A portable air conditioner is undoubtedly a genius invention. Basically, it is an ideal machine to cool a single room. Also, a portable air conditioner is a great alternative for those homes where central air conditioning system is difficult.

This blog post emphasizes on the mechanism of portable air conditioners, and how do they actually provide cooling.

After going through the brief, you will have a clear idea of the actual process of a portable AC. 

What Are The Requirements Of A Portable Air Conditioner?

Every model of portable AC is different; therefore, each of them has different requirements. However, generally, most of them have an easy setup process.

Even portable air conditioners need to throw the hot air out. For that purpose, most of the units need a window to vent out the warm air. However, there are some models that may require a drop ceiling or a wall to exhaust the hot air out.

Once you set up the exhaust system, all you require is an electrical outlet to plug in the portable and turn it on.

Most of the portable air conditioners utilize 115/120 volt power. That is why such units don’t require any specific outlet or wiring system. However, units that utilize over 14000 BTUs, may need their own circuit. To be sure about this, it is necessary to go through the included guide.

Another important to remember is that since air conditioners consume a significant amount of electricity, it is not wise to other high-consumption devices on the same circuit; otherwise, there are chances that circuit may overload.

Can A Portable Unit Be Used In Several Rooms?

The capacity to cool more than one room depends on the unit.

Like a window AC, these units have the capacity to cool small areas, but it won’t be able to provide cooling to larger areas, like hallways.

The unit may provide cooling to a couple of rooms with a large opening, but you may experience chunks of cold and warm air in different parts of the room.

It is not wise to spend your investment over a large portable to cool a small room. There is a high chance that you may not even need a portable AC for that purpose. For that, research is a must before investing in such a thing.

Difference between a Single and Double Hose Unit

The mechanism of cooling by a portable air conditioner depends on the exhaust hose.

Every portable unit on the market will either boast one hose or two hoses.

Units with single hose take the warm air in and let it out through exhaust after the cooling process. But since a little bit of air is always taken out of the room, it results in negative pressure.

Units with double hose mean that there are two exhaust pipes. One brings the air from outside and the other vents the hot air out. Unlike single hose units, there are no chances of negative pressure; however such design and structure may result in less efficient performance.

Extending the exhaust hose

Extending the exhaust pipe is not recommended, as it is designed to make the unit function efficiently. Lengthening the hose can also result in an overheated unit.

Ventilation outlet Through Windows and Sliding Doors

With the help of included window kit, portable units can be vented to sliding glass windows.

Fitting window kits on sliding glass windows is actually difficult, as kits are not long enough to fit the height of a door.

If you still want to fit a portable air conditioner to a sliding glass window, it is recommended to use two kits. However, always make sure if these kits are compatible with your unit.

To install window kits is easy – you just need a screwdriver and a Styrofoam/plywood in case there is an opening left in the door.

Regardless of any installation methods, it is important to give included manual a read to avoid any complication in future.

Getting Rid Of Collected Moisture

As we know, besides cooling, one of the main functions of a portable AC is collecting humid air from the room. We know that there is a dedicated exhaust hose to vent the hot air out, but have you ever wondered how does a portable unit deal with collected moisture?

To get rid of the water, portable air conditioners have different ways.

Full-evaporative model

This version is considered an advanced one as units with full-evaporative model evaporates the moisture automatically. With this version, you won’t be facing any hassle of drawing the water out of the bucket. This model is quite common as it doesn’t involve any extra efforts for cleaning and maintenance. Some of the portable AC models that boast full-evaporative model are Avallon, DeLonghi, and Whynter.

Gravity Drain

In this version, a portable air conditioner boasts a drain hose to let the moisture out. These hoses are attachable and usually come included with the unit. What you need to do is just attach the hose to the drain on the AC and let the water draw out either in a bucket or on the floor.

Manual

A basic portable air conditioner will require manual efforts for water drainage. Such portable units have buckets within, and these require regular maintenance. You may need to empty them out every 8 hours. To clean, you must turn the AC off, remove the bucket out, draw the water out and then place it back.

We hope your queries have been answered.

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