Portable Air Conditioners

[mark_wpduet]

Hey - we live in an HOA...they don't allow window AC's. A couple of years ago our central AC went out and called repair but they couldn't come out until the next day.. Someone we knew had one of those portable ACs in storage so they let us borrow it...I could not believe how well it worked.. So we bought one shortly after that...an LG I think. It's been unboxed sitting in a spare room for almost 2 years now...we haven't needed it yet...I'm wondering...if it's not needed for a few more years...is this thing going to be OK just sitting there unopened? I mean, it sounds dumb but maybe they at least need to be used periodically or not?

I did read that single-hose units are inefficient...but that's OK because we have no intention of using it for more than a week at most. But at some point, our HVAC is going to have to be replaced because it's 18 years old. I'm not even sure how long that would take.

Later - I learned that we CAN have window ACs during emergencies (but for no more than 3 days) without authorization.. unless it's in writing. I wish I had known this and we would just buy 2 small window ACs instead.

 

[paulg]

My mere opinion

This was a hot topic these last weeks….excuse the pun..
First of all, I worked for many years for a company that manufactured window and portable air-conditioners. We made our own and rebranded other manufacturer’s units.
Personally, I don’t like those portable units at all, but I suppose that is beside the point.
An older relative in Minneapolis called us and stated that their apartment complex has forbade the use of window air-conditioners and now they must have portables. The stated reason is that window units damage the tuckpointing. A heat-wave was arriving soon.
I ordered and shipped two smaller Friedrich portable air-conditioners to Minneapolis and installed them. They work well enough. The cartons and shipping material they used fared very well.
I see no issue with those units sitting for a couple of years unused. We had production samples that sat in the warehouse and occasionally we had to pull them and test them again for whatever reason. No troubles.
However, in my experience, these things don’t ship well. However, my data is over 8 years old. In my experience, a sharp drop causes internal damage to water-managing components and the units can leak. I would suggest you test the unit for a period of days to ensure it actually works. You don’t want to find out there is a problem when you really need the unit.
I am interested in the experience of others. We are continuing the assistance of our relatives in Minneapolis and they may need a third portable unit. I may buy a larger Friedrich unit or if another brand gets raves I will listen.

 

[petek]

We've had two of them (Danby dual hose units) for correct me if I'm wrong about 14 years and they're still working. Our house is a 4 level split with hydronic heating so no central air possible. The mini split only does the living room kitchn dining room and the family room down the next level. Over the years though we've only used them a few nights a year.. Since neither of us are on the bedroom top floor much at all during the day it's pointless running them.. I turn one, or the two of them on in the late evening to cool that floor down if required and all is well.

When I had to replace the old mini split in 2020 I thought about having a multi head mini split to cool up their but the cost wasn't worth it to us.. The next owners can worry about it.

 

[mark_wpduet]

thanks

I wish I could remember the brand we borrowed but I can't...It was a single hose unit and the few days we used it I was blown away by how well it worked....that's when I began reading about them or watching youtube videos to learn how inefficient they are...and I remember reading comments about how they didn't work well and that was not my experience at all..It did just what we needed it to do. One thing...the hose gets hot. Someone said they wrapped their hose in bubble wrap to insulate it so it didn't radiate heat like a heater.

I will hope for the best and that it will work when we need it. We did buy a Hisense 8000 BTU window AC at Costco.. Since we're wanting to cool two separate rooms when/if they are needed. It too is beside the other one unboxed

 

[petek]

Yes the exhaust hoses do get quite hot and that may be one of the reasons why they don't cool quite as well as you would expect for their stated BTU outputs. I think the ones I have were rated at something like 14,000 btu but there is no way they cool as close to what a window unit of the same output would. I could be wrong but I think I read somewhere back ago that they had to change their Btu ratings to reflect that. I'd thought of wrapping the exhaust hose with some sort of insulated foil but really for the amount we use them it's probably not worth it. A drawback to the two hose units is they are downright ugly with those two hoses reaching up to the window but they're better than nothing at all.

 

[petek]

Another possible drawback with them is that if you cut to size the window frame attachment for the hoses you're somewhat screwed if you ever move it to another larger window because then it won't cover the whole opening. And where would you ever purchase a replacement with a lot of these imported things that don't have dealers like in the old days.

 

[combo52]

Portable Room A/Cs

Are not nearly as efficient as regular window or central units because the air flowing over the condenser is too restricted and therefor runs too hot and ruins the efficiency.

 

The single hose models are even worse because you are constantly taking the nice cool room air and blowing it over the condenser and blowing it outside, so you are constantly drawing warm humid into the room or area you are trying to cool, humidity reduction is very difficult with type of system.

 

These units are possibly good for temporary use in cooler less humid areas where electricity is cheap.

 

John L.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Yep

I learned all about that "AFTER" the fact. LOL

but they do work amazingly well for temp use even though they are inefficient...at least for temporary use..

It's crazy how much more difficult it is to find dual hose ones...they are out there..but the single hose ones are all over the place...which is amazing to me in 2022 when everything has to be super-efficient...

 

[launderess]

Like condenser (not vented) clothes dryers, portable air conditioners were invented to solve a problem. How to have AC when for various reasons cannot cut a hole in wall, or put unit in window. Other than installing some sort of central AC system these portable units are about good as most are going to get.

Many Europeans have these portable AC units, again because you aren't going to be cutting holes in walls of Haussmann or other older buildings where zoning and or local laws forbid.

 

[retro-man]

I have a Haier 10,000 btu dual hose unit. Have used it close to 15 years now. 1st 5 was in my garage and then moved it to my condo. Here it gets used 4-5 days out of the year. I have vertical sliding windows. I cut a piece of plywood and cut two round holes out and mounted the ring connectors to that. Caulked around those, put 3 coats of white outdoor paint on it. Fits right into the window no problem. Works great, cools over half of the condo nicely. Interesting this one has settings for cooling, dehumidifying and heating. The unit is I guess a mini heat pump for the heating side. Only have used the cooling part. Never need to empty anything, it said in the manual that moisture is whisked away through the exhaust hose. I was doubtful but damn it works like they say it does. The reason I have one is being in a high rise type of situation, is that we have either heat or a/c. We have those days before the system is turned over from heat to a/c that is need and in the fall after we have converted back over to heat from a/c. Don't really notice that much on the electric bill since not much usage.

Jon

 

[rp2813]

My friend had a well-used Frigidaire 5K BTU window unit that was at least ten years old and ran almost constantly in the bedroom of his apartment, but inspectors advised that this bedroom window is considered an alternate escape route, so the window unit had to go.  We found a seller on NextDoor who had a like new 8K BTU Soleus portable that was nice and slim to fit in his tight space, and it was priced right at $100.  It's far quieter than the Frigidaire which was right above my head when I'd spend the night at his place, but the portable doesn't keep the room nearly as cold as the Frigidaire did.  He has it set to the lowest temperature (64) for comfortable sleeping, but it struggles to get that cold during the summer when you need it most.  He has even wrapped the exhaust hose, which gets quite warm.  A dual hose model would be ideal, but that's a bulky intake/exhaust system for his small space. 

 

He also has a sleek black/silver "Commercial Cool" 12K BTU unit in his kitchen/living room area that blows reasonably cold, but it's much louder than the Soleus.  Its hose isn't fully extended and I think that makes a big difference in cooling ability.  I stuck an instant read thermometer deep inside the grilles of both units and cooled air registered 42 degrees on the CC and 43 degrees on the Soleus, so I guess since both use R410-A refrigerant, that's as cold as it gets.

 

About a year ago I bought an old "WindChaser" brand 9K BTU portable unit for $40.  I have central AC but I see no point in cooling the entire house overnight when I can put fans in windows instead, but when my buddy would spend the night at my place, a fan wasn't cutting it and this summer I've begun to use the WindChaser myself for comfortable sleeping on warm nights.  It's about the same as his "Commercial Cool" as far as noise level goes, but the hose is barely extended except where it has to bend at both ends, and it barely even feels warm.  This unit dates back to 2008 as best I can tell on line, and uses R22.  It blows ice cold and keeps the room at a crisp 65 or so even on those rare nights when it's not cooling down as much as usual outside.

 

My sister has a Toshiba window unit in her TV/guest room that's nice and quiet, and it cools well.   If  a window unit is an option for anyone who is considering a room AC, I highly recommend Toshiba.

 

 

 

[sudsmaster]

I've had a DeLonghi 12,500 BTU portable AC unit for the past 10 years or so. It works well enough, however I don't think I've run it for the past three or so years. I might have to roll it into place in July and August when things generally heat up here. Mostly I just put up with the warmer temps, keeping the windows open at night and closed during the day.

 

Part of the issue is the energy conservation plan on my electric bill; it calls for lower consumption between 5 pm and 8 pm M-F. Saves me some money, you see.

 

We'll see what happens. So far have been able to stay reasonably comfortable without it here. Usually the evening breezes cool things down sufficiently. Except for the two weeks every August or September when the evening cool down stops. Then it gets interesting.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Yep - in conclusion, window AC's definitely better...but portable ACs either single or dual are better than nothing. If it were going to be used on a more long-term basis...a dual hose would be better if you can't have window ones..but at least these things exist for people who can't have window ACs..Like I said...until we were offered the opportunity to borrow one, I had no clue these even existed LOL..

One thing: I noticed someone on youtube taking theirs apart and cleaning it. It was disgusting inside...caked dust on the coils. Looked like new when they were done. I'm sure the same thing can happen to window ACs

 

[sudsmaster]

I would not agree that window AC units are invariably better than portable units.

 

[sudsmaster]

For example, in my family room the windows are on the west side, where they get full afternoon sun. A window AC unit gets heated up by that sunlight. A portable unit, on the other hand, can stand free of the sunlight, with the shades drawn, and not have to compensate for the solar heat.

 

[mark_wpduet]

Oh yea

that's one thing about my central AC unit....the unit is at the back of my house that faces the SOUTHWEST side...it sits in the sun baking during the afternoon because there's not a whole lotta shade here. Add to that the attic heats up...so yeah...the sun can be BAD beating down on an AC. I never thought of the fact that the portable wouldn't have to be fighting with the sun. But definitely wrap that hose up so it doesn't radiate...those hoses get hot

 

[chachp]

We did the same thing.

 

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">When we bought this house the HVAC was 18 years old but they had just replaced the condenser and heat exchanger so we thought we had some time.  The second summer it went out, so we bought one of these portables to use for a couple of days.  It was fixed and worked the rest of the summer.  The following summer the exact same thing happened and we used the portable for a couple of days while we had the system replaced instead of repaired.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">So now the portable has been sitting in the corner of the room and hasn't been used for at least two years.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: helvetica;">To be honest with you, I have no idea how hot the hoses got.  I was so thankful to have the A/C to sleep at night I really didn't care and since we used it for only a couple of nights I don't think it really mattered.</span>

 

[powerfin64]

I bought a new unit this march

I live in a single wide mobile home with a metal flat roof. I too, have experienced having a/c go out in a heatwave 3 different times over the years.
Taking the idea from the husband, I bought a new portable A/C unit this march for BACKUP.
Ordered it and had it delivered in 2 days. Got the largest BTU, (14,000), sits next to the window with its own cover, so it's not so obvious. When it comes time, put in the window bracket, connect the hoses- DONE! YES its 2 HOSES! Much more efficient than 1 hose.(regardless of what others say on here)
Again, like everyone else, this is just TEMPORARY setup to get by with. Thats the main reason.
It sits in the living room which is the biggest room and gets the heat in the afternoon. I have 3 fans in different parts of the house that I use when A/C is running to keep the air moving and prevent hot spots and keeping the central A/C from working so hard, which helps out alot!
I recommend to anyone getting a portable A/C unit to have on hand for those rare times the main A/C goes down. It's worth the money spent.

 

[iej]

Speaking of portable AC, the funniest and most clueless use I’ve I’ve seen was at London Heathrow Airport in the last days of the now (thankfully) retired Terminal 1.

There was an area dedicated, mostly to flights to and from Ireland, which was a pier extension built like a network of giant metal tubes. It had a bit of the vibe of a bad Doctor Who set and was very run down in its last days - one of those places you’d exit as quickly as possible from. The new Terminal 3 hub is an absolutely vast improvement.

The structure could become swelteringly hot on those rare London heatwaves, and the air conditioning was old and often failed, sometimes dripped water from the ceilings.

One hot summer, they hired in a load of portable air conditioners and just ran them sitting in the middle of the floor, exhausting the hot air back into the same space they were cooling. If anything they were probably having a net heating affect on the building!

I remember never being so happy to step into the very over air conditioned, cool interior of an Aer Lingus A321 … those freezing cold faux leather seats were bliss!