So you are thinking about purchasing an indoor portable air conditioner. There are many great advantages of owning such a unit. Amongst their obvious capabilities such as cooling a room and being mobile, there are other facts that you should know about. Here are 5 facts you should know before making your purchase.
Fact #1
Indoor portable air conditioners absorb the water or humidity from the air either reducing or eliminating any moisture. They may have different techniques in doing so, such as an evaporative system or a dehumidifier function. This being said, there is always the possibility of water damage occurring to either your floor or the unit itself. Some of these portable units come with drip trays that need to be emptied while others are said to produce no excess water at all. Whatever they claim, it is always possible to have water build up in or around your machine.
Fact #2
Portable air conditioners aren’t always as easily mobile as you may think. Not all units come with wheels and on average can weigh as much as 50-90lbs. If you are unable to lift heavy items, make sure you purchase a unit with caster wheels. However if you have stairs or carpeting, wheels might not even be an advantage.
Fact #3
It’s unfortunate but all portable air conditioners are known to make noise. If the noise is something that you cannot easily become accustomed too then you may want to see if the unit you want to purchase lists its decibel level. Most indoor portable air conditioners range between 40-65dB. 40dB is quite low and sounds like a low, almost soothing humming. 65dB however is like a very loud conversation between several people.
Fact #4
Maintenance is required with any unit you purchase. If you don’t have time to take care of the unit, then it can break or become completely unfixable. Most units have a drip tray which needs to be emptied, vents that need to be dusted out, filters that need replaced or cleaned ever so often, and the exterior needs to be kept free of dust. There may even be other pieces and parts that the brand insists that you clean.
Fact #5
There are many different features and functions that indoor portable units have. They all vary with brand, model and type. In order to purchase the perfect air conditioning unit, you will want to take all features and functions into consideration. There are sleep modes, timers, window kits, dehumidifiers, evaporative systems, heating options, anti bacterial filters, reusable filters, remote operated units, and different fan and cooling speeds amongst many other options. BTUs and EERs are also extremely important when buying an indoor unit.
Before heading out to buy indoor portable air conditioners, it is in your best interest to know what you are buying. Taking the above facts into account will only help make your search easier and insure that you are making the right purchase.