Portable Air Conditioner: Keep Cool!

Air conditioners are great things.  If you live in the desert out west or in the southeast with their muggy hot summers, an air conditioner can mean the difference between comfortable productivity and unpleasantly waiting for the evening in the heat.  In regions that have months and months of 90 degree days and above, a central air conditioning system is almost a necessity.  Central air conditioning is a great thing, but it can be quite expensive, both in the installation cost and the maintenance cost.   If you live in an area that doesn’t have constant high temperatures in the summer, it may not be cost effective to install a complete air conditioning system.  You may also have a large house, which is great, unless you have to cool the entire house on a daily basis during the summer – especially if you spend most of your time in a single room.  This is where a portable air conditioner can be extremely useful.  Not as powerful (or expensive) as central air conditioning, they are usually designed to cool a single room (depending on the size), not an entire house.  Portable air conditioners usually fit in windows, but can be removed during cooler months if desired and are perfect if you just want to cool a single room or only want to use air conditioning for a few months a year.

Fortunately, there are many portable air conditioners available and a selection of some of the best selling models is listed below:

The bestselling EdgeStar Portable Air Conditioner is a very compact appliance that generates a steady flow of cold air and can fit in nearly any space.  Not designed for large rooms, it can keep a 150-225 square foot room (depending on the outside temperature) nice and cool and it also offers a dehumidifying function (up to 71 pints of water a day!) and a three speed fan.  Other features include an adjustable twenty-four hour timer, and adjustable digital thermostat control and a window kit (38” max).  The bestselling EdgeStar Portable Air Conditioner is also environmentally friendly and meets RoHS (restriction of hazardous substances) standards

The NewAir AF-310 Portable Air Conditioner is a very nicely priced multifunctional appliance that can circulate, humidify, purify and cool air. It includes multiple air speeds and cooling modes so you can set it up to your own personal taste.  Unlike some of the more powerful (and more expensive) air conditioners, this one uses an evaporative cooling system (swamp cooler) instead of cooling elements, so it doesn’t cool as intensely as some of the others, but it is more portable than most and also uses less electricity – great if you just want to cool down a few degrees and want something more than a fan.  It also features an ionizer that refreshes indoor air with negative ions and helps to remove pet dander, pollen and dust.

This 11,000 BTU portable air conditioner is a powerful machine.  It can cool rooms of up to 350 square feet and also includes a dehumidifier that can process 51 pints of water a day.  To save money, much of this water is recycled to help cool the cooling coils and any leftover moisture exits through the exhaust vent so the built in reservoir fills very slowly (if it becomes full, the machine will turn off and a warming light will turn on).  Other features include dual hoses, one for intake and one for exhaust, preventing negative pressure (negative pressure results in outside air being pulled back into the room), an adjustable digital thermostat control, LCD display and even a remote control to make it easy to use.  It can also be programmed up to 24 hours for more effective cooling.

The Haier Portable Air Conditioner is great for smaller rooms, effectively cooling up to 200 square feet.  It is a compact air conditioner that puts out 8000 BTUs of cooling power.  It can be set to three comfort modes, fan, dehumidify and cool.  Other features include casters to allow it to be easily moved around the house, three speeds, a 24-hour timer, an easy to use remote,  and the ability to fit it into most windows (an installation kit is included).  It is also environmentally friendly and uses non-ozone depleting cooling chemicals as well as being RoHS (restriction of hazardous substances) compliant.

The NewAir AC10000E Portable Air Conditioner is a compact and powerful air conditioner that features 10,000 BTUs of cooling power. Great for bedrooms, single offices and other medium to small rooms. The AC10000E also features self-evaporative technology that greatly reduces condensate buildup and eliminates the extra moisture. Additional features include a sleek, compact and portable design, easily adjustable electronic controls, an easy to read LCD Screen, adjustable louvers, rolling casters for easy transport, and variable speed options so you can customize the cooling. An extendable window kit is included and can be set up within minutes.

Frigidaire is one of the classic names in cooling and this powerful portable air conditioning unit is no exception.  One feature that sets it apart from other models is that it can both cool a room in summer and heat the room in winter!  It can also heat or cool larger rooms than most portable air conditioners and is rated for 640 square feet.  The FRA12EPT1 (one would think they could have come up with a more interesting name!) also features both electronic controls, a remote control, an antimicrobial filter to help reduce bacteria, pollen, pet dander and other particles, three speed settings (for both heating and cooling), and a swing air direction control.