Jeff Flowers on June 1, 2018 15 Comments Should You Purchase a Portable or Window Air Conditioner? When the temperature starts to rise, most people rely on their air conditioning units to keep their homes and offices at a comfortable temperature. There are a number of options on the market when it comes to the type of unit you use. If you aren’t sure if you should use a portable or a window model, here are a few guidelines that might help you. How A/C Units Work Before making any decisions, it is a good idea to have a basic understanding regarding how air conditioners work. No matter if you have a portable or window unit, both take a gas, convert it to a liquid and then convert it back to a gas again. Essentially, a unit utilizes chemicals called refrigerants. These liquid substances absorb the heat from the air as it passes over a set of coils and works to chill indoor air. As the refrigerant absorbs the heat, it changes from a liquid to a gas. A compressor then pressurizes the gas that creates a heat that is evacuated elsewhere, usually outside. A portable unit uses an exhaust pipe that funnels the air out your window. A window unit is already outside and simply expunges the hot air that way. Determining Your Needs Now that you have a basic understanding on how air conditioners work, you can start to assess your current needs to determine which kind of unit will best cool your space. There are two main factors that will affect your decision: The size of your space. Where you want to install the unit. Many home and business owners already have a central air conditioning unit installed. However, these systems tend to be costlier than they need to be, as they work to cool a large space that is not always occupied. Whether you choose a portable or a window unit, you will almost certainly save money on your energy bills as you can shut off your A/C and just cool one room at a time. You do not need to totally replace your central unit with either a portable or window model. Many people choose to use these alternatives to supplement what their existing units already do. This is especially helpful when your air conditioner does not cool your home evenly, or if you prefer to have a single space such as your bedroom cooler at night. Why Choose a Portable AC Unit One of the most attractive features of a portable air conditioner is that it is extremely easy to install. You will receive a window kit through which you will place a small exhaust. This is so the heat removed from the air in your room can be evacuated. Some homeowners’ associations ban the use of window units because they hang outside of a window. Portable air conditioners do not have any pieces that will protrude from your window, therefore will not violate such regulations. Thanks to the unit’s mobility, you can move it from room to room depending on where you are and which area needs attention. Unlike a window unit that is installed and tends to remain in one spot, you can move your portable unit from your bedroom upstairs to your study downstairs should the need arise. Another advantage of a portable air conditioner is that it has more flexible installation options. It can easily be moved from window to window as you want to cool different rooms. Furthermore, you can actually easily install through a door using an extended portable air conditioner installation kit. Lastly, you can also install a portable air conditioner to vent through a ceiling using a ceiling vent kit. A ceiling vent installation is extremely common with installing a portable air conditioner in a server room. Why Choose a Window AC Unit On the other hand, a window unit is stored entirely outside of your living space, which is attractive to some people who like the idea of reducing clutter. What’s more, a window air conditioner actually uses energy more efficiently than a portable unit does. That means you get even more cooling power per BTU. When you are looking at window units, pay attention to the BTU rating. The higher that number is, the bigger the room the unit can cool. Window units, like portable units, can come with a number of features such as digital thermostats, remotes and timers. All of these conveniences may help you make your decision as well. It is important to note that some window air conditioner can also be installed through the wall which does not require an actual window space. In order for this type of installation, you will need to purchase a Through-the-Wall Window Air Conditioner that has a specific kit that allows the unit to fit that particular type of area. Things to Consider When Choosing an Air Conditioner Some people may decide that the noise level of the unit is important. Air conditioners are notorious for making a humming sound when they kick on. While there is no discernible difference between portable and window devices, you can find differences between specific models. If the noise factor is important to you, look for the decibel (dB) rating on the product information. When choosing between two models, you would want to pick the unit with the lower dB rating. Either a portable or a window air conditioning unit is a great tool for efficiently cooling your home. Both devices can actually reduce your energy bills in warmer months. By assessing your needs and taking into account the benefits of each, you can make a right decision between the two.
Bob Evans says December 11, 2018 at 1:38 pm Does anyone make a window air conditioner that has a condensation exhaust system? Reply
Glen says May 25, 2019 at 7:11 pm You mean that takes the condensation, drains it over the condenser coil to evaporate it as the fan blows through it? That would take a condensate pump, would be a much more expensive air conditioner, and no one would buy it. I install 100’s a summer, and know of no such a/c. If you’re a/c is installed properly, the fan on most, picks up condensate, and flicks it on the condenser coil, which cools better, and reduces the drippage. Reply
Julian Franklin says June 19, 2019 at 5:17 am Window units automatically drip the condensate outside. The portable unit we have has a condensation reservoir that has to be emptied from time to time. There is a way to attach a hose to the outlet valve of the reservoir and exhaust it along with the hot air, but in practice this is nearly impossible because the valve is at the very bottom of the unit and to gravity feed the water out, you would need to raise the unit way off the floor. Reply
david lawrence says July 3, 2019 at 4:27 pm remember portables need make up air can draw from chimney and expose you to co poison gas !!!!! Reply
Craig Campbell says March 13, 2019 at 11:22 pm I beg to differ on both effectiveness and economy with portable airconditioners, I recently bought one to use in the second bedroom of a rented highrise unit. A nomal in wall or split A/C uses external air to cool the condensor, where a portable unit can not do this, so it creates a vacuum in the room by pumping out the heated air passing through the internal condensor, of course the vacuum causes hot hot air to be sucked into the room, usually under or around the entry door, to replace the pumped out air. In other words what gets pumped out of the room must be replaced, a split, inwall, or ducted unit recycles the cooled air within the room, where the portable unit has to continually cool replacement air, thereby being much more inefficient. Reply
COUMARANE says March 24, 2019 at 12:41 am Portable AC is advisable for Indian climate , advantage over split AC , Noise problem if any. Reply
JoeB says July 26, 2019 at 3:15 pm My gripe with window units is the accordion side panels don’t cover the open space completely. Maybe other models do a better job of this. I bought foam panels to place over the a/c panels but they don’t stay in place. Reply
Joe says July 10, 2020 at 6:26 am I recommend going to a sign shop and getting a 6 mil thickness or bigger piece of coroplast, used for Election signs you see planted in yards it’s whether durable the thicker milliliter will be sturdier and you can cut it to size. If you ask for a damage sheet you could even save money they probly would cost you $20 or so. Or Ask a scrap piece bug enough to work for. You. Reply
Eric says August 13, 2019 at 1:48 pm You didn’t mention that portable AC units are very inefficient at cooling compared to a window unit. A 12,000 BTU portable AC will cool roughly as much as a 6000 BTU window AC. I found this out the hard way. If you can use a window unit do it. Portable units are usually used in situations that a window unit won’t work. Reply
Jutto says April 18, 2020 at 11:42 pm @Eric says. This is extremely true. My 8000btu window unit cooled much more effectively than my 14000btu dual hose portable unit. We have recently redone our 200 sq ft Florida room and installed new windows,doors and insulation. Wanting to keep it clean looking we opted for a powerful (highest rated model) portable unit to keep it looking nice, not having a window unit hanging out of the window over our new landscaping, while believing we were actually upgrading from our old 8kbtu window unit. We were definitely wrong. We suffered greatly even before the summer hit in south Fl. We recently sold our current DH unit off and purchased another highly rated dual hose unit only to suffer the same fate. That’s alot of money for trial & error. We haven’t reinvested in another window unit just yet but that is our next move. We really miss the old 8btu window unit that worked better even before upgrades and insulation. Portables are not worth it in hot climates. Praise to the old window units for their efficiency. Can’t wait to actually enjoy the room we just spent thousands of dollars upgrading! Reply
rastakins says July 7, 2020 at 9:11 am Portable air conditioners use the already-cooled inside air to cool the condenser and then eject it outside, causing a vacuum in the house. The replenishment air will come from any area of the house with an air leak making that part of the house even hotter and more humid than if you didn’t have the portable running at all. Window air conditioners and TWO hose portables are much better. Since the condenser cooling air stays outside, a those air conditioners will tend tend to propagate “cool” and “dry” throughout the room and into adjoining areas. Reply
