Portable Air Conditioners

Portable air conditioners are stand alone units. They do not require to be set up in a window. They do require the exhaust to be vented outside though. Therefore, in order to use one of these style units, considering where to vent it can be a bit of a dilemma. Most of the time, the window venting is the only choice one would have. Of course, one can construct a hole through the wall just like a electric clothes dryer ventilation system uses. However, if you plan to use this style or type of unit sparingly, this would not be an option. Also, some of these portable unit require two ventilation hoses, thus, twice the problem. Also, as far as casement type windows are concerned, a portable unit will simply not work.

Although these window venting areas are quite easy to set up, they still require duct work that will need to run from the unit itself to the window. In a very large room or space, this usually not a problem. However, location of the unit and it's venting lines can cause a dilemma at times. Another aspect of these cooling vent lines is the length of them. These lengths are manufactured specifically for the specific type of unit and can not be altered in any way. This is to ensure that the unit will not overheat. If these hoses are extended, then overheating will occur and decrease the overall unit's efficiency. They may also pose a fire hazard.

Another of these type or style of units is the fact that they will need to have the water emptied. All air conditioning units form condensation. This condensation must drain to somewhere or into something. A window or central unit, which allows this condensation to freely drip to the ground or freely evaporate eliminates this problem. However, the portable type or style of air conditioning unit requires the catching of this condensation into a container that is part of the unit. This container eventually fills up and will need to be emptied. Depending upon humidity levels in the surrounding air, this may need to be emptied quite often. Usually, with normal humidity levels, the empty rate will generally be around every eight hours. However, as mentioned earlier, this time frame could increase with higher humidity levels.

These type of units are primarily used in computer server rooms. However, the hot air ventilation is normally directed through the ceiling and routed to the outside.

These units normally run on one hundred and fifteen volts and will plug into the normal household electrical outlet. This is probably the best aspect when it comes to portable air conditioners. Of course, it all depends upon what you specifically want the unit to do. It also is completely a matter of personal opinion.