Portable Air Conditioners Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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What is a portable air conditioner?

A portable air conditioner (PAC) is a self-contained portable appliance that cools the air in a certain-size space. Unlike traditional window-based units, portable air conditioners do not sit in the window. They typically sit on the floor within the space you are trying to cool.

What is required to set up a PAC? Are there any air hoses needed?

Requirements vary based on the model. All portable ACs exhaust hot air as part of the cooling process. This hot air is usually directed out of the cooled space using a hot air discharge hose, also known as an exhaust hose. This air hose is often vented out of a window, into a drop ceiling, or through a wall to an adjacent space. Depending on the model chosen, window venting kits and drop ceiling panel venting kits may be available or included with your purchase.

Will I need to empty water? Will water collect in the unit?

When air is cooled, moisture is removed from the air. Therefore, all portable air conditioners remove water from the air while they are cooling. There are many different ways that various PACs deal with this condensate water.

The simplest units have buckets that need to be emptied regularly, from as often as every 8 hours to once a month. More sophisticated units automatically evaporate moisture along with hot air exhaust. Hence, there is little or no water to empty. All portable air conditioners are equipped to drain water continuously through a gravity drain hose. Condensate pumps are also available to help pump this drained water through a hose and move it in an upward direction to drain out of a window, for example.

What size air conditioner (BTU level) do I need?

In contrast to traditional window air conditioners, portable air conditioners are slightly less powerful at the same BTU level. This is due to various reasons, from manufacturers inflating their listed BTU ratings to an air conditioner giving off heat that is not properly exhausted away from the cooled room. We recommend customers be conservative and buy slightly more AC than they think they might need.

Use this general rule of thumb. A portable AC that uses 9,000 BTUs will cool a 200-square-foot space. A PAC that uses 12,000 BTUs will cool a 400-square-foot space. Please note that this is only an estimation for a portable AC running in the most favorable room conditions. It does not take into account ceiling height (cubic space), insulation type (building construction), climate (ambient temperature), and heat load in the space (people, electronics, windows, etc.).

For example, you may need less BTU power if you live in a cooler region or only plan to use your PAC in the cooler evening hours. On the contrary, if you live in a warmer region or plan to use the unit during peak temperature hours you might require more BTU power. This is also true if you will be running multiple heat-generating appliances in the same room. You should also adjust your BTU requirement against the number of people who usually inhabit the room. Typically, each person will generate about 2,000 BTUs of heat. Lastly, consider the number of windows in your room as well as the location of the room. Does sunlight regularly shine through your windows to make the room feel naturally warm? All of these things can affect the cooling performance of your portable AC unit.

If you need help weighing these factors and ultimately making a decision about the right BTU power for your room, please call us at (800) 934-9194 for a detailed consultation.

Can I lengthen the exhaust hose?

In general, you should not lengthen the exhaust hose of a portable AC unit. Depending on the manufacturer, this may void your warranty and potentially cause your air conditioner to overheat.

Can I discharge the hot air out of a sliding glass door or sliding glass window?

Although most PACs come with window kits for traditional double-hung windows, only selected units will work with sliding glass doors and sliding glass windows. In some cases, this may require you to purchase additional accessories. Please read the product descriptions and contact us if you need further details.

What should I use to cool a server room?

Portable air conditioners are often used for supplemental cooling in computer server rooms or as the primary cooling source in these rooms on weekends, when central air conditioning may be shut off. Most server rooms do not have easy window access and may be interior rooms, which makes venting a complication. As a solution, you can direct the hot air discharge hose into a drop ceiling space or through a hole in the wall to an adjacent room. (Please call us to determine if this is possible for your application.)

Our most sophisticated commercial units have complete kits that allow you to easily discharge hot air into a drop ceiling while allowing the unit to remain at floor level. Less expensive residential units may also be used, but they must be elevated toward the ceiling to allow their hot air discharge hoses to reach full ceiling height.

I have a casement/crank out window, can I configure my PAC to exhaust air out of this type of window?

Unfortunately, there are no portable air conditioner units with a window kit that will fit a casement window. Some customers have creatively fashioned a solution using plexiglas to cover their entire window area. Then, they cut a small hole into the plexiglas for the hot air exhaust hose.

What electrical requirements do PACs have? What about energy consumption?

Most PACs use typical household 115-120 Volt power and require no special wiring or outlets. Of course, as air conditioners can draw a significant amount of energy, you must use caution not to overload a circuit with multiple high-energy-consumption devices. Some of the higher BTU PACs (14,000 BTU or higher) or the commercial-grade units may or may not require special outlets and wiring. Please see product descriptions for more information. Energy consumption will vary depending on the model and your environmental conditions.

Will a portable air conditioner work for multiple rooms?

It depends. Similar to a window-mounted air conditioner, a portable air conditioner is effective in cooling its immediate area. However, the cold air will not travel down the hallway or through narrow doorways. If a space has very large openings from one room to another, then it is possible that adjacent spaces may experience a slight cooling effect. Fans can also be used to help circulate the air for additional cooling coverage.

What is the difference between a single-hose design and a dual-hose design?

Some portable air conditioners have one hot air exhaust hose, and some have two air hoses: one for air intake and one for hot air exhaust. A single-hose unit will take air from the room that it is in, cool it, and return most of that air back into the room. During this process, a small amount of that air will be used to cool the unit and will be subsequently blown out of the air conditioner's exhaust hose. This creates slightly negative pressure within the room being cooled, as a small amount of air is constantly being removed from the room. If this negative pressure is anticipated by drawing unconditioned air into the room from adjacent spaces, then the cooling efficiency is slightly affected.

A dual-hose unit works by taking in air from the outside through one hose and using that air to cool the unit. The hot exhaust air is then expelled through the second hose. This process does not create negative pressure inside the room being cooled. However, there is a tradeoff. Dual-hose units use warmer, unconditioned air to cool their compressors, which results in slightly less efficiency. They also employ two internal fans, which can mean slightly higher energy usage. At this time, we have not seen conclusive evidence that either solution, single- vs. dual-hose, is better than the other when all factors are considered.

Do I have to remove my screen from the window when using my window kit?

The answer to this question varies based on your particular style of window and screen. However, most of our customers find that they can leave the screen in the window because the exhaust hose of their portable AC does not extend out from the window.

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