Portable air conditioners are great cooling solutions for single rooms and can assist a struggling central HVAC system. They're commonly used in bedrooms, dens, computer rooms, garages, and many other places.
For easy accessibility to the topics in this article, use the list below:
- What is a portable air conditioner?
- What is required to set up a portable AC?
- How do portable air conditioners work?
- How do portable air conditioners drain water?
- What size air conditioner (BTU level) do I need?
- Can I lengthen the exhaust hose?
- Why do portable air conditioners have to be vented outside?
- Can I discharge the hot air out of a sliding glass door or sliding glass window?
- What should I use to cool a server room?
- I have a casement/crank-out window. Can I configure my PAC to exhaust air out of this type of window?
- What electrical requirements do portable ACs have? What about energy consumption?
- Will a portable air conditioner work for multiple rooms?
- What is the difference between a single-hose design and a dual-hose design?
- Do I have to remove my screen from the window when using my window kit?
- How loud are portable air conditioners?
What is a portable air conditioner?
A portable air conditioner (PAC) is a self-contained portable system ideal for cooling single rooms. They typically sit on the floor and come with an installation kit for quick setup. Most models also have wheels, so you can move them to different rooms, making them a nice alternative to window units.
What is required to set up a portable AC?
Requirements vary based on the model, but the setup is typically quick and painless. Since all portable ACs remove warm air and moisture as they cool, the air has to be exhausted to another location--generally outside through an included window kit. Window kits have a window slider and exhaust hose, which can easily be set up to exhaust warm air outside. Select models can also be vented into a drop ceiling or through a wall. Once you set up the exhaust hose and window kit, you can simply plug in your AC and start cooling!
For more information about venting your portable air conditioner, read our Knowledge Center article How to Vent Your Portable AC.
How do portable air conditioners work?
Portable air conditioners work by drawing hot air from a room into the unit and transferring it outside your home or building. Inside the portable air conditioner is a motor that cools the air that is circulated throughout the room.
An added bonus of portable air conditioners is that many can remove excess humidity from the air and release it out of the room via a hose.
How do portable air conditioners drain water?
We know PACs remove warm air and moisture from your air and that they exhaust warm air outside through a window kit. But what about the moisture? There are a few ways PACs deal with this condensate water:
- Fully Self-Evaporative Models: Advanced portable ACs automatically evaporate moisture out of the exhaust hose along with warm air. This means you'll very rarely (or never) have to deal with the collected condensate water. Brands with fully self-evaporative models include DeLonghi portable ACs and Whynter models.
- Gravity Drain and Condensate Pump: Another common way to get rid of collected moisture is to attach a drain hose. Simply attach the hose to the drain port and direct water into a drain or another location.
- Manual Removal: Standard portable air conditioners have buckets that need to be emptied periodically, from as often as every 8 hours to just once a month. Depending on your humidity and time of use, water will collect inside the unit, and you'll simply have to turn it off, empty the bucket, and then replace it before cooling starts again.
What size air conditioner (BTU level) do I need?
Similar to other types of room air conditioners, portable ACs measure their power in BTUs. The more BTUs of cooling power a PAC has, the more room it can cool. We typically classify our portable ACs according to the following room square footage guidelines:
- Small Rooms: Portable ACs with between 7,000 BTUs and 10,000 BTUs are ideal for small bedrooms, offices, or nurseries up to 300 square feet. View our portable ACs for small rooms
- Medium-Sized Spaces: Portable air conditioners in this category are best suited for cooling medium to large areas such as living rooms, sunrooms, or larger bedrooms. If your room is between 350 and 700 square feet, view our available models with 11,000 to 14,000 BTUs of cooling power.
- Large/Commercial Applications: These portable air conditioners work well in commercial and industrial applications, including large computer server rooms, manufacturing facilities, and special event spaces. Check out our available models for commercial applications.
For more in-depth information about choosing the best portable air conditioner, read our Portable Air Conditioner Buyer's Guide and our article, 5 Things to Consider When Buying a Portable Air Conditioner.
Can I lengthen the exhaust hose?
In general, you should not lengthen the exhaust hose of a portable AC. Depending on the manufacturer, this may void your warranty and potentially cause your air conditioner to overheat.
Why do portable air conditioners have to be vented outside?
Because portable air conditioners cool your room by extracting hot air from the space. In order to cool efficiently and effectively, the hot has to exit the room. If the warm air is not vented outside, it will stay in your room, negating the cool air that is entering your space.
Can I discharge the hot air out of a sliding glass door or sliding glass window?
Venting portable air conditioners through sliding glass doors is a little more complex than simple window installations. Standard window brackets are designed to be installed horizontally at the bottom of windows, but they can be installed vertically to fit sliding windows and sliding doors. Some modifications of the window bracket in order to install air conditioners for slider windows may be required.
For sliding windows, the bracket must be long enough to fit the opening. Units that feature double window brackets generally work well for sliding windows. Check out this handy video for a step-by-step guide on installing a portable AC in a sliding window.
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. We recommend portable ACs that use fully self-evaporative technology for these applications. This means that you will never have to manually remove collected condensation and can leave the portable AC running unattended. Other areas to consider include:
Most server rooms do not have easy window access and maybe 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.
I have a casement/crank-out window. Can I configure my PAC to exhaust air out of this type of window?
Unfortunately, portable air conditioner units with window kits that will fit a casement window are not available. 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 portable ACs 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 portable air conditioners may or may not require special outlets and wiring. Please read 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.
- Single-Hose Portable Air Conditioners: Takes air from the room it's in, cools it, and returns 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.
- Dual-Hose Portable Air Conditioners: Work 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. 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.
Do I have to remove the screen from the window when using my window kit?
Most of our customers can leave the screen in the window, because the exhaust hose of their portable AC does not extend out from the window. Check the product description for the PAC you're buying to make sure this is the case for you.
How loud are portable air conditioners?
Most portable air conditioners have decibel levels in the 40-60 decibels range. Several factors can influence the overall sound level of your portable AC including:
- Where in the room the air conditioner is placed.
- The speed at which the unit is running.
- Soundproofing or noise reducing capabilities found in the AC.
Still Have Questions?
For more information on a specific portable air conditioner or any of our other products that can improve your indoor air, review our extensive product listings and visit our Knowledge Center. Not sure what’s best for you? We can take the guesswork out of decision-making. Contact one of our air treatment specialists toll-free at 1-800-934-9194. We want to help make your indoor environment healthy and comfortable.
