Make
no mistake about it, portable air conditioners are no substitute
for central air conditioning, but like conventional window
air conditioners, they are good for spot cooling and they
dehumidify the air. In addition, they offer some interesting
advantages. We tried out one recently in the toughest of conditions;
A 90 degree plus week in Boston with the humidity level off
the charts. The air conditioner was used in a 350 sq ft bedroom with 8-foot
ceilings. It was used in a room which was "centrally
air conditioned" but where the temperature was initially
81 degrees and humidity 51%.
Pluses
- Compared to the annual "get down on
ones knees and beg one's husband" to install the heavy
window air conditioner, we installed the window duct kit
with lightening speed, simplicity and convenience. What's
more, the usual desecration of the window with endless duct
tape, screws and holes just magically disappeared. If for
nothing else, in order to avoid our usual annual air conditioning
hassles, this unit was worth it.
- We estimated that the cooling ability of
this machine was no worse or better than most window air
conditioners. It seemed to pull the humidity down in the
room about 5-7% and the temperature 3 to 5%. The overall
effect was certainly a distinct improvement in comfort level.
- This air conditioner is on castors so it
can be stored quite neatly in a closet and wheeled out when
needed. What a relief!
- We were amazed at how much water this air
conditioner pulled out of the air- about one gallon every
6 hours - which made a huge difference to the comfort level
in the room. The plastic container for the water had a convenient
handle and was easy to empty.
- The unit was no louder than a regular air
conditioner, which is to say, not quiet but at a sound level
to be expected. My husband hates noise, so he complained
as per usual while I thought it was fine, noise wise.
- Putting the fan onto oscillating mode was
one of the best features of this machine. We could pull
the unit out away from the wall and receive a nice icy cold
blast when desired.
- The connecting venting hose for the duct
kit was expandable and contractible, which added to its
neatness.
Minuses
- The machine switches itself off when the
jug is full of water. It lasted 6 hours and we wished it
had lasted for 8 hours.
- Read the manual carefully and be sure to
put it on "cool mode". We skipped the manual and
then wondered why the air blowing out did not seem cool
enough.
- Be careful when reinserting the jug to catch
the dehumidified water extracted from the air. The arrow
is scarcely visible and for about 3 hours we dehumidified
water all over the floor. Our fault for being careless,
but it was a mess.
- We did test this machine out in the most
adverse of conditions but I personally was a bit disappointed
that the temperature could not be brought down further.
You need to understand that this is all a matter of personal
comfort. My husband said the unit was making him too chilly,
while I felt it was still too warm. We both agreed that
the decrease in humidity was even more important than temperature.
Summary
After diligently critiquing this
air conditioner all week, we initially looked at each
other and decided this one was a keeper. We were now spoiled.
There was no way we wanted to lug that heavy window air conditioner
out of the closet and butcher the window again. The window
air conditioner could just languish in the closet for another
year! We did end up thinking that for convenience, we might
want to try using a hose to drip the water out the window
but never got that far.
However, urged by our office to do comparative
testing, we reluctantly removed the portable AC unit and put
in our conventional window air conditioning unit with the
same BTUs. The window unit was much more effective under comparable
conditions. It dehumidified much faster and achieved the required
"freezing room" feel to our bedroom in less than
two hours. I was able to sleep with some covers over me for
the first time in two weeks. But we went through the usual
hassles of imploring for a little male muscle, lugging it
out of the closet, and damaging the window frame. Make your
own choice.
See all the portable air conditioners at Allergybuyersclub.com
First Published: mid July 2003
Updated: April 2007
Send this article to a friend
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ..................................................
