When choosing a portable air conditioner there are a few things to remember and adhere to when selecting one. It’s not just a case of choosing the one that mostly matches the color scheme of the room; although that should play a small part too. Below are guidelines and tips for picking the right one for you and your home, to get the best from your purchase.
You may have heard of BTU, but if not I will explain it to you. BTU; which stands for British Thermal Unit is simply how the amount of energy is needed to cool or heat a room. You need the BTU you choose to suit the size of the room you are planning on cooling with the portable air conditioner you purchase. This is very important.
Calculating the BTU you require is very simple, once you know the room size in square meters. For example, if the portable air conditioner has a BTU of 18,000, this will adequately cool a room size of 50 square meters. Some other factors will influence the level of BTU you require. If the room is very sunny or is a kitchen, you will probably need a higher BTU from your portable air conditioner. The BTU of an appliance will be clearly displayed on it, there are also helpful BTU calculators available online.
You also need to ascertain what will happen to the condensation that will be produced by your portable air conditioner. Usually in portable air conditioners, there’s a couple of ways to do this. There are 2 different models, the drip model and the non-drip model. Firstly the drip model, which tends to be the less expensive option, drains the moisture produced away into a bucket which needs to be emptied regularly. How often you empty it will depend on how much you use the unit. Secondly, the non-drip model reuses the moisture produced and filters it back out as cooled air. This is why this model is usually the more expensive.
Once you have decided what you are going to do with the condensation produced, you need to think what you are going to do with the extra heat produced during the cooling process. Usually there are 2 ways of doing this with a portable air conditioner. The first way is using the ducted condenser model. These are slightly less portable than the other option as they need to be nearer to a window to vent the hot air. They have a built in duct that they get rid of the hot air from. The other way is by using a remote condenser unit. These have a tubing attached which is placed out a window or opening, lessening the need for the unit to be so close to a window.
Lastly but not least, cost and energy efficiency should play a part when choosing your model. Try and choose a model with a high energy rating efficiency. This will tend to cost more but is much more environmentally sound. It will also save you money on your energy bills. Always check the energy rating label on the unit itself, this will give you a good indication of how energy efficient it is.
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