by Morgan on May 11, 2010
As I mentioned in another post, choosing the right portable ac unit size is the most important when you want to purchase the best portable air conditioner for your own use. However, there are many other features of the portable air conditioner that are available in the market.
Here are some other things that you may want to look out for when you’re scoping for a unit:
a) Mobility
The best portable ac units are the ones that have caster wheels on them so that it is easy for you to cart them around if needed. This will make it easier for you to roll them around the house/ office when needed or in/ out of storage. I do however, do not recommend that you move your unit much once you set them up as they are rather heavy for a relatively small appliance.
b) Oscillating Louvers/ Multi directional Airflow
After my morning/ afternoon jog, I would be all sweaty and heated up. Having to come home to a cooled house wouldn’t be enough that only a direct blast of cool air on me would do the trick; all I have to do is direct the cooling air on me.
This shows that having oscillating louvers is an added advantage to have. So, I do think that having the option to have multi-directional airflow is a plus to not only for a quick cool off but also to allow better air circulation and faster cooling.
c) Remote Controls
I’m the classic couch potato especially when I’m at home. That is why I always go for appliances that comes with a remote control; I get the benefit of not getting up from the daybed change/ set the temperature, speed of the fan or mode of operation. I’m too lazy, aren’t I?
Sadly, these remote controls tend to malfunction more, which will then make even the best portable air conditioner useless as most that comes with remote controls don’t have manual ones on the body. Thankfully, most manufacturers provide warranties.
d) Efficiency
As with any other appliances, you would want your portable air conditioner to perform at its best with the most efficient usage of energy. Not only is it kinder to your pocket (the more energy efficient an appliance is, the less energy cost you will need to pay), it is also kinder to the Earth. So, get a model that has high energy efficiency ratio (EER), preferably something that is higher than a 10.
These are general guidelines that I’ve put together based on my experience using among the best portable air conditioners. I would recommend that you look what is available to you, then read reviews before buying anything so that you can make a more informed decision.
Related Posts:
As a unit that have good reviews from Epinions.com, this 10,000-BTU portable air conditioner is worth considering about. The Whynter SNO ARC-10D is adequate to cool a room that has an area of up to 250 sq. ft.
Whynter SNO 10,000-BTU Portable Air Conditioner
What owners love about the Whynter SNO ARC-10D is its ability to bring down the temperature of the room. Kris Neal wrote that it took 30 minutes for the portable ac to cool down “the overall area of the study is about 120 sq. ft., but I left the door to my server room open which added about 100 sq. ft. of open area.”
It is easy to assemble even for a “technically incompetent” person, like Sherry Lynette who reviewed the portable ac unit on Amazon.com, can take less than 15 minutes to have it functioning. Owners are also happy with the self-evaporating technology and a water tray to allow continuous drainage. Other than that, it has digital controls, a remote control, a 24-hour programmable timer and carbon filters to reduce odors.
But not all owners are happy. They are some owners who complained that the unit is too noisy and that it’s heavy. There are also some who complained that the self-evaporating technology doesn’t work on their unit.
However, L. Feldman from New York City provided some tips for unsatisfied owners:
a) for better circulation of the cold air, point the louvers upwards and place a small fan in front of the unit, also pointing upwards.
b) if you find that your self-evaporating function doesn’t work, raise your unit on a platform so that you can take advantage of the hose outlet at the bottom of the unit.
c)style a new window kit out of the Styrofoam packaging if you window kit melted off like his. Be creative and make a friend with duct tape.
d)put Mylar/ fiberglass insulating sleeve over your exhaust hose if your room is getting hotter instead of cooler.
The price of the Whynter SNO ARC-10D is low for a portable ac unit of this size. If you order one now from Amazon.com, you can get an 8% discount for a unit.
Related Posts:
If you’re overwhelmed by all the BTU numbers and can’t seem to decide between a 5,000 BTUs portable ac unit to another that has 16,000 BTUs. don’t worry. I’m coming to the rescue in your quest to get the best portable ac unit!
When it comes to portable ac, size matters and bigger does not always means better. There is no advantage in buying anything that is much too big than what you need; it may actually waste energy when the cycle turns on/ off too frequently (a smaller portable ac would cool down a room for a longer period) and performs less than what you would expect it to.
To choose the right best portable air conditioner size, I would recommend that you know these two things:
The size of the room in square feet
For a square/ rectangular room, get the size of the room by multiplying the length of the room by its width. If it’s triangular, multiply the length by the width of the room and divide that by 2. If you have an irregular shaped room, ask your developer or sales representative’s help to determine the room’s size.
Any other additional heating factors i.e. additional person that occupy the room, poor insulation. skylight etc.
Here are some tricks to determine the exact amount of BTU that you need:
- Heavily shaded room: -10% BTU
- Sunny Room: +10% BTU
- Additional persons occupying the same room: +600 BTU for each person (for more than two persons)
- Kitchen: +4000 BTU
- If you’ll be using the unit in multiple rooms, buy a unit accordingly to the largest sized room.
After determining the size of your room, consult the table below to determine the actual number of BTUs that your best portable ac unit would actually need. This is what is recommended by EnergyStar, a program that was initiated by the government to help businesses and individuals to protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.
| Area To Be Cooled (square feet) |
Capacity Needed (BTUs per hour) |
| 100 to 150 |
5,000 |
| 150 to 250 |
6,000 |
| 250 to 300 |
7,000 |
| 300 to 350 |
8,000 |
| 350 to 400 |
9,000 |
| 400 to 450 |
10,000 |
| 450 to 550 |
12,000 |
| 550 to 700 |
14,000 |
| 700 to 1,000 |
18,000 |
| 1,000 to 1,200 |
21,000 |
| 1,200 to 1,400 |
23,000 |
| 1,400 to 1,500 |
24,000 |
| 1,500 to 2,000 |
30,000 |
| 2,000 to 2,500 |
34,000 |
After knowing what you need, you can safely get what you need. Do take note that the recommended cooling capacity needed will vary between the manufacturers and it can be rather frustrating. However, to make things easier, get the best portable ac unit that has 20% more BTU units so that you wouldn’t caught short on hot days.
Of course, there are more to a best portable air conditioner than its cooling capacity. Read more about the other features that is available according to manufactured models here.
Related Posts:
Hi, welcome to my Best Portable Air Conditioners blog. I’m Morgan. Are you looking for a portable air conditioner? If you are, you’ve come to the right site. I have compiled a lot of information about portable air cond, including portable ac reviews, recommendations for the best portable air conditioners, and articles about how to choose the best portable ac.
Portable air conditioners are really convenient for offices, rented rooms and dorms. They are portable by wheels or casters, and they don’t need permanent installation, so you can bring them along when you move. That’s why people like them for temporary residence.
Portable air conditioners can be refrigeration based or evaporative. Refrigeration based portable ac are like car air conditioners, and exchanges heat with air. The condensed air becomes water that is collected in a bucket or drained through a hose. That also means that the air is dehumidified.
Evaporative portable air conds uses a cooling fin to evaporate water. The cool vapor is then released into the air to cool it.
Refrigeration based portable air conditioners are the true portable air conditioners. They either use a split system or a hose system. The split system is an indoor unit connected to an outdoor unit with flexible pipes, which makes them quite similar to the usual air conditioners that are permanently fixed.
The hose system vents the hot air outside through air ducts. Dual-duct units are more efficient than single-duct ones, so dual duct or dual hosed units are used in larger rooms compared to single hosed units.
Hose systems are either Air-to-air or Monoblock. Air-to-air is more convenient as the collected water is evaporated and discharged through the hose, while Monoblock will require you to empty the bucket when it’s full before it can run again. That means you can run Air-to-air continuously.
I hope that is not too overwhelming. That’s just a bit of introduction about portable acs, and might or might not help you in your purchase. I have written other articles on how to choose the best portable air conditioner, and also review them in my blog. Do check them out soon!