do not reside in an overly humid climate, then a dehumidifier is unlikely to produce any deeply felt results for you. On the other hand, if you do live in a very humid place, then you may be better served just going with a dehumidifier, as you may find an air conditioner is inefficient and ineffective. Those who are most likely to feel strong benefits from having an air conditioner that dehumidifies are those in variable climates, where the heat felt indoors can be from a combination of temperature and humidity.

So — do they?

The short answer to the above query is therefore no — portable air conditioners do not dehumidify. At least, not as effectively as a dehumidifier. While this can sound like bad news, never fear. You can purchase dehumidifiers for your portable air conditioner, which work with the existing unit and allow you the benefit of perfect management of your indoor climate.

As this is a complicated question, however, you could also be given another short answer — yes. While portable air conditioners do not perform the exact same function as a dehumidifier, they do reduce humidity within the air to an extent, which can cool the area significantly. Even though they do not actually work by withdrawing moisture from the air, by virtue of the way they do work which is drawing in warm air directly, it’s inevitable that they will take in a fair amount of moisture too.

In the case of portable air conditioners specifically, given they work much the same way as standard air conditioners, you should expect some level of dehumidification to occur. And one of the biggest benefits of portable air conditioners is the ability to move him around within your home where needed. This allows you to focus the cooling wherever you feel it is needed most. And always remember, if you feel that you do need some more dehumidification, you can purchase a separate dehumidifier to use with your portable air conditioner to boost its effects. 

What seems to be a simple question — do portable air conditioners dehumidify? — thus actually has two simple answers — both yes and no. Always remember to consider your individual needs carefully when purchasing an air conditioner or dehumidifier. Everyone is different, every climate is different, and every home is different. You owe it to yourself to take the time to make the best decision for you.

Air conditions help reduce warm temperatures in the room and make scorching hot days a tad more tolerable. Plus, they provide effective cooling with minimal water usage. Indeed, portable air conditioners perform a highly important function during the blazing hot summer months. The fact that they are portable and lightweight only makes them even more efficient systems, and one of the most sought after products in the summertime. The only thing that troubles portable AC owners is whether they need to keep an eye on their unit every now and again for water accumulation. Do portable air conditioners collect water? Does your portable air conditioner need emptying? And if so, after how many hours of operation? All these will be answered below.

How Portable AC Units Drain Water

Portable air conditioners suck in the warm air from the atmosphere, remove moisture, and then release the warm air outside, usually via a window kit. As they are cooled, however, they produce condensation. This water is either drained through a hose or contained in an internal water reservoir.

The most advanced portable AC units feature self-evaporative technology that enables the air conditioner model to vent out the warm air and evaporate moisture through the exhaust hose automatically. In this case, you will probably never need to deal with things like collecting condensate water.

A second solution is to drain the bucket manually. You simply turn the unit off, empty the water into a drip pan, and replace the bucket before the cooling begins again. The manual removal of the water may require you to collect the moisture every few hours to even once a month. This depends on factors such as:

• The portable AC make
• The time of use
• The size of the tank
• How high you have set the portable AC unit
• The humidity levels in your area.

Another alternative option to get rid of the collected moisture is to gravity drain the portable air conditioner. This is easily done by attaching a drain hose to the reservoir’s connection. That way, you will be able to direct water into a drain.

It’s important to note that most portable AC units have an auto-shutoff function that prevents the water from being spilled onto the ground.

What if your portable AC unit fills with water too quickly?

This can be caused by a number of reasons, such as:

• High humidity levels: Your patience will be tested here since the model is probably working harder to cool the room (remember that the air cooling procedure involves removing humidity from the air). The same applies to climates with high humidity. You can’t do much in this case except for emptying the bucket more often. You could help reduce the times you need to empty the water by ensuring you don’t have any standing water in the home (i.e., laundry that is hung all over the place).
• A newly installed product: A model you have just installed or purchased will be called to dehumidify everything from the walls and ceilings to the floor and other indoor materials initially. Once this process is done, emptying the unit will not be as frequent a task for you.
• A problematic air filter: If the portable AC is faulty, it may condense more water. The clogging of the air filter is usually to blame here, which blocks the airflow over the AC’s evaporator coil. In the end, the coil freezes and starts to melt, dripping water to the evaporation container.

Portable air conditioners are becoming an increasingly popular option, especially during the hot summer months. Their installation-free aspect is probably one of the main reasons why many people prefer this mobile air conditioning option. Indeed, the portability (most units have caster wheels) and relatively lightweight design enable you to enjoy the cooling benefits of a central air, through-the-wall, or window conditioning unit without moving a muscle. But, what about venting your portable air conditioning unit? Do you have to vent it outside? The short answer is YES. But, let’s look into the details you need to know. Do All Portable Air Conditioners Need to be Vented Outside?

How Air Conditioning Units Work

The reason for their existence is to cool a warm area. In doing so, they use a refrigerant (cooling agent) that uses a fan to absorb the heat from the air, cool it, and then release cool air back to the atmosphere. The heat that is created during this process, however, needs to be vented somewhere. The best option is to send it away from the room where the AC unit is installed/placed. Otherwise, it will remain in the same area you are trying to cool. It will be like having two giants clashing against each other, one canceling the effect of the other. For this reason, portable units come with an exhaust hose that helps vent out that warm air, usually through a nearby window.

The “Catch” with “Ventless Air Conditioners”

You’ve probably read about ventless air conditioners (aka swamp coolers or evaporate coolers). Although these products are marketed as air conditioners not needing to be vented outside, they are far from functioning like a regular AC. So yes, you can purchase a ventless AC unit, but you can’t expect them to pack the same punch as a typical AC model. This is because ventless air conditioning products have a very different way of refreshing you during scorching temps. In a nutshell, they do not release cool air to the room. Instead, they bring the temperature down by sucking in the hot air, moving it through wet filter pads, and releasing it into the atmosphere with some added moisture (no refrigerant used whatsoever).

So although you can run your portable air conditioning unit without venting it outside, you actually feed it recycled (hot) air. Nevertheless, if the summers in your area are warm and dry, ventless air conditioners are still a great option as they will make the overall heat-related discomfort a tad better for you.

Final notes:

• You can vent a portable air conditioner out using a dryer vent, provided the diameter of the vent hose is not greater than that of the dryer vent (usually 4”). However, this is not recommended by the manufacturer since most mobile AC units are 5-inch exhaust hoses.
• If you need to cover the exterior opening of the vent, it’s best to use a screen rather than the external part of the dryer vent (the one with the flaps). The compressor will probably have a hard time pushing those flaps to open.
• Many portable AC units feature self-evaporative technology to pull out the moisture of the air. If your climate is super humid, however, you will probably need to place a reservoir inside the unit to collect the little bit of water that will accumulate.

Summer temperatures can make a home difficult to live in. An air conditioner, however, can change all this in an instant. This simple change can usher in a soothing tropical temperature that would make a room more habitable.

When it comes to searching for an air conditioner, one may be spoilt of choice. However, if you make a purchase without due diligence, there is a probability that the product may frustrate you through some inconveniencing feature. Therefore, before buying an air conditioner, it’s essential to know about some of the ACs in the market. Some of the most popular AC categories are the window air conditioners and wall mount air conditioners. So what’s the difference between wall mount and window air conditioner? If you need to understand more about them, below are some striking differences that might help you make an appropriate choice:

Definition Differences

A wall mount air conditioner is a temperature regulating device that is placed within a building’s walls.

The window air conditioner is similar to the wall mount AC (mechanism-wise), but the device is placed within the window frame.

Installation Differences

Window air conditioners are easy to install and its installation procedure can be done in three easy steps:

1. Measuring the fitting

1. Placing the window air conditioner unit within the window frame and screwing it in.
2. Caulking the surrounding space of the air conditioner

The wall-mount air conditioner installation process, on the other hand, may require some professional assistance. This is because one may need to drill through a wall and perhaps encounter electrical, insulation, and plumbing structures that may need to be put back in place.

Other Feature Differences

Flexibility

A window air conditioner is a temporary fixture. One can store the window AC for a few months and install it back when need arises. However, wall-mount air conditioners are permanent fixtures. After fitting in a wall AC into a wall, it stays in place even in winter when the system is not needed.

Who installs them

As mentioned earlier, a wall-mounted AC is hard to install and often results in the permanent change of a building’s structure. However, a window AC can be installed temporarily and pulled down anytime. This aspect implies that one would need to be the owner of a house (or have permission from the owner) to install a wall mount AC. On the other hand, people renting a home or apartment can install and remove window ACs without necessarily asking for permission.

Interchangeability

Some window-mounted air conditioners are designed such that they can be fixed into a wall. However, wall ACs are often too heavy to be installed in window spaces. In each case, an installer needs to follow the manufacturer’s instructions since installing the product wrongly can make the product’s warranty null and void. Additionally, installing an AC in the wrong way can leave the buyer in the same position as he or she was in before buying the product. The interchangeability aspect would require one to check out the manufacturer’s instructions first.

Final Thoughts

The major difference between wall-mount ACs and window air conditioners is where the fitting goes. This attribute leads to other functional, weight, flexibility, and interchangeability differences. While the through-wall AC may require some permanent alteration in a building’s design, window ACs do not need alterations to be made on a building’s structure.

If you intend to buy an air conditioner, you might be confused by the large variety in the market. But this doesn’t need to worry you too much! You may need to know that there are two main types of coolers that can be used in your house. The two coolers differ in their engineering design, how they work, efficiency, and capability. This post will define and show the difference between portable air conditioner and evaporative cooler.

What are they?

The evaporative cooler is a cooling device that cools their surroundings through the evaporation of water. The evaporative cooler has different names depending on location. However, the most common ones include the swamp box, wet air cooler, desert cooler, or the swamp cooler.

A portable air conditioner (PAC) is a self-contained cooling system that can be moved from one room to another with ease. Most PAC systems have small wheels that make them easy to move around. Since PACs are movable and can cool a specific area, they are also referred to as spot coolers.

How do they work?

A portable air conditioner sucks in air, cools it through chemical refrigeration techniques, and then releases the cold air into the surrounding space. The portable AC also comes in two condensation removal designs: in one type, venting is used to get rid of the warm air created, while in the second type, excess water is produced. In dry weather, the excess water is released through the exhaust hose but collected in a pan during humid conditions.

The evaporative cooler sucks in dry air and passes it over water moistened pads. The warm air then causes water to evaporate into the surrounding air. This process cools the air up to 20°F, and a fan disperses the humidity like a cool breeze.

Where are they best used?

A portable air conditioner can only be used inside the house.

A swamp cooler can be used indoors and outdoors.

Other Key Differences

Final Thoughts

In most cases, the swamp coolers are cheaper than portable ACs. Also, the portable AC uses relatively more energy but does not need regular maintenance. However, if you live in a humid area, the swamp cooler may not be for you. Similarly, you may need to add water into the swamp cooler from time to time, and opening of windows is recommended to avoid excessive humidity in a room. With that summary of the differences, we hope that you will make a more informed decision on which one is the best one for you.

Portable air conditioners have soared in popularity in recent years. Considering the level of convenience they offer over their fixed window air conditioner counterparts, this comes at no surprise. But convenience aside, deciding whether a portable or window air conditioner is the best choice for you can be challenging. It’s important to understand the key differences in how these devices work in order to learn which one will be the best fit for your needs. In this article we’ll compare window vs portable air conditioners.

Window Air Conditioners

Window air conditioners are fixed units installed within the existing window frame of a home. They are generally constructed to fit standard sized window frames, however special additions can be obtained at further cost to make them fit larger frames if required. Once installed, they cannot be moved easily, usually requiring a professional to relocate or remove them. 

Choosing to install a window air conditioner means giving up one of the windows in your home. You will also need to consider placement carefully, given how difficult they are to move. 

While this sounds inconvenient, window air conditioners are the cheapest to purchase and tend to be more cost-effective to run. Their placement within windows allows for ease of intake of warm air, which is pumped outside along with the exhaust from the unit itself. The warm exterior air is cooled within the unit and expelled into the home.

Another advantage of window air conditioners is that they are able to cool large areas, even entire homes due to their efficiency. They also use less electricity than their portable counterparts.

Portable Air Conditioners

As their name suggests, the biggest and most obvious difference between portable air conditioners and window versions is that portable ones can be moved as needed. They still require placement within a window or door due to their exhaust needing to expel warm air outside the home. But unlike fixed window air conditioners, you can shift them around within your home to cool different areas.

Convenient, yes. But this ability to easily move the unit comes at a cost — the first being financial. Portable air conditioners tend to be more costly than window air conditioners. Another place your wallet will feel the portable version as compared with the window unit is electricity. Portable air conditioners are less efficient than window air conditioners and will cost you more to power.

Another drawback is that they cannot cool areas as large as window units. Many window units are capable of cooling entire homes, whereas even the largest and most expensive portable air conditioners cannot accomplish this feat. Because they can be moved so easily, they are simply not designed to remain in one place and cool an entire house. You can move them, but you will also need to if you wish to keep your entire house cool.

So Which Air Conditioner is Right for Me?

The most significant deciding factor here would be your home. If you live in a large house with plenty of windows, you would be far better placed to consider a window air conditioner. However, if you live in a smaller house, or particularly an apartment with less area that needs cooling and fewer windows, a portable air conditioner may be the best option for you. Budget is another big consideration of course. How much you are able to spend will have an impact on which unit you choose.

For many older homes and apartments without a central air conditioning unit, a portable air conditioner is a lifesaver, especially with so many people working from home these days. You probably want to be as comfortable as possible while working. Summer and early fall can bring some pretty warm weather, and some people might even live in warm temperatures year-round. No one wants to sit in humid and hot weather as they work all day. 

So, your solution might be to purchase a portable air conditioner to keep your house cool all day long. What do you do though, when you get home and realize that the optimal place to put your unit is through a casement window. But can portable air conditioners work with casement windows?

So — can they?

Casement windows can certainly pose a problem to those who need a portable air conditioner though. Portable air conditioners tend to require a window, and casement windows can make that difficult. Casement windows are the ones that crank open, also known as crank out windows, instead of lifting open. This causes the windows to only open outwards a little bit, which might make it seem impossible to use with any AC unit. 

The good news

Portable air conditioners are different from the average window AC unit. Usually, they sit on the floor and have an exhaust port that goes out of the window. Even though most portable air conditioners require a pretty open window space, it’s possible to make them work with casement windows. Instead of using the traditional window kit that the unit comes with, you will have to do it a little differently with the casement window. 

Using plexiglass

One way to make your portable air conditioner unit work with casement windows is by using plexiglass. This is the most common option and many people have done this in times of need. The first thing you need to do is measure how big your window is so you can get the correct size plexiglass. Many hardware stores will cut the right size plexiglass for you; they will also need to cut out a hole in the plexiglass for the vent to insert into. 

Once you have the plexiglass cut for your window and vent hose, you can insert it. You will want to attach a latch to the window and the frame. Now you’re ready to insert the plexiglass into the frame which can either be done with retainer clips or twist clamps. Lastly, you need to caulk where the window frame and casing meet so that it is sealed and waterproof. In these few steps, you can have a fully functional portable AC unit in a casement window.

Using foam

Another method that might be a little cheaper and faster is using the window kit the unit comes with and a block of foam. Some people have found success by putting in the window insert that comes with the portable unit vertically where the casement window opens up. You can screw this in easily and then use a block of foam to fill in the rest of the window. This would work best in a home that does not receive a lot of wind and has enough natural sunlight from other windows because the foam will block out the entire window. 

Casement window-specific portable AC units

There are also kits that can be purchased that are made specifically for inserting a portable AC unit into a casement window. Simply put, it involves using some velcro around the window to create a cover that zips up around the vent. This allows you to place the vent outside the opening of the window and zip up around it to keep the bugs and weather outside your window — where they belong!

Final thoughts

These are the top three ways to make your portable air conditioner compatible with a casement window. All of them require some work and a little bit of money, but if it means being comfortable while you are stuck home all day, then it might just be worth it.