How Effective Are Portable Air Conditioners?
Consumer Reports' tests have found that these heavy units are iffy at cooling—and hardly portable
Based Consumer Reports’ testing of portable air conditioners, they should be seen as a last resort for cooling a home when fans aren’t enough or other types of air conditioners aren’t an option. Despite manufacturer claims, these units barely get a room below sweltering, let alone to the 78° F that’s considered the upper threshold of indoor comfort.
Portable air conditioners are intended for homes in which window configurations or building regulations prevent the installation of window units.
“A portable air conditioner is an alternative, but not an ideal one,” says Chris Regan, who oversees Consumer Reports’ air conditioner tests. They’re typically bigger, noisier, and more expensive than window units, and they use more energy. In fact, retailers report that many portable air conditioners are returned each season by dissatisfied customers.
How Portable Air Conditioners Work
Unlike a window air conditioner or a central heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC), all of the mechanical parts of a portable air conditioner sit inside the room you’re trying to cool. This contributes to the noise they can make.
It’s also a reason for less-than-capable cooling. While a window AC uses outside air to cool the coils on the outdoor part of the unit, a portable air conditioner uses conditioned air from the room it’s in to cool the mechanicals. That creates negative pressure that can cause warm, unconditioned air from nearby rooms or the outdoors to flow into the room you’re trying to keep cool.
Moreover, it’s debatable how portable they are. Once the hose is connected to the kit in the window (to vent it outdoors), you won’t want to move the unit. In addition, most portable AC units weigh 50 to 80 pounds, sometimes more, making them difficult to move from room to room. And, while they do have wheels, portable air conditioners can be difficult to roll on carpets and over raised thresholds between rooms as well as stairs and steps.
Portable AC units also need their space. The hose is 5 to 7 feet long, and the air conditioner needs to be at least 2 feet away from any walls or furniture that may block its airflow.
How to Get the Most Out of a Portable Air Conditioner
They aren’t for everyone, but some people may have no viable alternatives. If that’s you, keep the following tips in mind to make the most of its cooling capabilities.
Install it right. All portable air conditioners come with a kit that you install in a window. It consists of a plastic panel with connections for the exhaust hose and can be installed horizontally in a double-hung window or vertically in a sliding window. Make sure all the connections are tight, and seal any air gaps.
Get a ceiling fan. Create a breeze by running a ceiling fan. It will make the room feel cooler, but only if it’s rotating in the direction that’s designed to push cool air downward. Many ceiling fans allow you to switch their rotational direction, and most should be set for optimal airflow out of the box. Still, you should double-check whether your model allows this and which settings it’s on to ensure you’re getting the most out of it.
Block the sun. Close the curtains and shades to keep the sun from overheating the room. You might also consider getting darker shades, curtains, or blinds that can more effectively stave off the sun’s warmth.