Portable Air Conditioner Query
We recently purchased a Maytag Portable 9000 BTU air conditioner and it doesn't seem to do a very good job evaporating off its water which it is supposed to collect in a collection tank, thus making it "drippless". Does anyone have this unit or an earlier Maytag unit. The tank fills up every hour when its humid. Its being used in a 300 square foot room. Outside temperature has been about 85. Don't know the humidity but sometimes its been high.
Answer:
I have a 12,000 BTU model that has the same claim..Mine doesn't fill up that fast but does collect in the bottom...Do you live in a fairly humid climate?? I think they might do what they are supposed to do in a less humid climate, but I live in Austin TX and it's pretty damp here..I think my owners manual even states that if you are in a humid climate you may have to hook up a hose drain to it...Mine is also a heat pump and it says to always use the drain hose for that function, I guess because the coils are reversed so the evaporation will not work, plus the unit has a defrost mode which my guess is creates a lot of water byproduct.. The portables seem to have some really neat features, but from what I have discovered to use them correctly you sorta lose the "portability" Mine is destined for an insulated garage, and will be permanently piped outside and will have a perm. condensate drain attached...One thing we have noticed on these units is that if the filter isn't checked and cleaned *regularly*, compressor failure can occur in a very short time. Poor air flow caused by a plugged filer and exasperated by the density of the evaporator coil seem to be biggest weak spot in that particular design ... besides the fact that in the cooling process some of the cooled room air is sent outdoors through the exhaust vent and they are often a bear to service. I have last year's 8000 btu Maytag portable (June 2002) cooling my well insulated upstairs (450-500 sq ft) in northern IL, and it has never shut off on high water, I never drained it until last fall, and that was only a few ounces. But I only use it as necessary during weekends or a few hours on warm evenings (water bed keeps me cool at night). When cool enough outside, I open the windows and exhaust the hot air from upstairs with a box fan. I don't know exactly how the condensate gets from evaporator to condensor to cool it and be expelled out the vent hose as water vapor, but it sounds like something in your 9000 btu unit may be kinked or plugged. Either that or you have very high humidity and poor insulation/vapor barrier in your walls.