Portable air conditioning units are not the same as window air conditioners. These units can be used to lower the temperature of a room and even to lower the humidity, but they do not give the same cooling action as a regular window air conditioner. Mobile air conditioning units also needs a lot of maintenance. They should be placed near a window because they need to exhaust hot air outside in the same way. This means that you would need to place the exhaust tube through the window for the unit to exhaust its hot air outside, otherwise this hot air will not help in improving the temperature within the room. The built in bucket or tray also needs to be emptied manually, as portable conditioning units normally function the same as window air conditioners. The collected air is converted into cool air and it dehumidifies the collected air and this process leads to collected water in the bucket or tray. The bucket or tray needs to be emptied regularly for the air conditioning unit to function properly.
It is important for you to know the BTU, which is a measure of cooling power, that you will need for your room prior to purchasing a portable air conditioning unit. If the BTU of the unit is not enough to cover square footage of room where you will be utilizing it, the result will be that the portable air conditioning system will not cover the room with the cool air that you are expecting. It would only function to reduce the humidity of the air but a change in the room temperature may not be very obvious. When installing the hose through your window, it would be advisable to use duct tape to keep it in place. If the installation of the hose is not done properly, hot air may come in instead of it being exhausted outside. Again, this will not help your conditioning unit to function properly.
Prior to purchasing portable air conditioning units for your home, you need to ensure that transport from one room to another will be as easy and seamless as possible. It would be very usefully if you choose to purchase a unit with built in wheels and handles. Most mobile air conditioning units may weigh between 50 to 90 pounds – definitely on the heavy side, so this is where a handle and wheel system would be very practical. A portable unit with digital controls would allow you to set the temperature and the timer easily. Check on the warranty though as it is easier for digital controls to fail after long term use so you might want to opt for manual controls. Maintenance and repair for manual controls would be easier compared to digital controls.
In the long run, if you are more concerned with cooling an entire room, it would be advisable to get a window air conditioning unit rather than investing in portable air conditioning units, because the durability of window units are typically more effective at cooling your home as compared to mobile air conditioners.
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