With the rising temperatures, most of us can’t get away with using just ceiling fans to cool down. Temperatures seem more likely to rise before cooling off, and we know exactly how an increasingly warm home or apartment can cause mood swings and crankiness. And we don’t want that, especially if you have a room, kitchen or hallway area with no cooling systems already in place or an area with no provision to support installing a fixed AC unit.

Enter portable air conditioners- they’re like the sweet spot in between a fan and an AC (with a more energy efficient option). It goes without saying that portable air conditioners are easy to install, add instant cooling, and come with loads of features for simple operation.

It’s the perfect investment to keep your home cool if you’re looking to spend within a certain budget. Portable Air Conditioners cool those hot blind spots around your home where you are likely to spend most of your time.

In this article, we’re going to tell you the 5 top things to think about when buying a portable air conditioner.

1. What size portable air conditioner do I need?

It’s important to buy a portable AC that’s perfect for your space to ensure you don’t waste energy or your money on one that can’t instantly cool your room. When choosing a new air conditioner, you’ll need to calculate the amount of tonnage your unit will need to adequately cool your property. You can estimate this by using a simple calculation:

To estimate your AC tonnage needs, multiply the number of square feet you’re cooling times 25. This equals the total number of BTUs (British thermal units) you need to adequately cool your space. Next, divide that number by 12,000 to determine the minimum tonnage capability you need in your new air conditioning unit.

As a rule of thumb, the higher the number of BTUs or tonnage (a measurement used to determine how powerful the portable AC needs to be), the bigger the room it will cool. The maximum tonnage of portable ACs before they are deemed too big to be portable is 18,000 BTU or 1.5 tonnes.

2. How easy is it to install a portable air conditioner?

Portable air conditioners are quite easy to install. The best part is setting it up doesn’t require a dedicated installation team, you can simply plug and play your device. Unlike window or split air conditioners that require technicians to properly set up the unit with adequate ventilation in a room to support the device.

Many portable AC models come with a window bracket kit to expel warm air outside. This normally means most portable ACs need to be plugged in within a few feet of a window to be able to use the bracket kit.

Placing them next to a window is the easiest and quickest way to install them with maximum efficiency, but you also have other options such as facing the outlet duct pipe away from the room being cooled.

3. Is it energy efficient?

With summer comes increasing electricity bills, which is not fun at all! The best part of a portable AC is that it offers unmatched energy efficiency, meaning that it uses less energy, which in turn, cuts down your electricity bills. WIN, WIN! Portable units provide better control of temperature setting and act as a quick cooling device as opposed to the continuous running of standard AC units.

You might even start to use the central air conditioner less, which means a lower electricity bill.

4. How much maintenance does a portable AC require?

Like all appliances you invest in, you’ll need to take care of your portable AC. But this isn’t as complicated as you’d think it to be. The only maintenance you really have to do is draining the collected moisture. All portable ACs pull moisture out of the air as they cool; it’s just a part of the process.

Watch this video to learn more on the do’s and dont’s of taking care of your portable AC.

Summing Up

The obvious reason to get a portable air conditioner is of course- portability. You can easily move them between rooms making it a handy appliance for when unannounced guests stay the night.

Find the perfect portable air conditioner to suit your needs here.