Can’t stand the heat anymore, but can’t afford a split air conditioning installation? The portable air conditioner will cool your home for less money and without having to carry out works. With this guide you will know everything you must take into account when buy a portable air conditioner.
If there is no summer in which you are hot, portable air conditioners are an ideal alternative to cool any room in your home, without complicated works or installations. In the market you will find different models, powers and prices.
For this reason, I recommend that you read this guide to the end before buying a portable air conditioner, as it will help you choose the one that best suits your needs. If you also take advantage of the discount on aires de Klimaelectricyou will save money and you will be able to refresh your house without your economy suffering.
How do portable air conditioners work?
A portable air conditioner works in a similar way to a wall-mounted split, but it concentrates the indoor and outdoor unit in the same device. Its operation is very simple and basically consists of:
- Extract hot air from the environment, which enters the appliance through slots
- Cool it thanks to tubes with refrigerant inside
- Expel the already cooled air into the room
- Blow the uncooled air outside the house, so they should be placed next to a window or balcony
Thus, the sensation of freshness is practically immediate nothing else connects the device. In addition, thanks to its temperature sensor, it can be configured to reach a certain temperature in the room and keep it constant.
Types of portable air conditioner
There are different types of portable air conditionerbeing the most common:
- Single duct or monoblock monotube air conditioning. It consists of a flexible tube that expels the hot air generated in the condensation and that is placed in the window. It is economical and it is the most common, although not the most effective since by taking in the air from the room itself, it is also expelling part of the already cooled air.
- Double duct or double pipe monoblock air conditioner. It consists of two flexible tubes: one of them takes in the air from the street to condense it and generate cold air, and the other expels the hot air from the condensation. It is more expensive, but more efficient and low consumption.
- Equipment with outdoor unit or split portable air conditioner. The condensing unit is separate and is placed outside, communicating with the indoor unit through a tube placed in the window. It is the most expensive, but also the lightest and quietest, since the compressor is outside and the air conditioner is inside.
On the other hand, we must differentiate between a portable air conditioner and a portable air conditioner. The second have a similar operation to that of a fan and do not have any connection tube with the outside. Basically, it collects air from the room and cools it by passing it through a compartment with cold water or ice.
Although an air conditioner is light and cheap, it only manages to lower the temperature of the room by a few degrees. In addition, it increases the level of humidity and they are not highly recommended in climates that are already humid.
Advantages of portable air conditioner
Among the main advantages of having a portable air conditioner stand out:
- It does not require work or reform for its installation. Normally, they come with an adapter so that the flexible tube can be placed and cover the rest of the window hole. You can also choose to make a hole the size of the tube in the glass, to be able to take it outside without having to open the window.
- They are ideal for rental homes, since in this way you avoid spending money installing wall-mounted air conditioning equipment that you cannot take with you if you change your address frequently.
- Its maintenance is very simple, you just have to clean the filters periodically to avoid the accumulation of moisture and dirt.
- Different rooms can be cooled without having to install several fixed units, since it can be easily transported from one room to another.
- Some models are capable of humidifying and purifying the air through antibacterial filters. In this way, problems of dryness in the respiratory tract are avoided and the levels of allergens in the home can be reduced.
What portable air conditioner should I buy?
The main features What you should take into account when buying a portable air conditioner are:
- Surface in square meters that you want to air-condition. Normally, between 100 and 140 frigories per square meter are needed, depending on whether the house is more or less hot.
- The energy category of the device, being recommended those with an A or A+ classification, as well as an EER (energy efficiency factor in cooling mode) of 2.6 or higher.
- The number of decibels. The cheapest devices are also usually the loudest, and it is recommended that they have between 40 and 55 dB so as not to be annoying.
- The extras such as remote control, programming and timer, fan mode, heat pump to reverse its operation and provide heat to take advantage of it also in winter, etc.
In short, when buying a portable air conditioner you should bear in mind that equipment with an outdoor unit is the most efficient and quiet, but its cost is also much higher, while devices with two tubes are the most recommended for its good price/efficiency ratio.
In addition, the square meters of the room must be taken into account to choose equipment with the appropriate power. Finally, when you hesitate between two or more pieces of equipment with similar characteristics and functions, select the one with the lowest decibels since it will improve your well-being.
Tricks to save with your portable air conditioner
One of the disadvantages of portable air conditioners is that they consume between 1,000 and 2,000 kW/hour. For reduce consumption and save on the electricity billTake note of these tips and tricks:
- The ideal temperature of a room should be between 22 and 25 degrees, but keep in mind that each degree you drop means an 8% increase in your bill.
- Keep the filters clean because if they do not perform their function well, the device will consume more electricity.
- When the air is on, close the doors and windows of the room so that it is better heated.
- Insulate the windows with awnings, blinds, weather stripping, etc., to prevent heat from entering from the outside and keep the interior cool.
- In summer, ventilate the house at dawn or at night and use the appliances that produce heat (oven, iron…) in the less hot hours of the day.
I hope that this guide has solved your doubts when it comes to choosing a portable air conditioner. Do not forget that you will find many more DIY and decoration guides for your home at
