Choosing a portable air conditioning unit

Portable air conditioning units are versatile sources of cold air which can be used in a wide range of environments and applications. However to get the best performance from them, it is important to understand how they work.

Portable air conditioning units do not create cooling, they transfer heat from one place to another. To produce cold air, portable air conditioning units draw in warm air, remove the heat from it, and discharge it as cold air.

The heat removed from the room air is exhausted outside as either hot air in the case of monobloc a/c units or water as in split a/c units:

Air-cooled or monobloc air conditioning units The NovEcos portable air conditioner and Clima9 small portable air conditioner are both air-cooled a/c units. The heat they remove is released via a flexible exhaust duct . When using air-cooled air conditioning units to cool rooms, the flexible vent duct is fed outside or into another room via a nearby window, door or wall.

Water-cooled or split air conditioning units The Clima16 office air conditioner and SilenClima portable air conditioner are both split air conditioning units. A thin flexible pipe transports the heat to a separate radiator (heat exchanger). Split air conditioning units are ideal for rooms or offices that do not have ready access to an outside door or window. Attaching an extension line with the Clima16, the heat exchanger can be positioned upto 5.5m (18ft.) away from the indoor unit.

RAC - Room air conditioning

When air conditioning a room, office, shop, etc. Portable air conditioning units operate most efficiently, when doors and windows are kept shut. This is because they work by recycling the room air, each time it passes through the unit its temperature is lowered, if it is allowed to mix with warmer outside air the cooling effect is reduced.

One complaint levelled at air conditioning is that it dries the air. This is true, as the air is cooled its ability to hold moisture is decreased. Portable air conditioning units collect this excess moisture in their condensate tanks.

If occupants become uncomfortable there are several solutions:

Put pot plants into the room. Plants naturally transpire – i.e. release moisture into the air.

Put bowls of water on sunny windowsills – the sunlight will evaporate the water into the room air.

Install humidifiers – don’t use ones that use heat to evaporate water! Instead select ones that use misting nozzles or damp pads and a fan.

Five things to consider before buying a portable air conditioner

Choose the correct size - If an air conditioner is not big enough for the area it is cooling, it will run continuously but not reduce the temperature . It is therefore very important, before purchasing a portable air conditioning unit to make sure it is big enough for the intended application. For further information, see heat load calculations.

Positioning the indoor unit - The evaporator needs to be near an electrical socket and located so that there is no obstruction to the airflow. Monobloc units need to be near to a window.

Positioning the outdoor unit - If a split unit is used the heat exchanger needs to be positioned outside and away from direct sunlight. The pipe run should be kept as short and straight as possible.

Protecting sensitive electronic equipment - Keep the indoor unit away from sensitive electronic equipment, computers, fax machines, etc.. Do not use adaptors, plug the air conditioner directly into its own socket.

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