Portable Room Air Conditioners
Portable room air conditioners were originally designed for commercial use but have become very popular and are widely used in residential applications. They are very versatile and suitable for use in any home. These air conditioners are best utilized in single room applications but can help to cool adjacent rooms if the load doesn't exceed the units rated capacity and air flow between rooms is not restricted.
When shopping for portable air conditioners look for an energy star label which indicates that they consume less energy than similar standard products. Energy Star guidelines are set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.
One of the greatest advantages of portable room air conditioners over window air conditioners is, they can be easily moved anywhere in your home and when not needed they can be stored in a closet or nook out of the way until they are needed again.
Portable room air conditioners have several advantages over window air conditioners:
1) Most portable room air conditioners have wheels and can be easily moved from room to room without any lifting or carrying. This is a definite advantage if you suffer from back trouble or cannot lift for some other reason.
2) Windows are often too narrow or do not open far enough to allow for the installation of a window air conditioner.
3) If you suffer from allergies, portable room air conditioners may be more suitable for you because they are indoors and are not exposed to damp conditions. Water can sit for long periods of time in window air conditioners, which can lead to mold ad mildew growth.
Many models have remote controls. This is perfect for the person who is not very mobile and has difficulty getting around.
Some portable ac units have 24-hour programmable operation. This means that you can set it to come on before you get home from work or wherever you may be, and the space will be cool when you arrive. This reduces operating costs because you don't have to leave the unit operating all day.
Like all air conditioning systems, from the smallest to the biggest, portable room air conditioners generate heat when they operate. This heat is exhausted through a four inch flexible duct accessory, which is connected to a window or vent.
Some units also remove moisture through this same vent hose and some units have a drain tank that you must empty when it fills. When the tank fills the air conditioner will shut off and a beep will let you know that it is time to empty it so you don't have to be concerned about forgetting. You can also hook up a drain line for continuous drainage, this eliminates the chore of emptying the drain tank.
GE, Delonghi, Maytag, Soleus, LG, Fedders, Mitsubishi, Panasonic and Admiral all make good quality portable room airconditioners. When purchasing a portable room air conditioner, review the specs for the unit to be certain that it has the features that you are interested in.
It is also very important to select the proper air conditioner size for the space you want to cool. Oversized or undersized air conditioners will not operate at optimum efficiency. When portable room air conditioners are sized properly, they will also help to control humidity. For a little more cost you can get a unit that you can use for heat also.
Unlike window air conditioners, which are available in 5000 BTU models, portable room air conditioners start at 6000 BTU and increase in capacity from there. People looking for mini portable air conditioners will find 6000 BTU units are probably the smallest available.
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