When the weather gets warmer, it can often feel as though we have no option for getting cool (not that this happens often in the British summer!)
If you find yourself desperately sitting in the shade and opening the freezer more often that necessary, you may want to look into portable air conditioner pros and cons.
Portable Air Conditioner Pros And Cons
Portable air conditioning units have good sides and bad sides – like everything else in life! Let’s have a look into both.
Pros:
- They are portable. Being able to move them from room to room, based on where you are, is a very helpful feature.
- Easy installation. As long as you have some basic DIY skills, you should be able to install your portable air conditioner with no problems.
- Affordable. Compared to some other air conditioning options, a portable unit is very cost effective.
- Non permanent. You don’t have to worry about spoiling the look of your house with a permanent installation of an air conditioning unit – this is ideal for renters.
Cons:
- Noise. The compressor and fan inside the unit can be quite loud, which can impact on the general comfort of your living arrangements.
- Size. Most portable air conditioner units are most suitable for small to medium sized spaces, so if you are trying to cool a large area it may not be particularly effective.
- Needs ventilation. These units need to have a hose that exits the house, so they need to be sited near a window.
A portable air conditioning unit is a great option to help keep you cool – as long as you have had a good think and worked out if it suits your home.
For anyone who wants to know more about how a portable air conditioner works, this video is for you:
What Is The Downside To A Portable Air Conditioner?
A portable air conditioner is a great idea to keep me cool, you may think… And yes, it is – but there are a few things you have to think about!
A portable air conditioner doesn’t need as much installation as one of the bigger, more permanent versions, but it does still require some setting up.
They have a hose that needs to be outside the house to expel the hot air, meaning that they will need an installation kit and to be placed near a window.
If you have a large, open plan house in which you are planning to use your portable air conditioner, you may be disappointed.
They are designed for smaller spaces, and might not have enough “oomph” to cool down larger rooms with high ceilings.
Is A Portable Air Conditioner Worth It?
If you really struggle to beat the heat and you need something to keep you cooler, a portable air conditioner can be the answer to your prayers.
They are great at cooling smaller houses and rooms, and they can really help take the edge off a scorching day, this is definitely true.
However, they are quite bulky and heavy! In theory you can move them around, but you might need a fair bit of muscle power to do so.
Also, they will need to stay close to the hose that lets the hot air out of the house, so you cannot actually move them too far.
A portable air conditioner is great for if you are wanting to cool a small space, like a flat or apartment, or a single room.
However, if you are trying to cool your entire open plan house, you may run into problems – often, portable air conditioners are just not up to the job.
This article shows you how effective a portable air conditioner is, when compared to a fan.
Does Portable AC Use A Lot Of Electricity?
In a word, yes they do. It takes a lot of power to cool a room down, especially if it is particularly hot outside!
Portable air conditioners actually have extremely low energy efficiency, therefore they can end up being pretty expensive to run.
A standard portable air conditioner that cools 250 square feet of space will generally consume between 900 and 1100 watts. This is equivalent to using your microwave 24/7!
You can absolutely use your portable air con unit as much as you like, but do be aware that it will use a lot of power.
It may well be that you only use your portable AC unit for a short time every year, when the weather gets warm, in which case the extra money spent can be justified as you will be more comfortable.
However, if you are planning on using it 24/7, it might be an idea to look into a more sustainable way of keeping cool.
Is It Ok To Run Portable AC All Night?
You may think that you should turn off your air conditioning unit at night to save on electricity – but actually, you may not need to. Read on…
In order to keep your room cool, the AC unit must first remove the heat stored in walls, furniture and appliances. It needs to be on for a good while to do this!
If your air is especially humid, this will add to the work that your unit is doing, meaning that it will have to be left on for longer to be effective.
Continuous use is actually better for your portable air conditioning unit, as it will have got the temperature in the room to a base level, and if you turn it off then it has to start all over again.
Most AC units will shut down automatically when the room reaches the desired temperature, so leaving it on all night won’t mean that you wake up feeling as though you’re in the Arctic!
You don’t need to live in the Sahara Desert to feel too warm and really wish for a portable air conditioner to help you get through hot weather!
Now that you have a better idea about portable air conditioner pros and cons, hopefully you can make the choice as to whether you want one.
