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Before You Buy, Learn
How to Find the Perfect Match for Your Needs in a Portable Air Conditioner!
(FAQ)
Questions Answered Here! Please read through the Q&A below to learn
more about portable air conditioners. Learn why PAC's must be vented
and see how easy installation is. For more questions, please e-mail
us at sales@air-n-water.com or call Monday through Friday (800)
734-0405. All of our portable air conditioners have a guaranteed
warranty of one to three years, depending on the unit.
Click Here to View our Full Selection of Portable Air Conditioners!
1. What should I consider before buying a portable air conditioner?
The most important factor to consider is proper power
rating for the area being cooled. Quite often people mistakenly
assume more power is better because if it gets too cold, you can
always turn it down. However, experts will
tell you to pay close attention to the floor plan and insulation in order to get the right number of BTUs. Otherwise, you
could find yourself with excess condensation and other aggravating problems.
After deciding on the BTU rating you need, much of the decision comes down to your own preference. The number of exhaust hoses
(or oscillating or fixed louvers if you prefer) are only a matter of
choice. Overall, choosing a portable air conditioner should depend
on the following factors: the space being cooled, how long you intend to keep the
portable air conditioner on at one time, and whether there are
dedicated personnel who will be able to access and adjust the unit
as needed. Also, companies may sometimes be concerned about noise
levels, and therefore, will also pay special attention to the volume each portable air
conditioner produces.
2. How do proper BTU ratings work?
Portable air conditioners are rated in British Thermal Units (BTU). The greater the BTU,
the more cooling power the portable air conditioner has. The
following are general guidelines for the maximum room size and the
coinciding BTU's that are typically recommended
for portable air conditioners:
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7,500 BTU: 150 square feet
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9,000 BTU: 250 square feet
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10,000 BTU: 300 square feet
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12,000 BTU: 400 square feet
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13,000 BTU: 450 square feet
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14,000 BTU: 500 square feet
The guidelines can
sometimes vary from one manufacturer to another. Along with
suggested, maximum room size, different factors can reduce the effectiveness of portable air conditioners.
Here are a few solutions that might increase or decrease BTU's if
you suspect the effectiveness of your portable air conditioner is
going to be altered by an outside factor:
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Reduce your required capacity by 10% if your room is heavily shaded.
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Increase your capacity by 10% if your room is very sunny.
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Add 600 BTU to your capacity for each additional person (beyond two people) that regularly
occupies the same room.
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Add 4,000 BTU if the room is the kitchen.
3. Are there any final points to consider when choosing a portable air conditioner?
There are many different brands and levels of portable
air conditioners available to consumers these days. Many of these
are evaporative (where there are no water tanks to empty). Still, others require you to drain the internal water tank every 12 hours
to several days. The type of portable air conditioner you choose may
depend greatly on where you intend to exhaust it. For instance, if
you are going to exhaust the air conditioner through an attic or drop ceiling, you do not want moisture
to be exhausted with the hot air. In this case, you would not
use the evaporative type. However, if you plan to exhaust your
portable air conditioner through a window, the evaporative type
would probably be the best choice.
You may also want to consider other appliances that
will not need to be purchased if you own certain portable air
conditioners. Portable air conditioners
dehumidify the air and can also be used as fans. Some units can be used as dehumidifiers
and/or heaters separately
from the air conditioning function.
Another consideration is picking a portable air conditioner that has the
type of controls that will fit your needs. You can choose electronic
controls (features such as remote controls or louvers that can be set to swing automatically
or by advanced programmable timers). You may also choose the manual
control type, which is simpler to operate and can automatically
restart the cooling process after a power outage.
Finally, the portable air conditioner energy efficiency ratio (EER)
rating and sound level will play an important role in your final decision. The higher the EER, the
more efficient the unit is.
Click Here to View our Full Selection of Portable Air Conditioners!
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Here to Return to Our Main FAQ Page
Information gathered from various sources on the Internet and from our web sites.
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