Portable air conditioning units or PACs are air conditioning machines that can be moved around the house since these do not need to be installed permanently. The warm air circulating inside a room is sucked into the inlets of the PAC. It is circulated within the unit and is cooled by evaporator coils with refrigerants inside. The cool air produced is then blown out the front of the PAC while the warm air left inside the unit is expelled through an exhaust hose located at the back of the unit. All PACs need ventilating hoses to get rid of warm air.
There are many advantages in using this type of air conditioning units. These include:
- Its portability. PACs are great to use when you tend to move from one room to another.
- The absence of the need for a rectangular hole on the wall. If you are renting a place with no provision for through-wall air conditioners, this type is a good choice. It utilizes a supple hose (five to seven feet long) that runs through a window and is connected to a venting kit that expels the warm air outside the house.
- Similar features as those of wall-mounted air conditioning units: such as an adjustable thermostat that controls the heating and cooling system of the unit.
- Lower electrical bills. This type is ideal for those who are cost-cutting. You can keep costs down since you can choose to cool off one room at a time.
- Heating mode. Some units have this feature which heats the room instead of cooling it. This can be of great use during cold months.
However, like all things, PACs also have disadvantages, including:
- Tendency to produce more noise than a fixed air conditioner since the condenser is inside the room. Fixed air conditioners have condensers that are located outside so that you won’t be able to hear the sound it makes when inside the room or building.
- Manual removal of accumulated water. All ACs produce water. Some PACs may require you to manually throw out the water in their drain bucket unlike fixed air conditioning units which directly drips the water outdoors.
- Lower cooling capacity. Since PACs are much smaller, they also have reduced power output which in turn makes them less effective in cooling.
So, are portable air conditioning units the right one for you?