Sarah on April 29, 2014 1 Comment When the temperatures reach blistering levels, your comfort relies heavily on your air conditioning system. Regardless of what type of system you use, it is essential that it is functioning properly. If a portable air conditioner is your method of air conditioning, there are a few common complaints that can easily be remedied or avoided altogether. 1. My portable air conditioner is not cooling my room The most common complaint is that portable air conditioners do not cool the intended room. Quite often this is a case of using an incorrectly sized portable AC for the room’s square footage. If your room size is too large for the amount of BTU’s your portable air conditioner is equipped with, then it will not adequately cool the desired room. On the flip side, if your portable air conditioner has a BTU rating that is too high for the size of your room, it will cause the AC to cycle off before the room is cooled. See our article on calculating BTU’s for guidance in selecting the right portable air conditioner for your needs. There are some other common causes that can affect the cooling efficiency of your portable air conditioner. If the ambient temperature is already extremely high, your portable AC will have to work overtime trying to cool to the desired temperature, which it may not reach until the ambient temperature lowers. It is best to turn on the unit in the morning while the temperature is cooler. This will allow the unit to cool the room to the desired temperature and remain there throughout the day. Next, there could be excess frost on the coils or evaporators. Simply allow the evaporator to defrost and the unit should begin functioning properly. Finally, check your filter. If there is particle build up, it can hinder the effectiveness of your portable AC. It is recommended that you change your filter every three months. In some cases the compressor or motor could be malfunctioning. If this is indeed the issue, a professional may be needed to perform the necessary repairs. 2. My portable air conditioner is noisy Like most appliances in your home, a portable air conditioner has a compressor, so avoiding noise completely is impossible. There are some steps you can take to reduce the noise your portable AC generates. First, before you purchase a portable AC, check the decibel rating. You want to look for a unit with a decibel rating in the 48-55 dB range. Next, most portable AC’s have multiple fan speeds. The higher the fan speed, the noisier the unit will be. Keep the fan speed on high when you are not in the room and turn it to a lower setting when you are in the room. Lastly, place your portable air conditioner on a rug or blanket as opposed to tile or hard wood floors. The noise from the unit is caused from the internal vibration of the motor so placing it on a softer surface will absorb some of that vibration. 3. My portable air conditioner is not as energy efficient as I had hoped The energy efficiency of a portable air conditioner is measured by its Energy Efficiency Ratio, more commonly known as EER. The higher the EER, the more energy savings for you. EER is calculated by dividing BTU’s by Watts. For example, a 14,000 BTU portable AC with a wattage of 1,250 would have an EER of 11.2. It is recommended that you purchase a portable air conditioner with an EER above 10.0 for optimal energy savings. If you are having an issue with your unit and the above tips don’t remedy the issue, please give our Customer Service Representatives a call at 1.800.297.6076.
