Portable Air Conditioners

[Jennifer3640]

Hello Community,

I am looking for recommendations on a portable air conditioner; a unit that can roll to different rooms.  Our entire cabin is 726 Square Feet (67 Sq M) so we're interested in a unit that can be moved from living/kitchen to bedrooms. I understand from the little research I did that a dual hose is better than single hose.  I'd like energy efficiency too and capable to be added to internet so I can troubleshoot from 180 miles away. It would be used at a cabin in northeastern Arizona, so the air is mostly dry. Not looking for a heater as part of the unit, but if a stellar unit came with heat as well that would be ok.  

Please let me know if you use a portable A/C and the pros and cons you've experienced.  

Thanks,

Jennifer

[Holland6]

There great, they have a hose that lets out the hot air they generate, usually you would fix the hose to a window, 

what I’m going to do in my place, is go through an old heating grate from the oil furnace I had, ( I upgraded to electric )  to the basement, and out threw a hole I make in the wall down there,,,,,,, and I will modify the air hose to air conditioner, any way I like, so I can be moved around, and I’ll beef it up a bit, good electric tape, etc.

my suggestion is that you by pass the window and punch a hole in the wall, a fan or two can distribute the cold air through your cabin. That way you can place it wherever 

🎱🏌🏼‍♂️👀

[Jennifer3640]

We are on the fence now of what to buy because the propane generated furnace we have is like, 24 years old and goes through a lot of propane each winter. It may be sensible to look into just upgrading the system to include a/c. We already have the vents on the floor. 

Thanks for your response!

[Holland6]

Go electric, and look into heat pumps, pricy but will pay for itself, I myself will get two heat pumps, one for basement and one for inside, they are believed, and proven to cut electric bill 40%

I live in Newfoundland, and had oil furnaces, bill was 900, now all electric 200amp✔️ bill now 350

[Nur785 · Accepted solution]

@Jennifer3640 They are great, but they are not really portable as you imagine them to be rolled from one room to another. 

the house have to be affixed to a window or a vent or something which makes it difficult to move as you would have to attach the hose to something every time you move. 

I like how powerful they are. We use them in a midtown manhattan office space on as the building AC does not run on weekends and it keeps that huge space cool. 

However, they are not very pleasing to the eye, take a lot of floor space and having to secure the ventilation to something makes them not so portable. 

I have couple of Midea U shaped air conditioners that keep a 750 sqf apartment pretty cool. 

[Bettye6]

I concur. My apartment is 1000 sq.ft and bought a "portable A/C" and too our shock needed to be 3 feet from the wall which would essentially be taking up 1/2 the room. 

Highly recommended by Consumer Reports but the article failed to say how much space they needed. And not too portable at all. My husband struggle with it just to move it and they are VERY heavy.  

We ended up going with the old fashioned window unit and a few fans. It sufficed

perfectly in the recent 120 degree days we had in Chicagoland per our guests. 

I would suggest going with a window unit if at all possible. 

The through the walls units were an option we just don't have the ability as cost to install was too expensive for our pocket books as of now.

Good luck!

Bettye6 

[Jennifer3640]

Good to know about space! Based on what you said about right fit and 3 feet from wall the unit would sit in the middle of the floor in a small bedroom. I sense a trip hazard at that point. 😕

[Jennifer3640]

Thank you for your response. I looked at some of the Midea and they have decent reviews. 

[Fred13]

We use one in our island when we encounter a guest in which A/C is a 'must'. They are portable as long as the room already has a wall vent already (air flap on outside wall like cloth dryers require) then they can be flush to the wall with the small water line through the same vent; one in the 8k-12k BTU range will usually more than suffice.

[Fred13]

Addendum: The fact they usually come with a 3-ft flexible hose doesn't mean you have to use it or keep it from the wall. Cut it and the unit can then go flush to the wall.

Also get one that has wheels, thus making moving it around facile.

The outdoor vent is as follows, and note the flange that oftentimes comes with them that fits the A/C hose of the unit.

[Jennifer3640]

Thank you for responding. I’ve heard they have a flap to the outside and from what I see online the install process isn’t too difficult.