Types of Room Air Conditioners

In many parts of the country, the hot summer months can be almost unbearable without a proper cooling system in place. These days, many homes and offices are equipped with central air conditioners to provide seasonal cooling. However, these appliances can notoriously work overtime, eating up your energy budget, often just to cool only the few rooms in which you spend the majority of your time. If this scenario applies to you—or if you don't currently have a central AC and you're looking for a less expensive alternative—look no further than a room air conditioner.

Portable air conditioners are freestanding floor systems that cool a space by pulling in fresh air, removing heat and dehumidifying it, and returning it into your space while exhausting hot air. To cool properly, portable AC systems must be configured to release hot air outside through a window—such as a vertical sash or sliding-style window—a specially created wall hole, or upward through a drop ceiling plenum. Almost all portable air conditioners come with a window kit and exhaust accessories that allow you to easily set up the exhaust configuration.

In contrast, window AC units are designed to be installed inside a vertical sash window or, in some cases, through a measured and prepared wall hole. These appliances sit on top of the window frame in a partially opened window—or on the wall frame—with the hot air exhaust system facing outside and the cool air return system facing inside.

Very similar to window air conditioners, thru-the-wall air conditioners are window-style ACs designed instead to install through a wall inside a chassis sleeve. In many cases, through-wall units can be installed flush with a wall for a streamlined appearance. Through-wall ACs differ from window ACs mainly in their housing design, cooling capacity, and weight. Unlike window units, thru-wall units typically do not have venting mechanisms on each side of the housing. This is because the venting grilles would be blocked in a through-wall application, which would lower the unit's cooling efficiency. Through-wall ACs are typically available in higher cooling capacities than window AC models and weigh slightly more.

Popular for their high-efficiency cooling, ductless air conditioners provide quiet, unobtrusive cooling for multiple "zones" within a home, office, or commercial space. Unlike portable AC units and window-style ACs, mini-split air conditioners are not self-contained appliances. They also do not require ducting like central air conditioners. These systems have two basic parts: a large condenser unit that installs outdoors and one or more compact wall-mountable blower units that are placed strategically inside the space(s), or zones, you want to cool.

When installed, insulated conduit housing the refrigeration lines runs from the outside condenser unit to the blower system(s) indoors. Each wall-mounted blower system can be controlled independently to provide comfortable room cooling right where you need it. Ductless mini-split system air conditioners are known for their high cooling efficiency, quiet operation, and slim profiles in your space.