Portable AC

Air conditioner has become more and more in demand over the past years. For some people air conditioners are just one of the few necessities of life; especially during summer season. And because of that, just like some of the important things in everyday life, man’s inventive mind has gave way to portable air conditioners or portable ACs.

A portable AC unit is usually called “air conditioners with wheels”, thus allowing the said electrical appliance to be placed almost anywhere on the house or building. Portable air conditioner units offer great cooling effects at a significantly low cost when it comes to installation and maintenance. However, portable air conditioners are much more expensive compared to window air conditioner or through the wall air conditioning units. And some brands are far more expensive because of their added features. Some portable AC units have dehumidifiers while some even have heaters to raise the temperature of a room during cold seasons. Portable AC units with added features are more economical since they can be used all year round.

Portable air conditioning units are available with capacities ranging from 6,000 BTUs to 8,000 BTUs. BTU stands for “British Thermal Unit. It is used for measuring the power of cooling systems or air conditioning systems. A regular portable air conditioning unit is usually 30 inches high and weighs more or less 80 pounds. One of the most notable features of a portable air conditioning unit is that it does not require any installation. It is rolled on the floor and you don’t have to make a hole on the wall or use a window just to use these types of air conditioning system.

Portable air conditioners also help you save money because with the portable AC, you can cool down the only one room, unlike the central air conditioning system wherein all of the areas of a structure are cooled down; As a result, will lower your electric bill. However it is important to remember that a portable AC unit needs more power or BTUs in order to lower the temperature of an enclosed area or room than a window or through the wall air conditioning unit. For example, with the window air conditioning unit, lowering the temperature of an enclosed room that has an area of 300 square feet, it only needs 8,000 BTUs while a typical portable AC unit will need almost 10,000 BTUs.

Portable air conditioning units also has disadvantages. They are much more expensive than the window based or through the wall air conditions that has the same cooling power. And compared to central air conditioning systems and mini-split air conditioning systems, portable air conditioners are quiet loud because the compressor of the central air conditioning and mini split air conditioning systems are on a separate component and are placed outside.

It is common knowledge that air conditioners eat lots of energy. On the other hand, recent developments in the field of air conditioning have allowed air conditioning units to be energy efficient. In choosing the right kind of portable AC unit, always look at the EER of the air conditioning unit. EER stands for Energy Efficiency Ratio. If the EER of the air conditioning unit is high then it is efficient. And it is advisable that you choose an air conditioning unit with an “Energy Star”. Air conditioning with Energy Star meets the US Department of Energy guidelines on energy efficiency, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency’s guidelines.

Having a portable air conditioning unit allows you to take the benefits of air conditioning wherever you want. Portable air conditioning systems allow the user to control of which area to cool down. So if you are planning to have air conditioning on your house or office but are having second thoughts because of the large costs of installing and maintenance of central air conditioning. Then, portable air conditioners are just right for you.