Welcome again! So, you decided to purchase a portable room air conditioner although portable air-conditioners are not as effective as a window unit. No doubt, buying the right kind of air-conditioning unit can still make a difference in the temperature of your room.
Below are the features that would aid in getting the right portable room air conditioner for your specific purposes:
1) Match BTU to Room Size
- Remember that you need more BTUs in a portable air conditioner than you would in a window unit for the same size room.
- An area of 100 to 200 square feet needs 7-8,000 BTUs
- An area of 150 to 250 square feet needs 8-9,000 BTUs
- An area of 250 to 350 square feet needs 9-10,000 BTUs
- An area of 300 to 400 square feet needs 10-12,000 BTUs
- An area of 350 to 450 square feet needs 12-14,000 BTUs
- Pay close attention to the floor plan and insulation to know the right BTUs.
- If a portable air-conditioner has a higher BTU rating than needed, the unit will cycle off too quickly and will not properly remove humidity from the air.
- However, insufficient number of BTUs will not adequately cool a room.
2) Casters, Wheels & Handles
- Look for a unit with casters or wheels and handles for easier transport.
3) Noise Level
- Note that you CANNOT find a totally silent portable air conditioner.
- They can’t be totally silent because of the motorized fan and compressor system that cools and circulates the air.
- Nevertheless, the amount of sound varies considerably. Even decibel results can be misleading because many things can affect sound level such as position of the unit and the carpeting.
- So, just find a sound level that you are comfortable with, or getting a unit with that will help you to minimize the sound (timer, multiple fan speeds, etc.)
4) Oscillating Louvers
- An air-conditioning unit with oscillating louvers or multidirectional airflow will circulate the air and cool the room faster.
5) Digital Controls
- Experts prefer digital controls which allow you to set the temperature and control the timer.
6) Venting/ Exhaust Hose Needed
- Never buy a portable air conditioner without them.
- If you don’t want to empty water buckets, search for one with an optional water-drainage hose.
- An ‘auto-evaporative’ unit is ideal if emptying tanks is inconvenient but if hot air is exhausted into an attic or drop ceiling you wouldn’t want any moisture to be exhausted with the hot air.
7) Sturdy Window Adapter Kit Needed
- The unit is vented with a window adapter kit.
- The window adapter kit keeps the hose in place and provides insulation to the partially opened window, drop ceiling, or wall.
8) Handy Duct Tapes
- These help to seal gaps during the installation of the exhaust hose.
Portable Room Air Conditioner – BTUs Requirements
Compile the following requirements to determine your area’s BTU requirements:
- Calculate your room’s square footage by multiplying its length by its width.
- Verify the size of the window opening for venting.
- Check the plug type and electrical requirements of your room.
Exceptions
You will need to increase the size (power) of the unit you purchase (from your earlier calculations) if you:
- Have lots of windows
- Have heat generating appliances
- Have second story homes (Add the BTU amount by 10%)
- Have each additional person over two persons in a room (Add 600 BTUs)
- Reside in a warm, humid region
- Are planning to use it in a kitchen (Add 4,000 BTUs)
- Are cooling a poorly insulated garage
However, reduce the BTUs by 10% if you are planning the use the portable air-conditioning units in shaded areas.
Finish reading? The journey to your world of portable room air conditioners has begun. I hope that this essential information has made your buying decision a little easier. Good luck!
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