The Portable Air Conditioner Experts
At PortableAirShop.com we are focused on educating consumers about portable air conditioners and helping them find the right model to meet their cooling needs. We will provide you with unbiased ratings on each portable AC unit, an outline of important features, as well as how each manufacturer stacks up head to head. Because we focus primarily on portable air conditioners, we can offer you a level of service and expertise that nobody else can.
Select The Portable AC Unit That's Just Right...
Residential Portable Air Conditioners >> Cool Only Portable Air Conditioners >> Heat And Cool Portable Air Conditioners >> Portable Air Conditioner Accessories >>We offer free shipping on all residential portable air conditioners we sell, eliminating hidden shipping costs. We also offer a low price guarantee so that you can be confident you are getting the best deal around. And if for some reason you decide that the portable air conditioner you purchased from us just is not what you need, we offer an easy returns policy. Feel free to call us and see for yourself and talk to one of our knowledgeable portable air conditioner experts.
Residential Portable Air Conditioners
Commercial Portable Air Conditioners
Window Air Conditioners
Air Coolers And Fans
Portable Dehumidifiers
Space HeatersPortable Air Conditioners: An Overview
Portable air conditioners are truly unique in that they are portable and can be easily moved from location to location. Though they still have an exhaust tube that must be vented out somewhere, they are truly portable in the sense that they require no permanent installation. Most portable air conditioners come with what is called a window venting kit. This venting kit easily slides into a window as seen in the diagram below. The exhaust hose is easily fit into the appropriate space in the window kit, and the unit is ready to go. To read in more details about the ins and outs of installing portable AC units, go to our Installation Section.
Portable air conditioners virtually always have caster wheels for portability. They consist of one "box" that holds both the hot and cold side of the air conditioner in one and they use their exhaust hose to expel heat. There are several ways to get rid of the water that the air conditioner condenses out of the air. Most units collect this water in an internal drain bucket, but some units exhaust the water through their drain hose. Some units have pumps that pump the condensate water out through a tube in their drain hose. Most models that collect condensate water in an internal bucket can also be adapted for direct drain off. There are now models manufactured by EdgeStar that produce no water at all.
Our Portable Air Conditioner Buyer's Guide
Portable Air Conditioners are relatively simple units, however there are different features that you might be interested in. The first feature you should consider is the size of the room that you need to cool. We offer a very simple chart in our buyer's guide section to show a general idea of the size air conditioner needed for different room sizes. We also offer a head to head Portable Air Conditioner Comparison Chart that will allow you to evaluate the price and features on all of our portable air conditioners. Or to view our entire Portable Air Conditioner Buyer's Guide Section, click here. Some other features that we feel are important to consider are:
- Drip vs. No drip portable air conditioner models. Drip models are generally less expensive, but will have small trays that will need to be emptied every 24-48 hours. No drip portable air conditioners do not produce any excess water. These models generally cost more.
- Single Exhaust vs. Dual Exhaust portable air conditioners. Dual exhaust portable AC units offer the advantage of circulating cleaner air in the area you are trying to cool as well as cooling more quickly than single exhaust units.
- Multi-Functional Portable air conditioners. Stand alone Portable air conditioners vs. Portable air conditioners and heaters vs. Portable air conditioners and dehumidifiers. Determine if a heater or dehumidifier are important features for you before buying.
Buying the right sized portable air conditioner is the most important thing to consider. Currently, the largest portable air conditioner category that we have is 12,000 - 14,000 BTU. These air conditioners will cool up to 400 to 550 square feet. However, that does not mean you should automatically buy the largest model possible for your room. You will save money on electricity by finding the right portable air conditioner for your living area. For a more detailed analysis of BTU requirements visit our section on calculating portable air conditioner size.
