The Pros and Cons of a Portable Aircon
A portable air conditioner comes with a host of benefits, many of which put it in a better position than traditional fixed models. There are no installation costs, and most people might find that they are able to get it up and running by themselves. Here is why you should consider a portable air con to beat the heat!
Take it where you need it.
Portable units come with the huge benefit that you can move them around inside your home to exactly where you need them. You will also be saving some money, as you will not be paying to cool down unoccupied rooms. Even if you have an existing aircon system installed, you can still save with a portable unit, as it will save you the need to fire up an entire system if you only need one room cooled.
What component will I need to work with?
Most portable AC units will require the use of water, and for this reason, you will have to get used to a water tank. The larger the tank the less you will have to refill it.
The next consideration will be your tolerance of operating noise, as you will be operating the unit indoors. Shop around if you are sensitive to noise, as many models offer a reduced noise option.
Price vs efficiency
Comparing prices to installed versions, prices can be as much as 50% less on purchase price and be almost 90% cheaper on running costs. Portable AC units are generally intended for smaller spaces, which means that lower power consumption forms part of its overall design.
Finally, and the second most common reason that people invest in air conditioners other than the need to cool the air: creating clean, humidified air. Most portable air cons operate with a combination of air and water filters to remove impurities from the air it processes.
While there are several noticeably clear advantages to opting for a portable air con unit, there are also certain disadvantages. Here are a few to chew on.
Noise levels
Portable units tend to have a louder operating volume than their permanently installed counterparts. The body of window unit are generally outside on the wall, while the entire unit is indoors when it comes to a portable unit.
Location
Even though portability is a huge benefit, these units do come with placements restrictions. This is because warm air needs to be vented, and any condensation needs to be drained out.
This means that they should ideally be placed by a window or an air vent and need to be close enough to a power source at the same time.
There are some units that come with water pans that catch any condensation formed by water that is removed from the air during processing and dehumidifying. Any air conditioning process will result in excess water, so you will not be able to find a unit that is able to bypass this function.
Great read. Im originally from Australia so love the air con, my husband not so much. Im going to send him this article to read up on it.
The problem I've found with these things is that, although they work, they can cause damp. We had some when I worked in an office and all the paper laying around on desk tops started curling up!
However, that was quite a few years ago, so they may be a lot better now…