Do The Portable Room A/c Units Work?
Looking for reports of suitability from people who've used one of the common (Home Depot / Lowes ) portable air conditioner units. Need to know how good a job they'll do cooling a room. Judging by what I know of thermal principles, the can't work. Where does the heat go? We know that to cool/chill air, you remove heat from it. In other systems, the heat is "pumped" outside. With the self contained unit in the room, seems like it could never get ahead because it's not isolating the heat anywhere. Additionally, most of your air chillers have dehumidifcation as a by-product. So where's the water going in these units? Maybe they've got a concealed bucket you have to go dump periodically. Anyway, I'd like to get a couple for use during power outages when we're running on our gensets, but need to know first that they really work. Otherwise, I'll use window units.
Answer:
These units are ducted out of a window using a flexible duct similar to a dryer exhaust. Most have a tank that collects the condensate. Some are available with pumps that pump the condensate out the window through a small tube. I have one and the air coming out is very cold. The only problem with them is that they suck air in from outside to replace the air the blow out the vent through the window. Very inefficient. The condensation either goes to a bucket, out a tube, or is evaporated out the exhaust depending on type of unit you have. These things are good if you can't use a normal window unit due to no window or you dont want it sticking out the side of your house.The air coming in, is the same air going out after it has removed the heat from the coils. Room air is not removed, nor is outside air introduced to the room. I do see some inefficiency because of the fact there is some restriction to air flow while doing this. In a window unit, the heat is immediately dumped to the outside and doesn't have to be fan forced up and out a tube. In addition to what the others have said, I have one that I bought when the main air conditioner went out and also use it off the generator when power is out. They work and you can move them from room to room. They just take a few minutes to set up. The ability to easily move them is the only reason I bought this kind instead of a window unit. Windows units do a better job and are cheaper, that given I would buy another one when mine quits. Air for both #1 and #2 come from the air in the room. But if #2 is blowing air OUT of the room that means that: a. The room will eventually be sucked dry of air or b. Air is coming into the room from somewhere else. Unless a magician is creating air in the room then it has to be drawn in from some other room, cracks in the walls or ceiling or somewhere else.