On a hot summer day in mid-July summer, you quickly realize that placing your air conditioner to 68 degrees is not cutting it. Not to mention, you have all the fans on high, and it is still scorching hot.
Overall, you quickly realize that nothing is working, and you may want to invest in a portable air conditioner to help cool the house down even more than it is currently.
If you have stumbled upon this article, you are in luck! We will dive into the best portable air conditioner units that can cool an entire house down. Keep reading to find out all of the information there is to know.
How Do Portable Air Conditioners Work?
Portable air conditioning units help circulate and displace hot and warm air throughout your house and out of the venting tube connected to your windows. This occurs because part of the integral system is dedicated to doing the above.
Not only that, but the other part takes in the air and cools it for circulation throughout the room it is placed in.
To work correctly, you will need to ensure the hose that transports the hot air out is secured in your window with no gap for the outside heat to get back in.
You achieve this by a small adjustable panel forming a tight seal between the inside and outside of the house. It will take time to closely examine the borders of this panel and feel for warm air seeping in.
If you feel some excess air coming in, one quick fix (which can be slightly messy) would be using a bit of plastic bagging and duct tape to fix the air leakage, but if the gap is too large, an entirely different panel is required.
Internal Process
The internal process of precisely how the unit cools air happens in a straightforward process utilizing a refrigerant. In this case, it is used to reduce the overall temperature of the air.
To make it more comfortable for most situations, a compressor, which the name implies, compresses the refrigerant and makes it usable. Finally, a fan inside distributes the air throughout the area once the above steps are complete.
Top Best Portable Air Conditioners For Your Home
Now that we have a little bit of clarity on how these units work, the next big question would be, how do I find one that not only fits my needs but also fits my budget? Thankfully, a solution is coming your way.
Below is a list of not only which ACs can be some of the most costly and high functioning, but which ones will get the job done for a small amount of time, perhaps during a repair!
The Whynter 14,000 BTU Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner provides powerful cooling over large areas. It is designed to operate in temperatures between 68 degrees and 104 degrees.
The unit features a dual hose design for increased flexibility, remote control with LCD display, and an easy-to-use electronic control panel for simple operation.
This portable air conditioner has an auto evaporation system that automatically monitors the tank's water level and shuts off when full to prevent overflow. It also includes smart drain technology that prevents water from being trapped inside.
Featuring a dual hose system that allows you to direct cool air where it's most needed. This unit can be used as an air conditioner, dehumidifier, fan, or heater. With its sleek design and quiet operation of fewer than 56 decibels, this unit will keep your home cool and comfortable all year round.
It's perfect for cooling down a 500-square-foot space. With four operational modes and a dehumidifying capacity of 71 pints per day, this portable air conditioner is perfect for any environment. The self-evaporating system fully exhausts all condensate automatically in most environments, and the 1300-watt power consumption makes it eco-friendly.
With four operational modes, three fan speeds, and an Eco-friendly CFC-free Green R-32 refrigerant, this air conditioner is perfect for any environment.
This unit includes an adjustable louvered venting system that can be set to exhaust the hot air outside or in the room. The ARC-14S features two separate hose connections: one for intake and one for exhaust. The intake hose is designed to connect directly to your window, while the exhaust hose can extend up to 60 inches away from the unit (with included extender) so you can easily direct airflow where it's needed most.
Putting your best foot forward is a beautiful phrasing, and if your room has given you a hot head and you want relief immediately, the ARC-14S by Whynter will get you back into your senses in a hurry.
Featuring use as an air conditioner but a fan and dehumidifier by default, the healthy price of this bad boy is somewhat justified. The ARC-14S does ring in at about 750$ USD on Amazon but has a few other perks that come with that tag.
This specific model has a built-in filter that you can clean, so you don’t need to replace it which improves overall air quality. Additionally, the Whynter comes with a 24-hour programmable timer for the busy household and fully automated drain functionality, perfect for operating it near-elderly or children with little personal effort required.
Next up, we have the BPACT10WT. This one is slightly less costly than the 14S above but just as helpful and 100$ cheaper. One of this unit’s best features is its pride and joy come from how silent it runs.
A little background rattle sometimes eases the nerves, but you won’t get that pleasure from this unit. It works brilliantly in small rooms and features a sleek remote to control things from afar. A quick installation guaranteed means it will be fully operational almost directly out of the box.
The filter in the BPACT10WT is pretty hefty as well, only requiring a monthly cleaning, and offers the same great perks of being a 3-in-1 AC, dehumidifier, and fan, all at the price of 650$ USD.
Moving down in price to get within more pocket-friendly standards, now entering the SereneLife, this unit has what you’d expect of your traditional portable AC unit.
It has the classic three-in-one these guys are notorious for and the remote for adjusting on the fly. Still, this one also has WiFi functionality, wheels that make it easier to move from room to room depending on your needs, and it only weighs 45 pounds, so setting it up will be a breeze.
This unit comes in a sleek, stylized black look or a very modern white aesthetic, but the air conditioner packs a powerful punch compared to the others on this list.
The De’Longhi is made for handling and cooling larger rooms and, by association, making your whole house more enjoyable. The ability to cool large rooms does come at a price and in more ways than one.
Unfortunately, for starters, the unit weighs over 80 pounds, which may not be an issue, but it is a factor nonetheless.
Secondly, it costs roughly 650$ USD, which may be deterring at first glance, but compared to something like the SereneLife, people might justify it due to how much surface it can cool and what your needs are instead of getting two of the above.
The recurring theme of the 3-in-1 makes its usual appearance and remote control. Still, this one also takes a lesson from the BPACT and has a noise dampener built-in and an energy consumption function that auto-adjusts temperature based on humidity and will make your dollar stretch further.
Frigid temperatures in your house might be something to strive for, and the Frigidaire may get you one step closer to your dream if that is your goal. This unit offers 13,000 BTU at a reasonable price and has memory settings for when you turn it off or in the event of a power outage.
The built-in filter on this unit is a wipe-and-go and comes with a few other features that allow it to be a comfortable middle ground for all the other AC units listed so far.
The Frigidaire has one major drawback: it only functions as an AC. So if the dehumidifier and fan qualities are a need in your home, you might want to look elsewhere on the list.
Last but certainly not least, we have the LUKO. This unit will keep your home nice and cool at a discount compared to others here. The LUKO can comfortably cool a room of 400 sq ft, and has the three-in-one standard remote control and a 24-hour timing system to help conserve energy.
The unit only weighs 55 pounds and has wheels attached, so moving it to the perfect spot and again after will be a breeze. It also boasts an installation process so simple a child can do it, so the entire setup is more or less fire and forget.
If you need something fast and just to hold you over during a quick repair, this is the unit for the job at a price you can afford.
How To Shop For A Portable AC Unit
Choosing the perfect unit for you and your family more or less boils down to a few key factors: why you are getting it, which could be a simple question, is it to cool a room down with many people in it?
If so, a smaller unit would probably suit your needs perfectly. Do you need to cool multiple rooms in the house for an extended time while an extensive repair is done? Then you will want a bigger unit, perhaps a few, to stave off the heat. Not to dive into pockets, but what is your financial situation?
If you are already looking at a costly AC repair bill, the last thing you want to do is dive further into the hole while chasing a temporary solution. Considering these factors will help you decide what kind of portable AC unit will work best for you.
Conclusion
You want to make a purchase that makes sense for not only you but your family and whatever situation you are dealing with currently. Shop diligently when looking for your solution and keep the room’s dimensions, or rooms, you want to cool in mind.
These small details can help keep your spending minimum and ensure you are always satisfied with your product. The unit’s maneuverability and ease of access could also be vital features to keep in mind when purchasing for your family.
