A portable air conditioner works in non-standard spaces, such as warehouses, boats, recreational vehicles, and trucks. It runs on electricity, like a window unit, yet is small enough to be used in spaces that are not well suited for central air conditioning or permanent installation.

Industrial spaces prompted the development of a portable air conditioner that could be rolled around from one work area to another since it would be wasteful and expensive to cool an entire warehouse. However, the portable air conditioner has been modified for use outside of a commercial capacity. This involved changing the cooling technology, reducing the size, and adapting the power source to run off of battery converters.

The original type of portable air conditioner runs on coolant, similar to a permanently installed window unit. Using a chemical called freon, the unit gets power from your ordinary 120-volt electrical outlet. Because of that chemical process, to be run safely, the air conditioner must be vented through a duct or window. This type is as large as a window unit yet mounted on sturdy casters so it can be easily wheeled from one location to another. In warehouses, they cool spaces occupied by people, such as a small office, as well as temperature-sensitive equipment like motors or computers.

A newer type of portable air conditioner uses evaporative technology, rather than coolant, similar to a swamp cooler. In these smaller, more portable devices, a reservoir of water is used to cool and humidify the air through evaporation. You could carry this compact portable air conditioner into your motor home, car, truck, boat, or anywhere you can power it off of a battery using a 12-volt converter. Although it must be maintained by refilling the reservoir, the portable air conditioner is effective at quickly cooling and freshening smaller spaces and doesn’t need to be vented.

As the days warm up, you may be looking for some effective ways of cooling you and your house back down. So if central air conditioning is too expensive, and soaking your socks in water and tossing them in the freezer is a little to messy, it may be time to consider one of the many affordable and practical portable air conditioners now on the market.

Portable air conditioners actually take two basic forms ?air coolers, and actual air conditioners. Each have some advantages and disadvantages, and it pays to consider both carefully before heading out on a shopping spree.
 

Other than spot cooling, portable room air conditioners can also be used to supplement central air conditioning. If you cannot lift or install a traditional window air conditioner due to physical conditions or room architectural reasons, the free standing air conditioners fit the bill perfectly.

Many people buy an air conditioner that is too large, thinking it will provide better cooling. However, an oversized air conditioner is actually less effective - and wastes energy at the same time. Each of the windowless air conditioners in our collection ideally fits in most average-size rooms, lounges or offices, and effectively improves air circulation in poorly ventilated spaces.

Air Conditioners: Not all that long ago, air conditioners were only available as large central units or ones that required installation through a wall or in a window. Portable air conditioners typically do not offer the cooling capacity of a window unit, but they do have the advantage of portability so you can move it to whatever room needs cooling. It can sit in the living room while you watch TV, then it can move to the bedroom to help cool you down while you sleep.

Portable air conditioners are contained in sleek and attractive caster-mounted cabinets for easy transport, and average about 28 to 34 inches tall. Most have multi-speed fans and adjustable air-direction louvers, and many also feature timers and thermostats for easier and more effective control.

While a portable air conditioner has more cooling capacity than an air cooler, it has the disadvantage of needing to be vented to the outside. The air conditioning process removes heat from the air, and if the vent is not connected and the air conditioner cannot push the hot exhaust air out of the house, it will be virtually impossible for the unit to cool the room it's in.

For this purpose, portable air conditioners come with a flexible exhaust hose and some type of window venting kit. The vent panel is installed in the window, the window is closed against the panel, and the hose is then connected between the air conditioner and the panel. To simplify moving between rooms, additional window panels are available as well.

Unlike air coolers that put moisture into the air, air conditioners actually remove moisture, so they are a plus in humid climates and a minus in dry ones. As the moisture is removed from the air, it collects in a tray inside the air conditioner, and needs to be emptied periodically. Most units have some type of automatic shutoff feature that will shut the air conditioner off when the tray is full in order to prevent overfilling and the possibility of leakage. Some of the higher-end models have a self-evaporating mechanism built in to the unit, which can greatly reduce the amount of moisture being removed from the air.

When you're ready to start shopping, check out a few different models of air conditioners and air coolers and discuss your particular needs with a reputable dealer before making your decision.