Portable Air Conditioners, An Often Overlooked Alternative To Central Air Conditioning

With summer around the corner many of us are once again thinking about air conditioners and what options we have to deal with the inevitable heat that we know will hit soon. Do we make the big investment and get a central air conditioning system installed and the recurring costs associated with it or do we settle for one of the less expensive alternatives like a portable air conditioner or window air conditioner.

Portable cooling is a very good alternative to having a central air conditioning system installed in your home. Central air conditioners can be very expensive to purchase. Maintaining and servicing these types of systems is an added cost that you have to take into consideration as well as the purchase price.

Central air conditioners require seasonal maintenance by a knowledgeable tradesperson. Filters have to be changed every three months or so and if this equipment breaks down repairs can be costly.

Portable air conditioners have evolved to become very energy efficient, affordable, and they blend in very well with their surroundings. Some of the other features that make them such an attractive alternative to the more expensive central systems is that most have wheels for easy mobility, many have remote controls for changing temperature settings and fan speeds and if you wish, you can get one with auxiliary heat.

Portable air conditioners have filters that you remove and wash with water, eliminating the cost of replacement filters which could cost as much as twenty dollars each depending on your requirements.

Portable air conditioners are also great for supplemental cooling. If you currently have a central air conditioning system and it won’t do the job on the hottest days of summer. If you are not prepared to invest in a new central system, a portable air conditioner will deliver the additional cooling capacity that the old and tired central system can’t manage.

Many people work at home and have home offices with computers and other office equipment that creates additional demand on central units that they were not designed to handle. A portable air conditioner is perfect for this type of environment also.

When selecting a portable air conditioner or a window air conditioner it is very important to size the unit for the room it will be servicing. If you purchase a unit that does not have enough cooling capacity for the space it is required to cool it will operate continually and not cool the space enough to keep you comfortable.

If the air conditioner is oversized it will short cycle. Short cycling is when the compressor cycles of and on too many times in a given time period. This increases wear on the equipment. An added benefit of a properly sized air conditioner is that it will help to maintain a lower humidity level. When an air conditioning system short cycles the dehumidification process is eliminated. Some suppliers recommend that you purchase the largest capacity unit but this is never a good idea.

Try our air conditioner sizing calculator to make sure that you select the best portable air conditioner or window air conditioner for your needs.