Obviously a portable air conditioner is designed to cool you down. But what are they and how do they work. Like a central air conditioning unit or a window unit they work to transform your hot air to cool dry air. But unlike a window unit they do not require permanent installation. These portable air conditioners do require ventilation, or at least most of them do. This usually means you need a hose or tube that will run from your unit to a window or door where the unit can be vented.

These types of cooling devices allow you to take control of the indoor temperature in areas such as apartments, offices, or homes where wall, window, or central units are not viable options. Also, because these units almost always have casters for portability, they are easy to move from room to room. In addition, many portable air conditioners are also multi-functional and provide other functions such as heating and dehumidifying.

These portable air conditioners have really advanced in technology and are very convenient and easy to use. Many of these units now come with electronic timers that allow you to program your air conditioning unit so it comes on in time to have your room cooled off before you arrive. This eliminates the first few minutes of sweltering heat while you wait for the unit to bring the air temperature down to your comfort zone. This makes having one of these units very sensible and effective for cooling down different places during the hot summer months. An illustration of this can be seen in the Amcor portable air conditioner.

It might be helpful to understand that these portable units just as the larger ones are designed to produce different amounts of cooling power or BTUs. BTUs are British Thermal Units and are the standard for measuring the cooling or heating power of these types of devices. So, the higher the number on a unit the greater its capacity to cool your room. For example a 10,000 BTU portable air conditioner should be sufficient to cool a room that measures about 28 square meters. If the room gets a lot of direct sun it will need a bigger unit to cool the same space.

Most portable air conditions will be in the range of 25 to 35 inches tall. The typical weight for these systems is between 60 and 80 pounds. They come with wheels so moving them around a house or apartment is not a major deal but packing it up stairs or from location to location might require some help. But the flexibility that they offer you is a huge help in keeping your energy costs down or cooling a space that you might not otherwise be able to cool. You might also consider that some of the units come with heating units as well which makes them even more worth the investment as you can use the same unit year round.

As you consider getting one of these units you need to determine the size of the rooms or offices that you need to cool. This will help you be sure the get a unit that has enough power to cool your area.

Portable air conditionars are made by a number of  manufacturers like Delonghi, Fedders, Toyotomi, and Danby. Portable air conditioners offer a very versatile cooling option for those who can't use more conventional air conditioning methods, but they do have limitations that users need to be aware of due. Their power is limited to their size.

You might wonder where are the condensation does in these units, some of them have been able to create systems that greatly reduce or eliminate the condensation. But much of the time these units have a place where you drain the extra water.